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You receive a phone call offering a $50 gift card if you participate in a survey. which course of action should you take

a) Provide personal information and participate in the survey
b) Decline the offer and hang up
c) Request more information about the survey
d) Call back the number to verify the legitimacy of the offer

2 Answers

4 votes

Final answer:

When receiving a phone call offering a gift card for a survey, request more information and verify the legitimacy of the survey before providing any personal details. Be cautious, as legitimate surveys exist, but so do scams. Furthermore, be aware that incentives can introduce bias into survey data.

Step-by-step explanation:

If you receive a phone call offering a $50 gift card to participate in a survey, it is wise to be cautious. Offers that seem too good to be true often are, and they may be attempts to gather personal information for fraudulent purposes. However, legitimate surveys do exist and may offer incentives for participation. The best course of action is to (c) Request more information about the survey. While doing so, ensure you do not give out personal information until you have verified the legitimacy of the survey. If you're curious or interested in the offer, consider option (d) Call back the number to verify the legitimacy of the offer. Do not simply trust the caller ID since numbers can be spoofed; use a number from an official website or customer service line for verification. If the offer is from a known and reputable organization, they will have no issue providing the necessary information and waiting while you do your due diligence.

Regarding the additional information given:

  • Providing a gift card as a reward for survey participation could create a potential source of bias in the data, especially if the participants are aware of the reward beforehand. This could affect their willingness to participate or the honesty of their responses.
  • Another concern mentioned is that the demographic reached through a telephone survey might not be representative of the entire population, leading to skewed results.

User Alex Lokk
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6.9k points
3 votes

Final answer:

The best course of action is to request more information about the survey before deciding to participate. Offering a gift card as a reward can introduce bias in the study, especially if participants are aware of the incentive beforehand.

Step-by-step explanation:

When you receive a phone call offering a gift card in exchange for participating in a survey, the best course of action is to request more information about the survey.

It is important to understand the purpose of the survey, who is conducting it, and how the data will be used before deciding to participate. Providing personal information over the phone without verifying the legitimacy of the offer can be risky and may expose you to potential scams or privacy violations.

In the context of conducting surveys, offering a gift card as a reward can introduce a source of bias, as participants might alter their responses based on the incentive.

This is particularly true if the participants are aware of the reward before participating in the study. It is essential for researchers to consider such sources of bias to ensure that the respondents to the survey are representative of the targeted population.

User Lukas Boersma
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7.5k points