Asking Questions - The Definitive Guide To Questionnaire Design ...

ASKING THREATENING QUESTIONS ABOUT BEHAVIOR 85
Figure 3.3. Questions on Reading.
APPROACH 1
Have you read any book, either hard cover or paperback, within the past
six months? (If you’ve started but not finished a book, that counts too.)
Yes
No
APPROACH 2
a. Do you read any magazines regularly?
Yes
No
b. Have you read a book in the past six months?
Yes
No
APPROACH 3
When, as nearly as you can recall, did you last read any kind of book all
the way through either a hardcover book or a paper bound book? (If date
is given) What was the title? [The Bible and textbooks were omitted.]
Source: National Opinion Research Center, 1965.
last read . . . ?”). It may, however, avoid the overstatements of
socially desirable behavior that occur when a specific time period is
indicated. The Gallup published results are based on reading in the
past month, excluding Bible reading and textbooks, and thus cannot
be directly compared with the National Opinion Research
Center (NORC) results.
Seat Belt Usage
The Gallup (1973) wording of this question is “Thinking about the
last time you got into a car, did you use a seat belt?” The question is
careful not to ask about usual or typical behavior. To have asked
about typical behavior would be more threatening and those who
do not wear seat belts would be less likely to admit it. Asking only
about a single event from among common events, such as getting