A comparison of strategies for facilitating smoking survey return in low-SES employees

Antecedent-only and discriminated operant interventions were used to increase the return rate of surveys measuring smoking behavior and attitudes toward a smoke-free policy in low SES employees. Subjects in four groups were exposed to antecedent only interventions (Reduced Response Cost or Repeated Prompting) or discriminated operant interventions (Promised Punishment or Promised Reward). The discriminated operant interventions yielded a higher percentage of surveys returned, with the Promised Reward intervention resulting in the highest percentage of surveys returned (89.84%). These results are consistent with recent organizational behavior management research comparing the relative efficacy of antecedent interventions and discriminated operant interventions, as well as with research comparing the relative efficacy of behavior maintained by aversive and positively reinforcing contingencies.