THE IMPACT OF RESPONSE OPTIONS AND LOCATION IN A MICROCOMPUTER INTERVIEW ON DRINKING DRIVERS ALCOHOL-USE SELF-REPORTS

The influence of response options for and location of frequency of alc ohol use items in a self-administered microcomputer interview were eva luated in a randomized, experimental study of 296 clients at a west co ast treatment site for drinking drivers. Respondents were asked about their frequency of alcohol use in the last 7 days, 30 days, 90 days, a nd 180 days with three methodological factors randomized: (1) how quan titative the response options were; (2) order of presentation of close -ended response options; and (3) relative placement of alcohol use ite ms in the questionnaire. Results indicate that these methodological fa ctors had minimal influence on self-reports of the frequency of alcoho l use. Only two statistically significant effects out of 44 possible w ere observed. The findings of this study suggest that frequency of alc ohol use reports by drinking drivers yield similar information for a r ange of different response formats and location of the items in a micr ocomputer interview.