Questionnaire Design in the Cognitive Research Laboratory: Series 6. Cognition and Survey Measurement No. 1

摘要

The study evaluated the process that is used to develop and pretest questionnaires that comprise the annual supplements to the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS). The study was designed to answer the question, how do the current development and testing procedures used by the NHIS compare in terms of cost, timing, and knowledge gained to alternative procedures that employ a combination of laboratory testing, application of the techniques of cognitive science, and field testing. An experimental version of a dental questionnaire, developed in the laboratory, was compared to a version that had been developed using the standard procedure for NHIS supplements. Two split-ballot experiments were conducted, one in a field test and one in the laboratory. The laboratory experiment included a comparison of data from dental records to interview reports of the number of dental visits. The report concluded that laboratory testing and the methods of cognitive science can play an important role in the design and testing of questionnaires.