GESIS Pretest Database: Documentation Questions Details - PaCo - Mechanisms of panel conditioning in longitudinal surveys: Questions on social desirability, gender roles, and environment (English Version)

General Information:

*Note: This item was tested in German. This is an English translation of the original German wording.*

Question Text:

Have you purchased any cleaning products for your home in the last 4 weeks?

[Haben Sie in den letzten 4 Wochen Reinigungsmittel für Ihr Zuhause gekauft?]

Answer Categories:

Yes [Ja]
No [Nein]

Recommendations:

Question: The reasons given by some test persons show that they did not answer the question with regard to their individual purchasing behavior, but with regard to purchasing behavior in a common household. If this distinction is important, we recommend a slight modification of the question and the answer options:

"In the past 4 weeks, have you or anyone else in your household purchased cleaning products for your home?" ["Haben Sie oder jemand anderes in Ihrem Haushalt in den letzten 4 Wochen Reinigungsprodukte für Ihr Haus gekauft?"]
Response format:

Yes, me personally [Ja, ich persönlich]
Yes, another person [Ja, eine andere Peron]
No [Nein]

Cognitive Techniques:

General Probe

Findings for Question:

Do the test persons have problems understanding and/or answering the question?

The vast majority of the test persons (n = 9) stated that they had bought cleaning products for their homes in the last four weeks. Only one test person (TP 01) denied this and justified her answer by saying that she had not bought anything in the last four weeks because she still had sufficient cleaning products at home.
Eight test persons answered the question correctly, i.e. they correctly stated that they had person-ally bought cleaning agents for their home within the last four weeks or not:

"For example, yesterday I cleaned my bathroom and for this I had bought cleaning agents in advance.”

"How sure are you that you have done this within the last four weeks and not perhaps earlier?”

"Pretty sure because the bottle was still pretty full and we clean relatively much at home.”

"I just thought about what I last bought in DM, and due to rinsing agent was there.”

"And that was certainly within the last four weeks?”

"Yes, and detergent is actually also always present within four weeks.”

When asked, two test persons (TP 08, 10) stated that it was not they personally, but their spouse who had purchased cleaning products:

"To get back to Corona. That's why I bought cleaning products. [...] So my wife bought that, not me.”

"So you personally have not bought a cleaning product for your home?”

"No.”

"So, I personally have not bought any, but at the moment my husband goes shopping, because he says it only takes one to face this situation. But I have just looked what is missing in the household or what will soon be empty. Yes, and due to I just told him I need scouring milk.” (TP 10)

Question Topic:

Society & social affairs/ Residing & living

Construct:

Consumption of cleaning agents