Cognitive Testing of Privacy Concerns Questionnaire
PARTICIPANT ID #: _________________________ DATE: ____ / ____ / 2017
INTERVIEWER’S NAME: _________________________________
START TIME: ______: ______ AM / PM
SECTION I. INTRODUCTION |
Hello, I’m [NAME OF INTERVIEWER]. I work for the Census Bureau. Thanks for agreeing to help us today. Let me start by telling you a little about what we will be doing today. The United States Census Bureau counts the population in the U.S and also conducts various kinds of surveys.
Today we are going to look at the questionnaire that will be used to count the population in 2020 (which many people just call the “census”) and also a brief survey about how census data are used and protected. First I’m going to ask you to fill out a shortened version of the census questionnaire, then I’ll give you the brief follow-up survey to fill out, and then I’ll ask you some questions about the survey questions: what they mean to you, and what your reactions to them are. Do you have any questions about what we’ll be doing?
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PLACE THE CONSENT FORM IN FRONT OF PARTICIPANT
Before we start, I would like you to read over the document in front of you. This document explains a little bit about this interview and provides information about your rights as a participant. Our session today is completely confidential, so all information you provide is confidential and we won’t use your name in any report. Your participation in this study is completely voluntary. You may decline to answer any particular question. This form also asks for your permission to have this session audio recorded. That way, I can focus today on what you’re saying rather than having to concentrate on taking notes or having to rely on my memory later. Please ask me any questions you have about this document. Once you have finished reading the document, please sign it.
PARTICIPANT READS FORM THEN SIGNS AND DATES FORM
INTERVIEWER SIGNS AND DATES FORM
B. IF PARTICIPANT PROVIDES CONSENT TO HAVE THE SESSION AUDIO-TAPED: I will now turn on the audio recorder.
SECTION III. Decennial Questionnaire |
PLACE THE DECENNIAL QUESTIONNAIRE IN FRONT OF PARTICIPANT
Please take a few minutes to fill out this questionnaire. As I mentioned earlier, this is a version of the questionnaire that will be used to count the U.S. population in 2020. Although we’ll talk about the questions in this survey a little bit later on, I won’t be able to answer any questions about it until later, so please fill out the questionnaire as you would if I wasn’t here.
Decennial Questionnaire Items:
How many people were living or staying in this house, apartment, or mobile home on April 1, 2017?
Number of people = ________
Were there any additional people staying here on April 1, 2017 that you did not include in Question 1? (Mark x all that apply)
Children, related or unrelated, such as newborn babies, grandchildren, or foster children
Relatives, such as adult children, cousins, or in-laws
Nonrelatives, such as roommates or live-in babysitters
People staying here temporarily
No additional people
Is this house, apartment, or mobility – Mark x ONE box.
Owned by you or someone in this household with a mortgage or loan? Include home equity loans.
Owned by you or someone in this household free and clear (without a mortgage or loan)?
Rented?
Occupied without payment or rent?
What is your telephone number?
Telephone Number
__ __ __ - __ __ __- __ __ __ __
Please provide information for each person living here. If there is someone living here who pays the rent or owns this residence, start by listing him or her as Person 1. If the owner or the person who pays the rent does not live here, start by listing any adult living here as Person 1.
What is person 1’s name? Print name below
First Name MI
___________________ ________________
Last Name
___________________
What is person 1’s sex? Mark x ONE box.
Male
Female
What is Person 1’s age and what is Person 1’s date of birth? For babies less than 1 year old, do not write the age in months. Write 0 as the age.
Age on April 1, 2017 Month Day Year of Birth
__ __ __ Years __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
What is Person 1’s Race or ethnicity?
Mark all boxes that apply AND print ethnicities in the spaces below. Note, you may report more than one group.
White – Provide details below.
□ German □ Irish □ English
□ Italian □ Polish □ French
Print, for example, Scottish, Norwegian, Dutch, etc.
____________________________________________
Hispanic, Latino, OR Spanish -- Provide details below.
□ Mexican or Mexican American □ Puerto Rican □ Cuban
□ Salvadoran □ Dominican □ Colombian
Print, for example, Guatemalan, Spaniard, Ecuadorian, etc.
___________________________________________________
Black OR African American – Provide details below.
□ African American □ Jamaican □ Haitian
□ Nigerian □ Ethiopian □ Somali
Print, for example, Ghanaian, South African, Barbadian, etc.
_____________________________________________________
Asian -- Provide details below.
□ Chinese □ Filipino □ Asian Indian
□ Vietnamese □ Korean □ Japanese
Print, for example, Pakistani, Cambodian, Hmong, etc.
_______________________________________________
American Indian OR Alaska Native – Print, for example, Navajo Nation, Blackfeet Tribe, Mayan, Aztec, Native Village of Barrow Inupiat Traditional Government, Tlingit, etc.
Middle Eastern OR North African – Provide details below.
□ Lebanese □ Iranian □ Egyptian
□ Syrian □ Moroccan □ Israeli
Print, for example, Algerian, Iraqi, Kurdish, etc.
____________________________________________
Native Hawaiian OR Other Pacific Islander – Provide details below.
□ Native Hawaiian □ Samoan □ Chamorro
□ Tongan □ Fijian □ Marshallese
Print, for example, Palauan, Tahitian, Chuukese, etc.
____________________________________________
Some other Race or Ethnicity – Print details.
__________________________________________
Does Person 1 usually live or stay somewhere else?
Mark x all that apply
No
Yes, to college □ Yes, with a parent or other relative
Yes, for a military assignment □ Yes, at a seasonal or second residence
Yes, for a job or business □ Yes, in a jail or prison
Yes, in a nursing home □ Yes, for another reason
If more people were counted in Question 1
on the front page, continue with Person 2
on the next page.
ALLOW UP TO 25 MINUTES FOR INTRODUCTION AND DECENNIAL QUESTIONNAIRE ADMINISTRATION. IF RESPONDENT IS TAKING TOO LONG, ENSURE THAT THEY HAVE AT LEAST ANSWERED ALL QUESTIONS FOR PERSON 1 AND 2, THEN SAY: In order to make sure we end this interview on time, we are going to move to the next part of the interview. CONTINUE TO “SECTION IV. PRIVACY CONCERNS QUESTIONNAIRE” INSTRUCTIONS BELOW.
SECTION IV. Privacy Concerns Questionnaire |
THINK ALOUD PRACTICE (Long Version):
For the next set of questions, I’d like you to do something a little different. When you read each question, I’d like to ask you to do something in addition to just writing down your answer. It would be most helpful if you would think out loud while you read and answer the questions. As you read each question, please say out loud as many of your thoughts as you can while you are thinking about what the question means to you and how to answer it. That way, I can get a sense of how you’re interpreting each question and how you decide on your answers. If you forget to think out loud while you are going through the questions, I’ll remind you. Ok?
Because this kind of thinking aloud is probably not something you’re used to doing, it might be helpful for you to get a little practice at doing it. So, let me give you an example.
Imagine that I ask you: “How many windows are there in your house?” Now, if I asked you that question, and you were going to answer it, you would probably have to mentally walk through your house, picture all the windows, and count them up. And you could do that and then simply tell me the result. So you might just say “10”. But for this interview, we really need to know all of the thoughts that go through your mind as you’re interpreting each question and coming up with your answer. It doesn’t help us very much just to know the answer without knowing how you thought about the question and how you got your answer. So just saying “10” to answer the question about windows wouldn’t help us much.
To give you some practice at thinking out loud, could you please tell me everything you’re thinking and seeing in your mind as you mentally walk through your house and count up the windows.
[RESPONDENT ANSWERS]
That was great! Thanks! Now, did that seem comfortable to you?
Do you have any questions about how to do this?
[IF BASEMENT OR ATTIC NOT MENTIONED] Do you have a basement or attic?
[IF FORGOT BASEMENT OR ATTIC] It’s natural to forget some things like the basement or attic sometimes, but I’d be really grateful if you are willing to think carefully about each question and give me accurate and complete information. There may be some cases when you don’t know the exact answer to a question. When this happens, it would be most helpful if you would tell me you’re unsure and tell me what you’re unsure about. Then, it would be best for you to make your best guess of the answer and tell me about how you came up with that answer. Feel free to take as much time as you need to think about each question.
[IF R DID NOT FORGET] One last thing I want to tell you is this: It is very important that you think carefully about each question and give me accurate and complete information. There may be some cases when you don’t know the exact answer to a question. When this happens, it would be most helpful if you would tell me you’re unsure and tell me what you’re unsure about. Then, it would be best for you to generate your best guess of the answer and tell me about how you came up with that answer. Feel free to take as much time as you need to think about each question.
Great. Now that you’ve got the hang of this, I’d like you to think about the rest of the survey questions in the same way. After you read each question, please tell me everything you’re thinking as you’re deciding what the question means and what your answer will be. After each section of the survey, I’ll stop to ask you about the questions in that section before you move on.
And remember, there are no wrong answers, because only you know what you are thinking. I really want to hear your opinions and reactions to these survey questions, so don’t hesitate to speak up whenever something is unclear, or not easy to understand. Also just so you know, the goal of this interview is to test these materials and make improvements, so please feel free to be honest.
Before we get started, do you have any [other] questions?
THINK ALOUD PRACTICE (Short Version)
For the next set of questions, I’d like you to do something a little different. Continue to read the questions and write down your answers, but I’d also like you to think aloud as you answer the questions. Tell me everything you are thinking about as you go about answering each question. I may remind you to think aloud as we go through the survey questions.
Let’s begin with a practice question. Remember to try to think aloud as you answer.
Practice Question 1. How many windows are there in the place where you live? _____________
IF NEEDED: Try to visualize the place where you live, and think about how many windows there are in that place. As you count up the windows, tell me what you are seeing and thinking about.
PROBE IF NEEDED:
How did you come up with that answer?
Tell me more about that. Why did you say [ANSWER]?
I noticed that you hesitated. Tell me what you were thinking.
Okay, let’s move on.
Privacy Concern Questionnaire Items
Every 10 years, the Census Bureau collects information about people living in the United States. Before making any of this information available to the public, the Census Bureau carefully removes information that could be used to identify individuals (such as names and addresses). Although the Census Bureau makes every effort to protect your information, it may be possible (though very unlikely) for someone to link information you provide to the Census Bureau to your personal identity or address. There are two main ways this could happen; either your information could be stolen from the Census Bureau with your identifying details still connected to your responses (also known as a data breach or hacking) or someone could use the anonymous Census Bureau data that is available to the public to figure out your identity or some specific information about you (also known as re-identification).”
Have you ever heard of information being stolen through hacking or a data breach? (Yes/No)
(if yes) Has any information about you or someone you know been stolen through hacking or a data breach? (Yes/No)
How worried are you about information you give to the Census Bureau being stolen through hacking or a data breach?
Not at all worried, A little worried, Moderately worried, Very worried
How likely do you think it is that information you give the Census Bureau will experience hacking or a data breach?
Not at all likely, A little bit likely, Moderately likely, Very likely
Have you ever heard of information about individuals being discovered through re-identification (that is, when someone uses anonymous data to figure out a person’s identity or other private information)? (Yes/No)
(if yes) Has any information about you or someone you know been discovered through re-identification? (Yes/No)
How worried are you about information you give to the Census Bureau being discovered through re-identification (i.e., someone figuring out information about you just from the summary data released to the public)?
Not at all worried, A little worried, Moderately worried, Very worried
How likely do you think it is that the information you give to the Census Bureau will experience re-identification?
Not at all likely, A little bit likely, Moderately likely, Very likely
Section 1 Probes:
Now let’s take a break and talk about the set of questions you just answered. First, let’s talk about some of the words and phrases that were used in the questions.
First, please tell me in your own words what the phrase “data breach” means to you.
[IF R DID NOT GIVE ANY EXAMPLES] Sometimes it’s easier to explain a concept with examples than with a definition. When you think of the phrase “data breach,” do any examples come to mind? [IF R ALREADY GAVE EXAMPLES] Can you think of any other examples of a “data breach”?
Next, please tell me in your own words what the term “hacking” means to you.
[IF R DID NOT GIVE ANY EXAMPLES] When you think of the term “hacking,” do any examples come to mind? [IF R ALREADY GAVE EXAMPLES] Can you think of any other examples of “hacking”?
Next, please tell me in your own words what the term “re-identification” means to you.
[IF R DID NOT GIVE ANY EXAMPLES] When you think of the term “re-identification,” do any examples come to mind? [IF R ALREADY GAVE EXAMPLES] Can you think of any other examples of “re-identification”?
Next, let’s talk about some of the specific questions.
[IF R ANSWERED “YES” TO QUESTION 1B] Looking back at question 1B [POINT TO QUESTION], could you tell me more about the experience you or someone you know has had with information being hacked?
[IF NEEDED] Looking back at question 1D [POINT TO QUESTION], please tell me a little more about how you came up with your answer.
Let’s look at question 1E. [READ QUESTION ALOUD] Now that you’ve looked at the question again, please tell me in your own words what you think this question is asking.
[IF R ANSWERED “YES” TO QUESTION 1F] Looking back at question 1F [POINT TO QUESTION], could you tell me more about the experience you or someone you know has had with information being re-identified?
[IF NEEDED] Looking back at question 1G [POINT TO QUESTION], please tell me a little more about how you came up with your answer.
That’s all the questions I have for this section of the survey. Please continue answering the questions, and I’ll ask you some more questions when you get to the end of the next section. Remember to think aloud while you read the questions and come up with your answers.
For the next set of questions, I want you to think only about risks that would occur if someone was able to figure out information about you or your household by using anonymous public datasets released by the Census Bureau (which we referred to as “re-identification” above). For these questions, please think about the information you reported on the Census Bureau questionnaire you completed earlier.
Would it concern you if someone was able to find out your AGE? Y/N
If someone was able to find out your AGE, how much of a negative effect would it have on your life?
No negative effect
Minor negative effect
Moderate negative effect
Severe negative effect
Would it concern you if someone was able to find out your RACE AND ETHNICITY? Y/N
If someone was able to find out your RACE AND ETHNICITY, how much of a negative effect would it have on your life?
No negative effect
Minor negative effect
Moderate negative effect
Severe negative effect
Would it concern you if someone was able to find out the NUMBER OF PEOPLE IN YOUR HOUSEHOLD? Y/N
If someone was able to find out the NUMBER OF PEOPLE IN YOUR HOUSEHOLD, how much of a negative effect would it have on your life?
No negative effect
Minor negative effect
Moderate negative effect
Severe negative effect
Would it concern you if someone was able to find out the AGE(S) OF OTHERS IN YOUR HOUSEHOLD? Y/N
If someone was able to find out the AGE(S) OF OTHERS IN YOUR HOUSEHOLD, how much of a negative effect would it have on your life?
No negative effect
Minor negative effect
Moderate negative effect
Severe negative effect
Would it concern you if someone was able to find out the RACE AND ETHNICITY OF OTHERS IN YOUR HOUSEHOLD? Y/N
If someone was able to find out the RACE AND ETHNICITY OF OTHERS IN YOUR HOUSEHOLD, how much of a negative effect would it have on your life?
No negative effect
Minor negative effect
Moderate negative effect
Severe negative effect
Would it concern you if someone was able to find out the RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN YOURSELF AND OTHER PEOPLE IN YOUR HOUSEHOLD? Y/N
If someone was able to find out the RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN YOURSELF AND OTHER PEOPLE IN YOUR HOUSEHOLD, how much of a negative effect would it have on your life?
No negative effect
Minor negative effect
Moderate negative effect
Severe negative effect
Would it concern you if someone was able to find out your HOME OWNERSHIP OR RENTER STATUS? Y/N
If someone was able to find out your HOME OWNERSHIP OR RENTER STATUS, how much of a negative effect would it have on your life?
No negative effect
Minor negative effect
Moderate negative effect
Severe negative effect
Would it concern you if someone was able to find out your FULL NAME? Y/N
If someone was able to find out your FULL NAME, how much of a negative effect would it have on your life?
No negative effect
Minor negative effect
Moderate negative effect
Severe negative effect
Would it concern you if someone was able to find out the FULL NAME(S) OF OTHER PEOPLE IN YOUR HOUSEHOLD? Y/N
If someone was able to find out the FULL NAME(S) OF OTHER PEOPLE IN YOUR HOUSEHOLD, how much of a negative effect would it have on your life?
No negative effect
Minor negative effect
Moderate negative effect
Severe negative effect
Would it concern you if someone was able to find out SOME COMBINATION OF THE INFORMATION included in the Census Bureau questionnaire (but not all of the information)? Y/N
If someone was able to find out SOME COMBINATION OF THE INFORMATION included in the Census Bureau questionnaire, how much of a negative effect would it have on your life?
No negative effect
Minor negative effect
Moderate negative effect
Severe negative effect
Would it concern you if someone was able to find out ALL OF THE INFORMATION included in the Census Bureau questionnaire? Y/N
If someone was able to find out the ALL OF THE INFORMATION included in the Census Bureau questionnaire, how much of a negative effect would it have on your life?
No negative effect
Minor negative effect
Moderate negative effect
Severe negative effect
Section 2 Probes:
Now let’s take a break and talk about the set of questions you just answered. First, let’s talk about some of the words and phrases that were used in the questions.
First, all of the questions in this section asked whether it would “concern you if someone was able to find out” some information about you or your household. What kinds of concerns were you thinking of when you answered these questions? [IF NEEDED] If different questions brought up different concerns for you, it would be helpful for you to talk about each question separately.
[IF NEEDED] Some of these questions asked about concerns you have about your own information, while others asked about concerns for information of other people in your household. Were the concerns that you thought about different at all when you were thinking about your own information and the information of other people in your household?
[IF R ANSWERED “NO” FOR ALL 2A THROUGH 2I] It looks like you didn’t have any concerns about someone finding out the types of information asked about in these questions. What concerns, if any, do you think other people might have?
All of the questions in this section also referred to “someone” who might find out information about you or your household. Who were you thinking about when these questions talked about “someone” finding out your information?
Some of the questions asked about “other people in your household”. Who came to mind when you were thinking about the people in “your household”?
[IF R REPORTED ANY EXPECTED NEGATIVE EFFECTS] Next, let’s talk about some of the specific questions.
Looking back at question [INSERT QUESTION NUMBER] [POINT TO QUESTION], could you tell me more about the negative effects you thought you might experience if someone was able to find out [INSERT INFORMATION TYPE]?
[REPEAT IV.1 FOR EACH QUESTION WHERE R INDICATED SOME NEGATIVE EFFECT]
That’s all the questions I have for this section of the survey. Now there is only one section of the survey left. Please finish answering the questions, and I’ll ask you some more questions when you get to the end of the survey. Remember to think aloud while you read the questions and come up with your answers.
How much do you trust the way that the Census Bureau protects people’s personal information? (4 points, Don’t trust at all, Trust a little bit, Trust moderately, Trust completely)
How important is the information the Census Bureau collects and makes available to the public? (4 points, Not at all important, A little important, Moderately important, Very important)
The census, the number of deaths in the U.S. by different diseases, the crime rate, and the unemployment rate are examples of federal statistics produced by federal statistical agencies that are part of the federal government. Have you ever used federal statistics for study or work? Y/N
Information collected on the 2020 Census will be used for a number of different purposes. In your opinion, how important do you think each of the following uses is?
Determining the number of representatives in Congress that each state gets (Not at all important, A little important, Moderately important, Very important)
Helping people in each community get certain benefits such as healthcare, school programs, day care, and job training (Not at all important, A little important, Moderately important, Very important)
Helping the government plan for future improvements to schools, roads, fire and police stations (Not at all important, A little important, Moderately important, Very important)
Finding out what changes have taken place in the size, location, and characteristics of the people in the US (Not at all important, A little important, Moderately important, Very important)
Making anonymous data available to the public for personal use and research (Not at all important, A little important, Moderately important, Very important)
Releasing individual census data to the public after 72 years for genealogical research (Not at all important, A little important, Moderately important, Very important)
Monitoring compliance with anti-discrimination laws such as the Voting Rights Act and the Civil Rights Act (Not at all important, A little important, Moderately important, Very important)
Deciding each community’s share of $300 billion in federal funds for schools and other programs (Not at all important, A little important, Moderately important, Very important)
Section 3 Probes:
Now let’s take a break and talk about some of the specific questions you just answered.
[IF NEEDED] Looking back at question 3 [POINT TO QUESTION], could you tell me more about how you came up with your answer?
Looking back at question 4 [POINT TO QUESTION], could you tell me more about how you came up with your answer?
[IF NEEDED] When deciding how important it is, who were you thinking would be using the information?
Would your answer be different if the question asked “How important TO YOU is the information the Census Bureau collects and makes available to the public?”
What about if it asked “How important TO YOUR COMMUNITY is the information the Census Bureau collects and makes available to the public?”
What about if it asked “How important TO THE COUNTRY is the information the Census Bureau collects and makes available to the public?”
[IF “YES” TO QUESTION 5] Looking back at question 5 [POINT TO QUESTION], could you tell me more about how you have used federal statistics?
Looking back at question 6 [POINT TO QUESTION], can you think of any other ways the Census Bureau uses data that you thought should have been listed?
SECTION V. Debriefing |
Is there anything else you want to add that you haven’t had a chance to talk about yet?
| File Type | application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document |
| Author | Casey M Eggleston (CENSUS/CSM FED) |
| File Modified | 0000-00-00 |
| File Created | 2021-01-22 |