Face-to-Face versus Telephone Interviews: Using Cognitive Methods to Assess Alcohol Survey Questions

This research compares retrieval strategies and comprehension problems encountered by 30 heavier drinking respondents using protocol analysis on three alcohol use items: In the last 12 months, maximum quantity consumed in one day, frequency of drinking only one to two drinks, and frequency of drunkenness. We compare two modes of administering the questionnaire: face-to-face and telephone interviews. Results indicate that respondents in both modes used similar retrieval strategies. Anchoring (giving a response immediately) and context (describing a context in or around which drinking occurs) were most often used by respondents. Comprehension problems varied by question rather than by interview mode. The maximum quantity question was more likely to invoke issues around time frame; the one to two drinks item elicited problems concerning misinterpretation (“only” versus “at least”), and the drunkenness item was more likely to stimulate questions of definition. Overall, the findings from this study lend some support for moving from face-to-face surveys to telephone surveys in the next U.S. national alcohol survey and provide some direction for strengthening the transition.