Using memes in online surveys to engage and motivate respondents

This study explored the influence of Internet memes, specifically image macros of animals with motivational captions, on survey respondents' engagement with the survey-taking experience and subsequent data quality.

Introduction

Memes are ubiquitous in online conversations. Scholars have defined Internet memes as digitized items used to convey a cultural idea or behavior that gains influence through online transmission (Davison, 2012; Shifman, 2014a). Multiple types of memes have been identified (Grundlingh, 2018), but the most common Internet meme is the image macro, which follows a standard format that involves adding text, often humorous, to a picture (Davison, 2012). Grundlingh (2018) maintains that Internet memes function as verbal and non-verbal speech acts capable of communicating a variety of messages. For instance, a meme can be used to make a joke, to...

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