This is a series of 20 cognitive interviews conducted with members of the UK general public in June and July 2011 as part of the PSE-UK Main Survey questionnaire design process. Cognitive interviewing is designed to identify cognition, recall, judgement and response problems associated with survey questions as well as to identify any sensitivity issues arising for respondents. The aim of this work is to reduce misinterpretation and confusion created by unclear questions and thereby to help reduce measurement error in the estimates derived from the sample survey data. Based upon expert review by the PSE-UK team, a range of items for potential inclusion in the PSE-UK survey were selected for cognitive testing relating to necessities, housing, local services, household finances and subjective poverty, education and parenting, economic participation, health and disability, life satisfaction, and crime and social harm.
