QUESTIONNAIRE DESIGN: TYPE OF QUESTIONS

1. QUESTIONNAIRE DESIGN: TYPE OF QUESTIONS Lu Ann Aday, Ph.D. The University of Texas School of Public Health

2. MAJOR RESPONDENT TASKS: DIFFERENT TYPES OF Qs

3. ELEMENTS Words CRITERIA Clearly define the concept Physical, mental, or social dimensions Positive vs. negative health Provider vs. patient judgments DESIGN ELEMENTS & CRITERIA: Health

4. ELEMENTS Responses CRITERIA Match scale type to design & analyses Design: precision & sensitivity Analyses: typology, Likert, utility, etc. scale types DESIGN ELEMENTS & CRITERIA: Health

5. VARIABLE Household composition EXAMPLES Ask about relationships to reference person (who owns or rents the home) rather than “head of household” DESIGN ELEMENTS & CRITERIA: Demographics

6. VARIABLE Age EXAMPLES What is your date of birth? In what year were you born? Which of the following categories best describes your age? DESIGN ELEMENTS & CRITERIA: Demographics

7. VARIABLE Marital status EXAMPLES Are you currently married, not married but living with a sexual partner, separated, divorced, widowed, or never married? DESIGN ELEMENTS & CRITERIA: Demographics

8. VARIABLE Ethnicity Race EXAMPLES Are any of the following groups your national origin or ancestry? Which group or groups BEST represents your race? DESIGN ELEMENTS & CRITERIA: Demographics

9. VARIABLE Education EXAMPLES What is the highest grade or year of regular school that you completed? DESIGN ELEMENTS & CRITERIA: Demographics

10. VARIABLE Employment status EXAMPLES Are you currently employed? IF YES, ASK, Are you self-employed & Is that full-time or part-time? IF NO, ASK, Are you retired, disabled, a student, keeping house, temporarily unemployed, or not looking for paidemployment? DESIGN ELEMENTS & CRITERIA: Demographics

11. VARIABLE Occupation EXAMPLES What is your job title? What are your most important job activities or duties? What kind of business or industry is this? DESIGN ELEMENTS & CRITERIA: Demographics

12. VARIABLE Family Income EXAMPLES Which of the following categories best represents your total combined FAMILY income during the last 12 months?Include money from jobs, social security, retirement income, unemployment payments, public assistance and so forth. Also include income from interest, dividends, net income from business, farm, or rent, and any other money income received. DESIGN ELEMENTS & CRITERIA: Demographics

13. ELEMENTS Administration Overreporting (telescoping salient events) Underreporting (omitting non-salient events) CRITERIA Prime R to remember Use bounded recall: ask about events in previous & then current time period Adjust recall period Ask in terms of “usual” behavior Use memory aids, e.g., aided recall, records, diaries DESIGN ELEMENTS & CRITERIA:Behavior—Nonthreatening

14. ELEMENTS Words Phrases Sentences CRITERIA Use words that are familiar Judiciously consider “loading” questions, e.g., others engage in behavior Make questions longer DESIGN ELEMENTS & CRITERIA:Behavior—Threatening

15. ELEMENTS Responses CRITERIA Consider open-ended rather and closed-end responses DESIGN ELEMENTS & CRITERIA:Behavior—Threatening

16. ELEMENTS Questionnaire CRITERIA Build in appropriate explanations & transitions Ask whether they “ever” engaged in behavior before asking about “current” practices Ask questions at end or embed among less threatening items DESIGN ELEMENTS & CRITERIA:Behavior—Threatening

17. ELEMENTS Administration CRITERIA Consider a self-administered or more anonymous, e.g., computerized, format, to minimize “threat” DESIGN ELEMENTS & CRITERIA:Behavior—Threatening

18. ELEMENTS Questions CRITERIA Consider screening Q first to see if R knows anything about the topic Ask more than one question to find out about knowledge Phrase Qs more like Qs about opinions, e.g., “In your opinion…” DESIGN ELEMENTS & CRITERIA:Knowledge

19. ELEMENTS Responses CRITERIA Use open-ended rather than closed-end response formats when necessary, to prevent guessing Provide “don’t know” as an alternative DESIGN ELEMENTS & CRITERIA:Knowledge

20. ELEMENTS Administration CRITERIA Use self-administered quex, esp. in groups Consider inclusion of “sleeper” (fictional) options DESIGN ELEMENTS & CRITERIA:Knowledge

21. ELEMENTS Words Phrases CRITERIA Clarify the attitude object (or focus of attitude statement) Provide balanced alternatives, e.g., agree or disagree; support or oppose Do not included double-barreled (more than one) referent DESIGN ELEMENTS & CRITERIA:Attitudes

22. ELEMENTS Sentences CRITERIA Use medium-length, followed by medium-length to long Q Limit the number of Qs included in a battery of similar Qs DESIGN ELEMENTS & CRITERIA:Attitudes

23. ELEMENTS Responses CRITERIA Minimize “yea-saying” Include positive & negative items Put least socially desirable response first Choose best approach to measuring attitude strength Rating vs. ranking # of points on scale Use of “uncertain” DESIGN ELEMENTS & CRITERIA:Attitudes

24. ELEMENTS Administration CRITERIA Ask more general attitudinal items before specific ones DESIGN ELEMENTS & CRITERIA:Attitudes

25. SURVEY ERRORS: Formulating Specific Types of Questions

26. REFERENCES • Dillman, Don A. (2000). Mail and Internet Surveys: The Tailored Design Method. Second Edition. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. • Ware, J.E., Jr., & Gandek, B., for the IQOLA Project (1998). Overview of the SF-36 Health Survey and the International Quality of Life Assessment (IQOLA) Project. J. Clinical Epidemiology, 51 (11), 903-912.