Publication type
Understanding Society Working Paper Series
Series Number
2021-05
Series
Understanding Society Working Paper Series
Authors
Publication date
December 8, 2021
Abstract:
Linkages between surveys and administrative data provide an important opportunity for social and health research, but such linkages often require the informed consent of respondents. We use experimental data collection across five different samples to study how consent decisions are made. Only about a third of respondents report using a “reflective” decision process, considering the consequences of consent or their trust in the relevant organisations. Many more use an “instinctive” process (such as “gut feeling”). More reflective decision processes are associated with higher rates of consent, greater comprehension of the proposed data linkage and greater confidence in the decision.
Subjects
Paper download#547074