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Good survey research depends on asking the right questions; it is the only way to ensure that the information collected from respondents is suitable for providing good answers to our research questions. The article discusses and advocates a comprehensive consideration of qualitative-interpretive methodology in open forms of pretesting for the evaluation of draft survey questionnaires. We outline an approach we call Qualitative Pretest Interview (QPI). It transfers the idea of negotiated common understanding in everyday communication to the clarification of meaning in draft survey questions and similar stimuli. The QPI involves ascribing interview partners the role of co-experts in this process and employing methodically integrated communication strategies. This paper focusses on how QPIs are conducted. Using an example interview, we illustrate how the particular way of qualitative pretest interviewing aims at a dialogic clarification of meaning in order to reach intersubjective understanding between participant and interviewer. In the process, we gain detailed insights into how and why a certain questionnaire might not work as intended, and ideally how this might be alleviated. QPIs pursue similar goals as Cognitive Interviews but rely more systematically on qualitative-interpretive methodology.

We explored the appropriateness and measurement properties of a suicidality assessment tool (SBQ-R) developed for the general population, in autistic adults—a high risk group for suicide. 188 autistic adults and 183 general population adults completed the tool online, and a sub-sample (n = 15) were interviewed while completing the tool. Multi-group factorial invariance analysis of the online survey data found evidence for metric non-invariance of the SBQ-R, particularly for items three (communication of suicidal intent) and four (likelihood of suicide attempt in the future). Cognitive interviews revealed that autistic adults did not interpret these items as intended by the tool designers. Results suggest autistic adults interpret key questions regarding suicide risk differently to the general population. Future research must adapt tools to better capture suicidality in autistic adults.

Designing survey questions that clearly and precisely communicate the question's intent and elicit responses based on the intended interpretation is critical but often undervalued. We used cognitive interviewing to qualitatively assess respondents' interpretation of and responses to questions pertaining to maternal and child nutrition intervention coverage. We conducted interviews to cognitively test 25 survey questions with mothers (N = 21) with children less than 1 year in Madhya Pradesh, India. Each question was followed by probes to capture information on four cognitive stages—comprehension, retrieval, judgement, and response. Data were analysed for common and unique patterns across the survey questions. We identified four types of cognitive challenges: (1) retention of multiple concepts in long questions: difficulty in comprehending and retaining questions with three or more key concepts; (2) temporal confusion: difficulty in conceptualizing recall periods such as “in the last 6 months” as compared to life stages such as pregnancy; (3) interpretation of concepts: mismatch of information being asked, meaning of certain terms and intervention scope; and (4) understanding of technical terms: difficulty in understanding commonly used technical words such as “breastfeeding” and “antenatal care” and requiring use of simple alternative language. Findings from this study will be useful for stakeholders involved in survey design and implementation, especially those conducting large‐scale household surveys to measure coverage of essential nutrition interventions.

Antecedentes/objetivo: La entrevista a testigos en una investigación judicial supone un procedimiento complejo, habida cuenta de que la memoria humana se somete a insinuaciones y a procesos de reelaboración. De este modo hay que utilizar un método de entrevista que garantice la precisión del testimonio. Método: La investigación se centra en la elaboración de una versión modificada de la entrevista cognitiva de acuerdo a las cinco \"Q\" [Quién, Qué, en Qué momento, en Qué lugar y por Qué] frecuentemente utilizada en periodismo, que nosotros denominamos \"las cinco cúes\". Este estudio aborda la comparación de este método con dos técnicas de interrogación ya presentes en las investigaciones: la entrevista cognitiva mejorada (ECM) y la entrevista cognitiva estándar con el recuerdo agrupado de categorías (EC-RAC), poniendo a prueba el papel moderador del maquiavelismo. Se proyectó individualmente a 72 sujetos un videoclip de un robo, asignándolos aleatoriamente a uno de los tres grupos de entrevista (5Qs, ECM y EC-RAC) y la condición de veracidad (verdad, mentira). Resultados: Los sujetos de los grupos de las técnicas de entrevista 5Qs y EC-RAC recordaron notablemente más información que los sujetos del grupo de ECM, sin que repercutiera en la precisión. Además los que decían la verdad dieron más detalles que los mentirosos. No se encontraron diferencias significativas entre los grupos entrevistados con las técnicas de entrevista 5Qs y EC-RAC. Conclusiones: Los resultados indican que las técnicas de 5Qs y la de EC-RAC podrían ser métodos eficaces y superar la técnica de ECM.

Substance-involved rape is increasing among college students, particularly women (Koss et al., 2022). Addressing rape requires first measuring it accurately in surveys to understand its true scope and nature. We used cognitive interviews with 40 young adults to qualitatively test the construct validity of an alcohol- and other drugs (AOD)-involved rape item in the Sexual Experiences Survey by asking participants to comment on different operationalizations of this construct. Our findings revealed that different phrasings elicited different interpretations of the items by participants. Specifically, the results indicated that (1) respondents viewed the different operationalizations as a sequence of events with varying severity; (2) some participants focused on the intentionality and responsibility of the perpetrator as opposed to opportunistic perpetration; and (3) study participants consistently chose one of the operationalizations as describing “being roofied” (being drugged without consent). Participants also contributed additional scenarios not described in the questionnaire and shared their interpretations of the items. The results underscore the importance of refining survey language to properly measure AOD-involved rape and allow us to understand how to tailor appropriate questions for best comprehension. The findings indicate the benefit in including several items about AOD-involved rape in questionnaires such as the Sexual Experiences Survey, with each item addressing different scenarios of victim intoxication. The results could also have important implications for sexual violence prevention programs, which should discuss consent, intentions, and responsibility specifically in the context of AOD consumption.

Eyewitness testimony may be contaminated by event-related information shared by other witnesses. The present study aimed to assess the influence of a modified cognitive interview (MCI) on the detrimental effects of what is called memory conformity . Participants watched a videotaped staged event. Immediately after this, they answered 22 questions about the video out loud, either alone or with a confederate who intentionally introduced false information in her answers (i.e., 6 incorrect and 12 confabulated details). A week later, participants were interviewed individually about the video using either an MCI or a structured (control) interview. Results suggested that participants recalled some of the incorrect and confabulated items suggested by the confederate. Those interviewed with the MCI (vs. SI) also reported fewer incorrect details but more confabulated details previously introduced by the confederate. The potential social and cognitive mechanisms underlying the influence of the MCI protocol on the damaging effects of prior co-witness discussions are examined.

Background: Fentanyl, a highly potent synthetic opioid, is now involved in the majority of drug overdose deaths in the United States. Discrepancies between substance use self-reports and urine drug screens (UDS) are common, especially when users are unaware of fentanyl adulteration. Objectives: The objective of this study was to examine the cognitive processes underlying discrepancies between self-reported fentanyl use and UDS results, specifically focusing on participants unaware of their fentanyl exposure. Design: This was a cross-sectional qualitative study. Methods: This study conducted cognitive interviews with 10 participants from a larger clinical trial who tested positive for fentanyl in a UDS but reported no fentanyl use. The interviews explored participants’ understanding of survey questions about fentanyl use and their interpretation of UDS results. Responses were analyzed to identify themes related to self-report discrepancies. Results: Participants often underreported fentanyl use, not due to social desirability bias, but because they interpreted survey questions as asking about known, rather than suspected, fentanyl use. Many acknowledged their drugs were likely adulterated but only reported use when they were certain of fentanyl’s presence. Conclusion: The findings suggest that refining survey questions to capture both intentional and unintentional fentanyl exposure could improve the accuracy of self-reported data. These adjustments are critical to improve the accuracy of data collected to inform surveillance strategies, effective public health policies, and clinical interventions.

Since the 1980s, a large body of research has proven the superiority of enhanced or modified cognitive interviews over the standard interviews used by police officers around the world. Although the cognitive interview is well grounded in theory and has proven practical value, this tool is not always used by police officers. The objective of the present study was to measure the various dimensions of Nielsen’s 1993 acceptability model and thus understand what prevents police officers in France from using a modified cognitive interview. We recruited 23 police officers who had an average of ~ 20 years of police force experience, and trained them for at least two days in how to perform a modified cognitive interview. We measured the modified cognitive interview’s social acceptability, compatibility, and usability at different time points during the training. Our results showed that (i) a modified cognitive interview is social acceptable, (ii) environmental conditions and time constraints appears to be crucial facilitating or blocking factors, and (ii) the usability of the modified cognitive interview’s components is variable. These findings may be of value in improving police training.

In large-scale surveys of both children and adults, self-rated health (SRH) based on questions such as “In general, how would you rate your health?” is a widely used measurement to assess individuals’ health status. However, while a large number of studies have investigated the health aspects people consider for their responses, and some studies show deeper insights into the assessment strategies in answering this question for adults, it is largely unknown how children assess their health based on those questions. Therefore, this study examines how children rate their health according to this question in a sample of 54 9- to 12-year-olds. By using techniques of cognitive interviewing and qualitative and quantitative content analysis, we investigate the health dimensions, health factors as well as different assessment strategies that children refer to in their self-assessment of general health. Our results indicate that children in this age group mostly refer to their physical health and daily functioning or consider health more non-specifically. They also show that children take into account a wide range of specific health aspects, with some minor differences between subgroups, especially by gender. Additionally, our study highlights that children use several assessment strategies. Finally, our results indicate that the majority of children assess their health only using one health dimension, but a substantial share of children reflect on several health factors and combine different assessment strategies. We conclude that children refer to comparable health dimensions and health factors, but use somewhat different assessment strategies compared with studies focusing on adults.

Purpose>Eyewitness testimony can determine the outcome of criminal investigations. The cognitive interview (CI) has been widely used to collect informative and accurate accounts. However, face-to-face interviews have been restricted during the current pandemic, raising the need for using video-conferencing. The authors tested whether virtual interviews could produce elaborate accounts from eyewitnesses and if the CI superiority effect against a structured interview (SI) could be fully replicated online.Design/methodology/approach>The authors used a 2 × 2 factorial design with interview condition (CI vs SI) and environment (face-to-face vs virtual) manipulated between-subjects. A total of 88 participants were randomly assigned to one of the four conditions. Participants watched a mock robbery and were interviewed 48 h later using either the SI or the CI. Both interviews contained the same structure and interview phases but only the CI included its key cognitive mnemonics/ instructions. Both sessions were either face-to-face or online.Findings>Participants interviewed with the CI recalled more information than participants interviewed with the SI, regardless of the interview environment. Both environments produced a comparable amount of recall. Report accuracy was high for all groups.Practical implications>This can be crucial to inform police practices and research in this field by suggesting investigative interviews can be conducted virtually in situations such as the current pandemic or when time and resources do not allow for face-to-face interviewing.Originality/value>To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study showing that the CI superiority effect can be replicated online and that a fully remote CI can produce elaborate accounts.