Electronic response systems (ERS) are a means to foster class participation by students who are reluctant to participate in class. In this study, we identify individual characteristics that relate to students' preference for anonymous classroom participation, and we also examine the extent to which preference for anonymity is related to their reactions to ERS. We find that extraversion is negatively related and both performance-avoid orientation and power distance orientation are positively related to preference for anonymity. Preference for anonymity is in turn positively related to both the attitude toward ERS and the perceived usefulness of ERS. These results are of importance to instructors interested in identifying instructional approaches that promote the participation of diverse students by providing opportunities for anonymous participation in the classroom.