General Information:
*Note: The item was tested both in English and German.*
Introduction:
English version: The following questions concern the usage of information and communication technologies
(computers and the internet) for your working activities. In case of multiple activities, please
refer always to your main paid job.
German version: Die folgenden Fragen beziehen sich auf die Nutzung von Informations- und Kommunikationstechnologien
(Computer und Internet) für Ihre beruflichen Aktivitäten. Im Fall von mehreren
Aktivitäten beziehen Sie sich bitte immer auf Ihren Hauptberuf.
Question Text:
English version: Think about your main paid job: Do you use computers, laptops, smartphones, or other computerised
equipment at work?
German Version: Denken Sie an Ihre Hauptbeschäftigung: Verwenden Sie Computer, Laptops, Smartphones oder
andere computergesteuerter Ausstattung bei der Arbeit?
Answer Categories:
English version:
Yes
No
German version:
Ja
Nein
Recommendations:
Question: The issue of question 3 is that several respondents in both countries struggle
with and silently misunderstand the term “computerised equipment.”
Therefore, we recommend substituting the term “computerised equipment”
with a different term that captures the intended devices more clearly. Another
solution would be to provide a definition of computerised equipment.
In addition, we recommend substituting the term “Hauptberuf” with the
term “Hauptbeschäftigung” in the German version of the question. The term
“Hauptberuf” does not really exist in the German language: “Die folgenden
Fragen beziehen sich auf die Nutzung von Informations- und Kommunikationstechnologien
(Computer und Internet) für Ihre beruflichen Aktivitäten."
"Im Fall von mehreren Aktivitäten beziehen Sie sich bitte immer auf Ihre
Hauptbeschäftigung. Denken Sie an Ihre Hauptbeschäftigung: Verwenden Sie Computer, Laptops,
Smartphones oder andere computergesteuerte Ausstattung bei der Arbeit?“
Answer categories: No changes recommended.
Comprehension Probing.
Findings for Question:
Question 3 asked respondents whether they use computers, laptops, smartphones, or other computerised
equipment at work in their main job. Respondents could choose between the answer categories
“Yes” and “No.” All categories were exclusive categories and, therefore, percentages add up to 100
percent. The majority of British and German respondents selected the answer category “Yes” (British
respondents: 81.33 percent; German respondents: 82.86 percent). Only 18.67 percent of the British
respondents and 17.14 percent of the German respondents chose “No” at this question.
Only respondents that selected the response “Yes” at question 3 received the comprehension probe that inquired
which tools respondents would consider to be “computerised equipment”. As a consequence, 26
respondents (14 English speaking respondents and 12 German speaking respondents) did not receive
this question due to the filter in question 3.
The main intention of Probe 4 was to get a better understanding how the term “computerised equipment”
is understood by the respondents and which type of devices the respondents include in their
definition of “computerised equipment.” The comprehension probe revealed a large variety of different
interpretations of the term “computerized equipment.” Respondents in both countries thought of
various devices, office tools, computer equipment, production facilities, and entertainment devices.
Therefore, the first finding with regard to this probe is that respondents do not associate one specific
type of device with the term “computerized equipment.”
However, the most important distinction with regard to the probe findings is whether respondents’
associations are “in scope” or “out of scope.” The term computerized equipment was defined as equipment
used, for example, to control machines or to access the internet (e.g., machines connected to the
internet, handheld devices to register signatures or orders in restaurants, etc.). Following this definition,
only a minority of respondents mentioned “in scope” devices, such as hand-held scanners (German
respondents: 3.45 percent), card readers (German respondents: 1.72 percent), label maker readers
(German respondents: 1.72 percent), or machines/robots (German respondents: 6.90 percent). Some
respondents did not provide specific devices but circumscribed such devices by providing definitions such as devices that require batteries (British respondents: 3.28 percent) or an internet connection (British respondents: 4.92 percent), devices that are computer-controlled (German respondents: 5.17
percent) or devices that work like a computer (British respondents: 3.28 percent, German respondents:
3.45 percent).
Unfortunately, several respondents also provided “out of scope” definitions of the term “computerized
equipment,” by mentioning devices such as desktop computers (British respondents: 60.66 percent,
German respondents: 13.79 percent), laptops (British respondents: 55.74 percent, German respondents:
3.45 percent), smartphones (British respondents: 37.70 percent, German respondents: 8.62 percent) or
tablets (British respondents: 27.87 percent, German respondents: 6.90 percent). However, the prevalence
of these “out of scope” definitions varies across countries. Far more British respondents than
German respondents associate “computerized equipment” with such devices. This means that the German
translation potentially captures the intended meaning of this term more clearly. In contrast,
about 17 percent of the German respondents answer that they do not understand this technical term.
For a more detailed breakdown of the respondents‘ answers please refer to the tables in the attached PDF document.
Question Topic:
Digitalization/ Use of digital systems
Construct:
Usage of ICT for working activities
