Debt Collection Disclosure Testing Quantitative Study, Pretesting of Survey Questions

Participant Screener for Cognitive Testing of Debt Collection Survey
Location: Bethesda, MD
Dates (TBD)
General Information and Recruiting Specifications


Three rounds of interviews:
o Rounds 1 and 2 will consist of 16 interviews held over two days; Round 3 will consist
of 8 interviews held in a single day
o Length of each interview: 60 minutes
o Participant incentive: $75



RECRUITERS: Ask all interview participants to bring their reading glasses, if necessary,
because they may be asked to review one or more documents as part of the interview.

Recruiting Script
Hello, my name is [first and last name]. May I speak to [candidate]?
If someone other than Respondent asks why you are calling, say: I’m calling regarding a research
study about how Americans make financial decisions.
Say to Respondent: I am calling from [marketing company’s name] for ICF. ICF is a research
company who is working with a US government agency, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
The Bureau is an agency in the Federal government whose role is to ensure that consumers get the
information they need to make financial decisions. For this specific project, the Bureau is studying
people’s experiences with debt collection.
This survey has been approved by the Federal government’s Office of Management and Budget under
OMB Control number #3170-0055. The time required to complete this information collection is
estimated to average approximately 6 minutes.
We are seeking people to participate in interviews being held on _______. Each interview will last 60
minutes, and we will give participants an incentive of $75. If you are selected and agree to participate,
we will ask you to take a survey about debt collection, and will then ask you some questions about
your responses on the survey. You will not have to provide any information that you feel
uncomfortable discussing.
It is important that you know that we will be recording the interview so that we can be sure to collect
what you say accurately. However, your name will not appear in any reports that ICF writes. Also, just
so you are not surprised, staff from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and ICF will observe
your interview from another room.
Do you have a few minutes to answer some pre-qualifying questions? (If not, When would be a
convenient time to call back?)

If necessary: We are not selling anything, we are only looking to find people to participate in a study
that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is conducting. Everything you say will be kept private
except where required by law. Further, none of your contact information will ever be given to ICF or
the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
Before asking any questions, read the brief Privacy Act Statement tailored for telephone interviews:
The information you provide through your responses to ICF will assist the study
sponsor, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), in determining your
eligibility to participate in one-on-one interviews on topics related to debt collection.
A federal law called the Privacy Act directs how the CFPB collects, keeps, and shares
your personal, private information – including the personal information contained in
your answers to these questions. Your participation is completely voluntary, and is
subject to the privacy policy that can be found on the CFPB’s website,
consumerfinance.gov.

Q1:

Do you work or have you ever worked for an organization that is involved in debt collection?



Q2:

Yes  Thank respondent politely and end call.
No  Continue

Do you work or have you ever worked for a consumer rights non-profit related to the banking
or financial industries?



Yes  Thank respondent politely and end call.
No  Continue

Q3:

Have you participated in any other focus groups or interviews in the past 3 months?
 Yes  Thank respondent politely and end call.
 No  Continue

Q4:

Do you currently have a checking or savings account now?
 Yes
 No

Q5:

Have you (and your spouse/partner) applied for any type of credit or loan in the last five years?
 Yes
 No
 Don’t Know

Q6:

Was there any time in the past five years that you or your spouse/partner thought of applying
for credit at a particular place, but changed your mind because you thought you might be turned
down?
 Yes
 No
2



Don’t Know
Recruiting Quotas for
Each Day of Interviews

Screening Criteria
Q4: In the past two years, since [XXX], have you
been contacted by a debt collector, an attorney, a
collection firm, or others trying to recover a debt
from you?
a) Yes
b) No

• At least 6 recruits should answer (a)
• At least 3 recruits should answer (b)

Q5: What is your age?

• At least 2 recruits should answer (a)
• At least 2 recruits should answer (b)
• At least 2 recruits should answer (c)

a) 18 to 35
b) 36 to 50
c) 51 or above
Q6a: Are you of Hispanic or Latino origin
(ethnicity)?

• No more than 3 recruits should answer
(a) to Q6a

a) Yes
b) No
Q6b: What is your race? You can select more than
one, if applicable.
a) White
b) Black or African-American
c) Asian
d) Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander
e) American Indian or Alaska Native
Q7: What is the highest level that you reached in
school?

• No more than 6 recruits in any one
category for Q6b

• At least 3 recruits should answer (a)

a) High school degree or less
b) Some college work
c) College graduate

• At least 3 recruits of each gender

Q8: Gender

If participant qualifies: Based on your responses, we would like to invite you to participate in an
interview, which will be held at [facility name and address]. The interview will last about 60
minutes. We may be showing you some documents to look at during the interview, so if you use
reading glasses please be sure that you bring them. We will provide you with a $75 incentive for
participating in the interview.
If participant is willing to participate, record their name and contact information, confirm the time and
date and indicate that they will receive a confirmation call the day before the interview. Regardless of
whether or not they are willing to participate, thank them before ending the call.
3

4