Various Demographic Pretesting Activities

Version A

PROTOCOL FOR COGNITIVE TESTING

FISHING, HUNTING AND WILDLIFE-ASSOCIATED RECREATIONS

Gather all necessary materials for the cognitive interview

☐ Pre-notice postcard, Advance Letters (Cell Phone and Debit card), Cell Phone package.

☐ Protocol (Interviewer Guide)

☐ Consent form

☐ Payment voucher form

☐ Payment ($40 cash)

☐ Tape recorder, batteries and two cassette tapes

INTRODUCTION

(Read or paraphrase)

Greeting: Hello. My name is __________. I work for the Census Bureau. Thanks for agreeing to participate in our study

Let me start by telling you a little more about what we’ll be doing today. In order to help us improve our surveys, we turn to people like you to find out if our survey materials, questions make sense. So we need your help with testing some mail materials for one survey we do.

I will give you several materials to read. I’ll give them to you one at a time in the order you would receive them if you were in the survey and they were sent in the mail. After you read them, I will ask for your general reactions to the materials. Remember, there are no right and wrong answers; we are just trying to find out what people think about them.

If Appropriate:

Observers: Before we get started let me mention that there are some observers behind this window, for research, training, and staff development purposes. Is that okay with you?

Our session today is completely confidential. Any information that identifies you will never be included in our reports. Your participation in this study is completely voluntary and you can decline to answer any particular question. Please feel free to ask me any questions at any time.

I will be tape-recording the interview so that I can go back and listen to it later if it is necessary when I need to summarize the interview results. And this way I can focus today on what you’re saying rather than having to concentrate on taking notes. As I mentioned earlier, please be assured that all your responses will be kept confidential.

Before we start do you have any questions?

***HAVE PARTICIPANT COMPLETE CONSENT FORM***

***TURN ON TAPE RECORDER***

HAND RESPONDENT THE PRE-NOTICE POSTCARD, OBSERVE AND RECORD RESPONDENT’S BEHAVIOR WHILE READING THE POSTCARD.

1. AFTER RESPONDENT READS POSTCARD, ASK GENERAL PROBE QUESTIONS:

• In your own words what are they saying in the postcard?

• While reading the postcard I noticed you ………… (insert here what ever reaction as noticed – scratched your head, laughed, etc.). Why?

2. SPECIFIC PROBE QUESTIONS

• Did reading the postcard raise any questions? What? Why?

• Does anything about the postcard not make sense to you? What? Why?

• If you got this postcard at home what would be your reaction?

• If there was one thing you would change about the postcard, what would it be and why?

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HAND RESPONDENT THE ADVANCE LETTER (CELL PHONE) with the CELL PHONE, OBSERVE AND RECORD RESPONDENT’S BEHAVIOR WHILE READING THE LETTER.

3. AFTER RESPONDENT READS LETTER ASK GENERAL PROBE QUESTIONS:

• In your own words what are they saying in the letter?

• While reading the Letter I noticed you ………… (insert here what ever reaction as noticed – scratched your head, laughed, etc.). Why?

4. SPECIFIC PROBE QUESTIONS

• After reading the letter and seeing the cell phone what do you think about the plan?

  • Is it a good plan?

  • Is it helpful?

  • Is it wasteful?

  • Is it annoying?

• Will that drive your decision to do the survey? Why?

• Did reading the letter raise any questions? What?

• Does anything about the letter not make sense to you? What?

• If you got this letter with the phone at home what would be your reaction? Why?

• If there was one thing you would change about the letter, what would it be and why?

• In the letter you are given options on what to do with the cell phone after you are interviewed. Which option are you most likely to pick? Why?

Now I will give you a letter that describes another procedure. Please read it like you did the previous letter. .

HAND RESPONDENT THE ADVANCE LETTER (Debit Card), OBSERVE AND RECORD RESPONDENT’S BEHAVIOR WHILE READING THE LETTER.

5. AFTER RESPONDENT READS LETTER, ASK GENERAL PROBE QUESTIONS:

• In your own words what are they saying in the letter?

• While reading the Letter I noticed you ………… (insert here what ever reaction as noticed – scratched your head, laughed, etc.). Why?

6. SPECIFIC PROBE QUESTIONS

• After reading the letter what do you think about the plan?

  • Is it good?

  • Is it helpful?

  • Is it wasteful?

  • Is it annoying?

• Will that drive your decision to do the survey? Why?

• Did reading the letter raise any questions? What?

• Does anything about the letter not make sense to you? What?

• If you got this letter at home what would be your reaction? Why?

• If there was one thing you would change about the letter, what would it be and why?

7. PUT LETTERS SIDE BY SIDE

• Which of these two letters would you prefer to receive? Why?

• Which one would make you more likely to participate in the survey? Why?