Cover memo for nonsubstantive change request

Date: April 20, 2012

T0: Jennifer Park

Statistical and Science Policy

Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs

Office of Management and Budget

Washington, DC 20503

FROM: Mark Denbaly, ERS-USDA, FoodAPS COTR

RE: Control #: 0536-0068; Changes Associated with Cognitive Tests of Household Training Video

To approve the ICR, OMB required that “The results of the cognitive lab tests regarding the instruction quality of the training video must be described in a supplementary document and loaded into ROCIS.” Attached, please find the results of the cognitive test and the resulting non-substantive changes that have been incorporated.

The cognitive tests demonstrated that respondents could understand the information provided in the video, and found the material explained clearly and well-paced. Most could follow along with the video in their own food book. The video content therefore did not have to be revised.

However, we will train the field interviewers to pause the video, as needed, to ensure slower respondents, such as elderly individuals, do not feel rushed as they follow along in their own food books, and that they fully comprehend the instruments.

We made minor revisions to the Initial Visit Script “(original script is Appendix W; revised script is Appendix X)” to introduce additional instruments for the practice sessions:

1. New handout displaying a McDonald’s “meal for two” with receipt and images of purchased food items. This serves as an example for the practice Red page.

2. New handout with “model” Red page with receipt (front side) and model Red page without receipt (back side), corresponding to the McDonalds’s meal handout.

3. New handout with model Blue page corresponding to the practice grocery items and receipt.

These additional instruments are provided as two pages printed doubled-sided and laminated (Appendix Y). The handouts provide a concrete example for Red page practice, plus “answer keys” for Red and Blue page practice. All respondents will be asked to complete the Red page practice for the McDonald’s meal shown on the handout. The McDonald’s meal provides a scenario that will be familiar to most respondents, and the “Angus Deluxe meal” is an example of a menu item for which all components are not listed on the receipt and must be recorded on the Red page. With this new instrument, all respondents complete the same practice scenarios for a Red and Blue page. The model Red and Blue pages will be shown to respondents after they complete the practice pages so that they receive feedback on their practice and understand how we would like them to complete the pages. These additional instruments provide consistent scenarios and feedback for all respondents.

Economic Research Service
355 E Street SW, Washington, DC 20024-3221
www.ers.usda.gov