Affiliation:
1. Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, USA
2. Washington University in St. Louis, MO, USA
Abstract
The presence–severity response format uses a filter question to ask about the presence of a symptom, followed by a question about the severity of that symptom. Only an affirmative response to the filter question triggers the follow-up question. Despite its widespread use, little research has compared the psychometric properties of the presence–severity response format to those of the traditional single-item response format. The purpose of this research was to understand how filter questions influence item responses and characteristics on several short health-related questionnaires. Using two different experimental designs, we find that depending on the construct being measured, the inclusion of a filter question can have a substantial effect on people’s responses, and in turn, the psychometric properties of the items. Overall, the presence–severity response format results in a reduction in symptom reporting and loss of information about individual differences, particularly for people experiencing mild symptoms. Measurement recommendations are provided.
Subject
Applied Psychology,Clinical Psychology
Cited by
2 articles.
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