RESEARCH TRIANGLE INSTITUTE

CE Interview Global Questions Research: 

BLS Conference Presentation Report 

RTI Project No. 07624.000 

Submitted to: 

US Bureau of Labor Statistics 

Consumer Expenditure Surveys 

2 Massachusetts Ave., NE, Rm. 3985 

Washington, DC 20212 

Prepared by: 

Research Triangle Institute 

P.O. Box 12194 

3040 Cornwallis Road 

Research Triangle Park, NC 27709-2194

May 1, 2000 
Global Questions Research: BLS Conference Presentation Report 2

CE Interview Global Questions Research: 

BLS Conference Presentation Report 

1. BACKGROUND 

In the Consumer Expenditure Interview Survey (CEIS), household respondents are asked 

to report on all the purchases of services and products by members of their consumer unit (CU, 

or household, roughly) in the past 3 months. The interview can be lengthy and burdensome for 

respondents given the large array of expenditures that may be made. Because respondents are 

often unwilling or unable to meet the demands of the survey, the CEIS underestimates consumer 

expenditures. The burden associated with the CEIS also limits its response rates. Thus, a 

potentially productive area of research for improving the CEIS data collection process lies in the 

development of methods to reduce the burden associated with the CEIS. 

1.1 Global Estimate Questions 

One method for accomplishing a reduction in burden involves the use of broader 

expenditure questions, thereby reducing the number of questions asked of respondents. In 

addition, this can be combined with the collection of total, rather than individual, expenditure 

estimates. There are several ways in which to create these “global” questions. One way involves 

asking respondents to estimate the total amount of their expenditures for entire categories rather 

than individual expenditure items. It is important to note that these global estimate questions do 

not allow the production of CPI estimates for individual items. Another way involves asking 

respondent to estimate the total amount of their CU's expenditures for individual items. These 

item estimate questions might be asked for the standard 3 month reference period, or for an 

extended reference period (e.g., a year.) Yet another form of global questions involves asking 

respondents screening questions as to whether any expenditures were made for an expenditure 

category, and then, if an affirmative answer is reported, collecting some level of detail about 

those expenditures. These global screening questions are already in place for a number of 

categories in the CEIS. 

The present research was conducted to develop global estimate questions (by which total 

expenditures estimates for broad categories of expenditures are collected.) These global 
Global Questions Research: BLS Conference Presentation Report 3

questions were developed for the collection of clothing, household equipment, furniture, 

recreational items, and vehicle operating expenses, Sections 6, 8, 9 and 12 of the CEIS. This 

report discusses the design of the questions, the methods by which the questions were developed, 

and various research findings concerning their use. Based on this research, a methodology and 

materials have been develop that can be compared to existing CEIS data collection methods in a 

larger scale, quantitative field test. 

1.2 Implications for Using Global Questions in the CEIS 

Global estimate questions, as described in the present report, are not intended to provide 

cost and descriptive information for individual expenditures. The global questions would 

provide data to users needing total CU expenditures. If implemented in the CEIS, this would 

result in the loss of information critical to CE and Consumer Price Index (CPI) estimates, and 

such data would need to be collected elsewhere. As originally proposed, a second diary data 

collection was to be implemented to meet CE and CPI data requirements for sections of the CEIS 

that are converted to global questions. However, a discussion of different strategies for meeting 

these various data needs is beyond the scope of the present research. 

 It is important to recognize that while the present global questions were designed with the 

intention of recording only total cost information, there is no reason why the global questions 

could not be modified to request cost and descriptive information for individual expenses 

identified within each global category. In fact, the research conducted on the global questions 

indicates that in most cases, respondents itemize their expenses and then sum these costs in 

deriving a total cost estimate for a global category. Individual item descriptions and their 

associated costs could not be recorded individually. This could still afford some time savings 

since the number of expenditure questions would be reduced. 

2. GLOBAL QUESTION ANSWERING

Attempts to reduce the length of the interview by introducing questions covering a 

broader range of expense items could conceivably increase the complexity of the respondent's 

task. There is the potential to trade-off response burden in terms of the questionnaire length for 

response burden in the form of question difficulty. It is important then to consider the cognitive 
Global Questions Research: BLS Conference Presentation Report 4

tasks that respondents must perform to answer global estimate questions, identify potential 

performance limitations, and devise way to compensate for these limitations. There are several 

critical cognitive tasks: category decomposition and total cost estimation. 

2.1 Global Category Decomposition 

Information in memory about expenditure events is generally not directly accessible from 

the identification of high level (global) categories, except perhaps when the respondent has 

engaged in accounting and budgeting activities involving those categories. Thus, respondents 

must break down (i.e., "decompose") the global category into subcategories in order to be able to 

search for and retrieve expenditures from memory. Decomposition is a time consuming and 

often unreliable process. Support from the Information Booklet is critical for assisting the 

respondent in the decomposition process. 

Categories within taxonomies, such as the expenditure taxonomy in the CEIS, can be 

described in terms of their level of abstraction (Rosch, 1978). There are three levels of 

abstraction that a category may be considered to represent: superordinate (e.g., furniture), 

ordinate (e.g., tables), and subordinate (e.g., dining tables). Superordinate categories are the 

most global and encompassing, while subordinate categories are the most specific. Global 

estimate questions generally are designed around superordinate categories. 

 The level of abstraction of a category has significance for category comprehension and 

the retrieval from memory of events related to that category. Ordinate, or basic level categories, 

are most frequently and naturally used by people in the course of everyday life because they 

maximize the amount of information communicated (category distinctiveness) while minimizing 

conceptual confusion (category resemblance). In other words, most or all of the attributes of a 

basic level category are shared by its members, and other basic level categories share few of 

those attributes. For example, the basic level category "tables" is distinct from other basic level 

categories (e.g., "sofas", "lamps") within the "furniture" category, and the various members of 

the category "tables" have much in common with one another. 

 In contrast, subordinate categories have many attributes that are shared with other 

subordinate categories. For example, the attributes of the subordinate category "dining tables" 

are very similar to those of other types of tables. Thus, confusion between categories is more 

likely with subordinate categories than for basic level categories. With respect to the CEIS, 
Global Questions Research: BLS Conference Presentation Report 5

respondents may have difficulty knowing when to report their expenditures in response to 

subordinate level expenditure questions (e.g., portable dishwashers, built-in dishwashers). They 

may report some expenditures at inappropriate times and may spend time making decisions or 

asking the interviewer for clarification. 

Superordinate level categories cannot be characterized as easily as basic level categories 

because their members have fewer features in common. For example, there are very few terms 

that characterize all the members of the superordinate category "furniture". In the context of the 

CEIS, or any other task where events must be recalled in response to category labels, this lack of 

category resemblance suggests that superordinate categories are poor recall cues. When 

respondents are asked to retrieve a single event, they take substantially longer to do so for a 

superordinate event category than a basic event category (Felcher & Calder, 1992; Reiser, Black, 

& Abelson, 1985). When asked to enumerate from memory all instances of a superordinate 

category, respondents frequently "decompose" the category into basic level subcategories in 

order to retrieve the episodes. Decomposition is a time consuming and often unreliable process, 

and survey respondents generally cannot be expected to engage in complete or detailed 

decomposition (Felcher & Calder, 1991). 

It is important to note that although respondents would not be asked explicitly to 

enumerate their expenditures when they are asked to make a global category estimate, 

decomposition of the superordinate category is generally necessary. Respondents must identify 

basic level subcategories and then recall expenditure events associated with those subcategories. 

In order to use superordinate categories (e.g., furniture, appliances, clothing) in global estimate 

questions, the superordinate category must contain a limited number of basic level category 

members and must be a well-formed category in order for it to be reliably decomposed by 

respondents. However, support for global category decomposition can also be provided to 

respondents in the form of items lists in the Information Booklet. 

2.2 Total Cost Estimation 

In global estimate questions, respondents must provide an estimate of the total cost of 

their expenditures for each global category. In some cases, they may be able to provide 

summary amounts of their expenses directly from memory, but more often than not, they must 

recall individual expenditures in a global category and sum their costs. This addition process is 
Global Questions Research: BLS Conference Presentation Report 6

slow and difficult for respondents. Placing responsibility for the addition of enumerated 

expenditures in the hands of survey field representatives (FRs) is critical to the design of global 

questions that are not unduly burdensome to respondents, and for reducing addition errors. 

 Much like the estimation of the frequency of certain behaviors (e.g., Blair & Burton, 

1987), the estimation of the total amount of money expended across multiple expenditure events 

may involve one of several different response strategies. Respondents may enumerate the 

various expenditures they have made and add these expenditures together to arrive at a total 

amount. Such estimates are likely to be best when the expenditures are infrequent so that the 

addition of the expenditure amounts is not overwhelming to respondents. Alternatively, 

respondents may make inferences or judgments concerning the rate and usual amount of the 

expenditures. The frequency of the expenditure is then multiplied by the usual amount. Such 

inferences are likely to be most valid and reliable when the expenditures event occur at regular 

intervals and at a cost that is consistent across time. Finally, respondents may be able to directly 

retrieve the amount expended over multiple expenditures. This may be possible when all the 

items were purchased in a single shopping trip, or when the respondent has engaged in 

accounting or budgeting activities using expense categories that mirror the global questions. For 

example, a respondent may keep track of the amount spent on clothing each month, or set a 

monthly budget limit for themselves for a given activity such as gardening. Respondents may 

also retrieve total expenditures for certain types of items such as regular billing payments. For 

such items, a total annual or semi-annual amount owed is provided to the respondent by the 

establishment receiving the payment. 

3. DEVELOPMENTAL RESEARCH METHODS

Based on the cognitive analysis of the respondent’s task discussed above, global estimate 

questions should be designed so that employ familiar and meaningful categories for respondents 

so that items within the category can be identified readily. Some attempt may be made to 

employ categories that are likely also to be used in budgeting and accounting activities, or where 

the expenses for the different items in the category are likely to occur in the same shopping trip. 

Support for category comprehension and expenditure recall should be provided through items 
Global Questions Research: BLS Conference Presentation Report 7

lists in the Information Booklet. Providing FR assistance for summing of recalled expenses will 

relieve respondent burden and has the potential to reduce error. 

A three phase cognitive interview research approach was employed to inform the design 

of the global methods, questions, and respondent aids. In addition to these cognitive interview 

methods, several other exploratory investigative techniques were used. The methodologies used 

in developing the global questions are described next. 

3.1 Card Sorting 

A preliminary cognitive interview method for identifying expense categories and 

category labels is to have research participants organize expense items into categories. This task 

was administered to several groups of about 8 to 12 research subjects in developing global 

categories for different domains of the CEIS. In the task, subjects are provided with cards 

containing the names of individual expenditure items (largely taken from the CEIS questionnaire 

and Information Booklet). Subjects are asked to sort the cards freely into as many categories as 

necessary, and to write a label for each category they form. After completing this first round of 

sorting, participants who create very large categories of items are asked to break these groups 

into subcategories. This is useful for examining the full categorical structure of the items, and 

because the respondent may have created an unreasonably large category that is ill-defined. 

Similarly, participants who create relatively small categories of items are asked to combine these 

categories to form broader groupings. A cluster analysis can be used to derive a categorical 

structure for the expenditures (Brewer, Dull, & Jobe, 1989). 

The card sorting task provide information on whether the categories are sufficiently wellformed for use as global, superordinate categories. They also provide information to suggest 

whether a categorical structure different than is currently employed for the CEIS is warranted. 

Though this method does not necessarily reveal the way that expenditure events are organized in 

memory, it does tend to reveal a semantic structure that is based on the functions (i.e., uses) of 

the products and services. To the extent that, items of a similar function will be purchased 

together, purchased in association with the same types of events, or located in the same room of 

a house, retrieval searches for these items within a category may be made more efficient. 

 Another version of the card sorting task that was used in the development of the global 

questions was to provided subjects with cards containing CEIS section labels along with cards 
Global Questions Research: BLS Conference Presentation Report 8

containing individual expenditure items. Subjects are asked to sort the items into the categories 

provided. This method, unlike the free-sorting task described above provide an idea of how the 

current organization of the CEIS deviates from the way that respondents naturally conceive of 

these categories. It provides a means for identifying useful, albeit less dramatic, restructuring of 

CEIS expenditure items without altering the general categories that are used. 

3.2 Category Decomposition & Attribute Listing 

Once preliminary categories are designed based on information from the card sorting 

method, an effective method for testing the comprehension of the categories is to ask research 

participants to decompose them by listing items they believe belong in the categories. This task 

was administered with several groups of about 8 to 12 research subjects in developing global 

categories for different domains of the CEIS. By examining the items that are listed and the ease 

by which respondents can identify these items, the method provides valuable information on 

whether category labels are understood as intended, whether the categories are well-formed and 

meaningful, and what items require emphasis in Information Booklet cue lists. The method has 

also led to the identification of many items to be listed in the Information Booklet. 

 Research participants in the decomposition tasks conducted in the present research were 

also asked to list as many attributes (e.g., physical characteristics, product uses) as possible for 

each proposed global category as well as subcategories. By examining the number of attributes 

listed, the level of abstraction of the categories can be ascertained. Relatively few attributes are 

generated for superordinate categories, while an equal number are generated for basic level and 

subordinate level categories (e.g., Rosch, Mervis, Gray, Johnson, & Boyes-Braem, 1976). In 

addition, this method provides some valuable ideas for terms to be used in the global category 

labels. 

3.3 Global Estimate Reporting

Once global categories have been refined using the decomposition task, Information 

Booklet materials need to be created so the global questions can be tested. The third research 

phase involves a “dry run” through the global questions with concurrent and retrospective thinkaloud cognitive interviewing methods. Research participants are asked to think aloud about, or 

report on, the memory search strategies they use to recall expenditures, and identify how they 

arrive at the total or subtotal cost estimates when they are offered (e.g., multiple items purchased 
Global Questions Research: BLS Conference Presentation Report 9

on a shopping trip). An additional goal of the method is to get input on the global categories and 

the item lists in the Information Booklet, including whether the inclusion of items in each global 

category makes sense and whether there are additional items to include in the lists for a category. 

This task has been administered with several groups of about 8 to 12 research subjects in 

developing global categories for different domains of the CEIS. 

One variant of this method that has been employed in the present research has been to ask 

participants to estimate the total amount of their expenditures for each global category prior to 

asking for an estimates based on support from the Information Booklet. Other participants were 

shown the Information Booklet and asked to make a quick estimate of the total amount “off the 

top of their head” before providing a more considered estimate. Because a more thorough 

estimate is requested eventually, the procedures described above may still be used. The former 

version, provides rich memory search strategy information since respondents are asked to 

provide estimates without the aid of the Information Booklet. It also provides information about 

respondent decomposition of the categories in the context of providing expenditure estimates (as 

opposed to explicit instructions to decompose the categories). Both of these methods permit 

some consideration of whether or not respondents readily have total estimates for their global 

category expenditures or can provide general impression estimates that are reasonably accurate. 

The findings of the present research are that such quick estimates are not typically easy for 

respondents to produce. 

3.4 Additional Investigative Techniques 

To supplement the information collected in cognitive interviews, several other 

exploratory investigative techniques were used. This has included 

 examination of the current CEIS questionnaire and Information Booklet, 

 economic research into expenditures reported in the CEIS and CE Diary Survey, 

 investigation of products and services identified in the Consumer Price Index 

survey, 

 investigation of product and service categories and items on commercial Web 

sites and in commercial retail centers, and 

 brainstorming by individuals involved in the research. 

Obtaining feedback on the global questions from actual interviewers is also desirable. In 

1995, the BLS conducted mock interviews with FRs using the global questions developed for 
Global Questions Research: BLS Conference Presentation Report 10

Sections 6, 8 and 9 of the CEIS. Feedback was obtained from the FRs on the global questions, 

forms, and methodology. Some minor adjustments were made to the global question materials, 

but overall FR reactions were very favorable. 

4. DESIGN OF THE GLOBAL QUESTIONS 

The design of global estimate questions for the CEIS involved developing global 

categories, the questions and instructions, procedures to support the summation of expenditure 

costs, an questionnaire form, and an ordering for the global questions. The principals by which 

these materials and procedures were developed are discussed below. The development of the 

Information Booklet cues is discussed in Section 5. 

4.1 Global Categories 

In most cases, the category labels developed for the global categories have proven to be 

sufficiently informative for respondents to reliably understand the intended set of products. 

While these categories have required some work to develop, the creation of global categories has 

been feasible (see the Appendix for a listing of the global categories for Sections 6, 8, 9, and 12). 

Nevertheless, we believe that Information Booklet cues are necessary to support comprehension 

and decomposition. 

The construction of the global categories was driven by the general principle that for both 

the purposes of comprehension as well as recall, it is best to categorize items according to their 

function or use and their location in the home. Minimal consideration was given to similarities 

in the physical form of the items (e.g., all appliances). The results of cognitive interview studies 

conducted as part of the present research have strongly supported this approach, as have previous 

cognitive interview studies (Lessler, 1989). This approach is also supported by general findings 

in cognitive research literature demonstrating autobiographical memories are organized 

according to the activities in which a person engages (Barsalou, 1988; Conway & Berkerian, 

1987; Reiser, Black, & Abelson, 1985; Robinson, 1976). 

Recall strategies reported by respondents in the present research have consistently shown 

that respondents retrieve their expenditures in the context of reasons for these purchases. This 

includes household activities (e.g., a child’s participation in soccer), events associated with the 
Global Questions Research: BLS Conference Presentation Report 11

purchases (e.g., a Christmas gift), and needs for the purchases (e.g., a TV was no longer 

functioning). 

Another effective recall strategy is to recall shopping trips (again, an activity). While it is 

not always the case that items related by function or use are purchased on the same shopping trip, 

most retail centers offer products and services that are related in function. Thus, a respondent 

may buy multiple items at a store, but in many cases they will be related according to their use. 

Thus, items that are purchased together frequently come from the same global category when the 

categories are organized according to their function or use. In some cases, the respondent may 

remember the total price they paid at the check-out counter, making the reporting of these 

purchases extremely efficient. 

Recall is also sometimes based on locations within the home. This occurs because some 

locations (e.g., kitchen) are closely associated with certain activities, and products are stored and 

used these locations. Alternatively, visualizing a room and the items located within the room is 

sometime useful for identifying newly purchased items. 

 An important consideration in developing the categories has been to ensure that the 

frequency of expenditures does not preclude accurate total cost estimation. In particular, it is 

likely that respondents' ability to make accurate total cost estimates, or enumerate their expenses 

for a broad category, will be affected by the number of expenditures made by their CU. To an 

extent, the global categories have been devised with consideration to information gathered on the 

frequency of expenditures for the categories, and on observations of the ability of respondents to 

report their expenses for global categories. Of course, combining and separating categories of 

items on this basis must be done to create new categories that are meaningful and natural for 

respondents. 

 There have been a number of difficult decisions made in the course of developing the 

global categories. For example, one important issue has been how to categories clothing (e.g., 

shirts, pants, and dresses), shoes, hosiery, clothing accessories (e.g., belts, ties, hats, gloves, 

scarves), and personal accessories (e.g., purses, sunglasses, watches, jewelry, and umbrellas). 

Men and women think of these items in different ways. Men tend to treat ties and belts as 

clothing, but many women consider “accessorizing” a distinct activity. Most men consider socks 

to be clothing, but many women also consider hosiery to be an accessory. In department stores, 
Global Questions Research: BLS Conference Presentation Report 12

women’s clothing accessories and hosiery are located nearby the personal accessories. Since 

regular clothing purchases are made very frequently, it may be inadvisable to include all of these 

items in the same global category even though they are related. The question becomes how to 

divide them up meaningfully. Asking about men’s clothing and women’s clothing separately 

seems sensible, but it does create a lot of redundancy in the Information Booklet cue lists. 

Another significant example relates to the overlap between furniture and equipment 

purchased for use in and around the home and for use with vehicles. For example, furniture and 

appliances are purchased for use with many boats and recreational vehicles. There are numerous 

similar issues. Should pet barriers for automobiles be included with vehicle accessories or with 

pet equipment? Should car stereos be included with household audio equipment or with vehicle 

electronic equipment or with vehicle accessories? Are driving gloves a clothing expense or a 

vehicle expense? Are bike racks a sports equipment expense or a vehicle expense? Cognitive 

interviews suggest that in many cases household and vehicle items in many cases can be 

combined in a way that research participants find quite natural, but that it is also quite natural for 

people to think of their homes and vehicles as a separate domains of activity. Practical 

considerations also play into the decisions that are made: if overlapping vehicle accessories are 

combined with household items, then it becomes difficult to devise meaningful categories for 

non-overlapping vehicle accessories that do not also include the overlapping items. 

4.2 Question Form and Instructions 

The global questions were designed to ask whether expenditures were made in a category 

since the beginning of the reference period, and then to ask for the total amount that was spent. 

Figure 1 shows a mock up of several proposed CEIS global questions. 

General instructions for the global questions are given in advance of the start of the 

questions, and are repeated after every twelve questions (this is not a strict commitment). 

Respondents are instructed to report both purchases and rentals for the CU or as gifts, including 

sales tax and delivery and installation charges. The delivery and installation charges instruction 

is also included in the Information Booklet section for appropriate categories. The reference 

period is repeated for the respondents in every fourth question starting with the first question. 

Instructions for excluding business expenses from computer equipment and office equipment are 

integrated into the questions for these categories. 
Global Questions Research: BLS Conference Presentation Report 13

The present research has shown that only under very select circumstances were subjects 

able to provide total expense estimates for the global categories. This is possible when, for 

example, a person has a budgeted amount that they spend or when a person has purchased a 

number of items together. In general, however, subjects enumerate their expenditures and add 

these expenses to reach a total. Total cost estimates based on the addition of individual item 

costs were clearly susceptible to respondent calculation errors. Previous research by Lessler 

(1989) using current CEIS questions indicated that respondents sometimes become confused 

about whether they had already reported an expenditure. 

For these reason, the global questions were design to place responsibility for summing 

the enumerated expenses on the FRs. An open vertical workspace is provided for FRs to make 

notes on the enumerated expenses for each global category. The particulars of how to use of the 

workspace are left up to the individual FRs. It may be useful to investigate further how FRs best 

make use of the workspace to take notes on enumerated expenses. Such information might be 

useful for creating training materials. 

Figure 1. Mockup of a several proposed CEIS global questions. 

1a. 

Information booklet page xx 

Since the 1st of (month, 3 months ago), excluding (this 

month), has your CU had expenses for clothing or 

shoes? 

 

 1Yes 

 2No - go to 2a 

WORKSPACE

b. What was the total amount spent? $ _____________.00 

2a. 

Information booklet page xx

Has your CU had expenses for jewelry or other 

personal accessories? 

 1Yes 

 2No - go to 3a 

b. What was the total amount spent? $ _____________.00 

4.3 Question Order 

An important task in developing the global questions has been to devise an order for the 

presentation of the global categories in the interview. The most important factor dictating the 

order was the conceptual flow of the categories. The order of the categories was largely 

determined from evidence about the conceptual similarity of the categories gathered in the card-
Global Questions Research: BLS Conference Presentation Report 14

sorting methodology. A cluster analysis of this data provided provides evidence of several 

general dimensions for the global categories for CEIS Sections 6, 8, and 9. These general 

groupings include leisure/recreation items, household furniture and equipment, and clothing and 

personal items. 

The ordering work also considered similarities in the nature of the search strategies 

subjects employ to recall expenditures for different categories (e.g., recalling expenditures by 

shopping trips, by recalling rooms, by recalling activities, etc.). In addition, efforts were made to 

avoid reporting problems associated with category overlap in which items are reported 

prematurely for an unintended category. Finally, some consideration was given to lower income 

households by asking about common items such as clothing at the beginning of the interview. 

5. DESIGN OF THE GLOBALS INFORMATION BOOKLET 

A major focus of the present research has been to develop Information Booklet cues to 

support global question answering. The design of the booklet takes on special importance with 

the global questions because they involve much broader categories than current CEIS questions. 

The Information Booklet cues are critical to respondent comprehension and decomposition of the 

global categories. Moreover, global question cue lists are likely to be lengthier than the typical 

CEIS question cue list. Reviewing these lists may be time-consuming, and the likelihood of 

respondents missing items increases with the length of the list. To address these concerns, the 

present research examined how respondents use for Information Booklet and how the booklet 

design can be improved for use with the global questions. 

One of the primary issues addressed in the design of the Information Booklet concerned 

the general strategy for cueing respondents with lists of expense items. For example, this 

involves decisions about whether to provide a limited example items or relatively complete lists 

of items. It is also critical to format the Information Booklet in a way that permits respondents to 

review the items lists efficiently. The general design recommendations presented here are 

intended specifically for an Information Booklet used with global questions. It is likely that 

many of the same principles apply for Information Booklet materials used with other CEIS 

questions, but that has not been fully examined. 
Global Questions Research: BLS Conference Presentation Report 15

5.1 Expense Item Lists 

The current CEIS Information Booklet contains relatively incomplete lists of expenditure 

items that are provided as examples for the categories. Full comprehension of the global 

categories may be difficult to achieve when subjects are provided with only a limited set of cues. 

In addition, the existence of a memory phenomena referred “part-set cueing” effect (e.g., 

Nickerson, 1984; Roediger & Neely, 1982) suggests that providing partial cues lists of exemplars 

may not be an optimal approach for reminding respondents of their expenses. When people are 

offered a partial list of items that they are asked to remember, they do no better in remembering 

the remaining items than those who were provided no cues, and typically do worse. A strategy of 

listing key examples in the Information Booklet may therefore reduce, or inhibit, the ability of 

respondents to recall other expenditures that are unlisted. The research suggests instead that 

Information Booklet should contain relatively complete lists of items for each global category. 

The Information Booklet cues lists for the global questions were designed to include the 

exemplars for each category and numerous less typical items. These cues were drawn from a 

variety of sources including the current CEIS Information Booklet, economic research into 

expenditures reported in the CEIS and CE Diary Survey, the investigation of commercial retail 

Web sites and stores, items listed by respondents during the "decomposition" task research, 

expenditures reported by subjects in cognitive interviews, subcategories generated by subjects in 

the product categorization and category decomposition task studies, and brainstorming by 

individuals involved in the research. 

Complete lists are, however, an a near impossibility. For example, new products and 

services are constantly emerging. But, even more importantly, the miscellaneous parts, supplies, 

and accessories for many expense items are too numerous to list. Yet, one of the clear and 

repeated findings in cognitive interviews is that some research participants tend to take the 

Information Booklet lists to be literal and complete lists of the to-be-reported items. Others 

simply don’t make the effort to “think beyond” the literal lists. It is therefore recommended that 

respondents be encouraged to treat the item lists as suggestive of the types of items to be 

reported, and include closely related items. This encouragement also benefits the interview 

because respondents occasionally miss an expense item on the lists. When encouraged to think 

of unlisted items, respondents will sometimes ask for help in located a missed item on the lists, 
Global Questions Research: BLS Conference Presentation Report 16

or identify their expenses for the listed item in advance of finding it on the lists. This additional 

advantage was observed in the cognitive interviews. 

Instructions to “think beyond” the lists need to be tempered, however. The lists 

developed in the present research are relatively complete, and strong instructions can lead 

respondents to go beyond the boundaries of the category in recalling their expenditures. This 

was a common finding in cognitive interviews in which participants were asked to identify 

additional items that might be included on the lists for each category. However, respondents 

may often ask if they should include an expense for an item that is not listed, and should be 

encouraged by the FRs to do so. FRs should be trained to inform the respondent that an expense 

should be reported in a subsequent category. 

Several adaptations to the Information Booklet and the instructions provided to 

respondents at the beginning of the globals can assist in encouraging respondents to consider 

closely related but unlisted items in the category. Several recommended changes are as follows: 

References to the lists. The current CEIS Information Booklet presents each expenditure 

category followed by the words “such as” and a list of items. Cognitive interview respondents 

report not really hearing, seeing or paying attention to the words “such as.” It is recommended 

that the text “such as” be replaced with the word “Examples” in a large font. In addition, FRs 

should be encouraged to commonly refer to the lists as “examples.” 

Instructions on using the booklet. A brief statement has been added to the instructions at 

the beginning of the global questions to encourage respondent to consider the lists to be 

examples. Currently, FRs are instructed to “Hand the respondent the Information Booklet with 

instructions to look at the item lists as you proceed.” It is recommended that this statement be 

modified to include the following: 

“Hand the respondent the Information Booklet with instructions to look at the item lists as you 

proceed. Tell the respondent that the item lists provide examples and that they should also report 

expenses for other closely related items.” 

Follow-up Probe Questions. One technique that has appeared to be successful in the 

cognitive interviewing is to ask respondents whether they had expenses for any other closely 

related items not listed when they had completed a search of a list. A recommended phrasing for 
Global Questions Research: BLS Conference Presentation Report 17

the probe question is: “Were there any other expenses for items closely related to these?” This 

probing is primarily recommended for larger categories such as “tools and hardware supplies”, 

“cooking, serving and dining wares”, and “sports and exercise equipment and supplies.” The 

probe can be added to the global questions for these categories. Generally, such a probe will 

encourage respondents to ask whether their reports are appropriate for the category. 

5.2 Alternative Cueing Strategies 

Use of the Information Booklet encourages respondents to rely heavily on the listed items 

as reminders for their expenditures (as opposed to conducting self-directed memory searches.) 

Fortunately, the cue lists provide strong reminders for respondents. In cognitive interviews 

where respondents were asked to search their memory for additional expenses that they did not 

recall while reviewing the lists, few reports were typically elicited. 

Sole reliance on the Information Booklet for cueing may be limiting, however, if the item 

lists are incomplete. The present research examined the idea of providing additional aids that 

support the use of effective self-directed memory search strategies. An attempt was made to 

suggest effective retrieval strategies to respondents. For example, this included reminding 

respondents to think of different rooms in the home when recalling furniture expenses. 

The idea of providing supplemental aids suggesting effective recall strategies was 

examined in interviews with 9 participants. The supplemental aids (see Figure 2) were 

developed based on the typical recall strategies identified in cognitive interview sessions with 

other participants. In these earlier sessions, respondent were asked recall their expenses without 

the aid of the Information Booklet, and report their recall strategies for each global category. 

The recall aids were positioned below the item lists for a number of large categories. 

Figure 2. Example of a supplement recall aid for a global question on clothing. 

➨ THINK ABOUT: different household members 

shopping trips & stores 

activities such as work, school, recreation 

special occasions and gifts purchased 

weather-related purchases 
Global Questions Research: BLS Conference Presentation Report 18

Six of the nine participants indicated that they paid little attention to the supplemental 

aids. The other three read the aids, but indicated that they offered no additional assistance over 

what they had already done in. The reports of all participants indicated that recalling 

expenditures based on picking out items from the cue lists was by no means a passive memory 

process. Their comments suggest that reviewing the lists involves considering what items and 

subcategories of items are relevant to the respondent. Sometime this can be done automatically 

without much conscious thought, but in many other cases it involves actively comparing the 

items and their use with autobiographical information in memory concerning recent activities, 

needs, and shopping trips of household members. The findings suggest that there may be little 

value provided by these additional recall strategy aids. 

5.3 Design and Formatting for Efficient Review 

The items list for global questions are lengthier than for most current CEIS questions. 

One reason is that the global questions by definition involve broad categories of expenditures. 

Another reason is the recommended approach of providing relatively complete lists of 

expenditure items. Given their length, a critical issue is how to ensure that respondents can 

review the lists efficiently and without missing items. The present research sought to facilitate 

use of the lists through their formatting. As a result of the research, a number of innovations 

were made to the design of Information Booklet for the global questions. The majority of these 

design changes were made explicitly for use with the global questions, and while they are not 

necessarily recommended for more general use in the CEIS, they may apply. 

Font. There are simple font changes to the current CEIS Information Booklet that that 

may assist respondents in reviewing the item lists. For example, research has shown that words 

that are printed in all uppercase letters are more difficult to read than those printed in lowercase 

or mixed case letters (Poulton, 1967; 1968; Tinker, 1965). Upper case letters have a uniform 

height and, as a result, the word forms are less distinctive. Yet, most of the existing CEIS 

materials are constructed with category labels printed in uppercase wording. It is recommended 

that category and subcategory headers be bolded and placed in a slightly larger font for 

emphasis. Major category headers may also be boxed or shaded for additional effect. 

Subcategorization. One extremely important design feature is the organization of the 

extensive global category cue lists into labeled subcategory groups. Unlike the current 
Global Questions Research: BLS Conference Presentation Report 19

Information Booklet, the approach that has been adopted for the global categories involves two 

levels of cues. Lists of individual expenditure items are provided under the subcategories that 

comprise each global category. These subcategories were designed to represent as much as 

possible different uses for the items or activities involving the items. For example, the global 

category “Safety and Security Equipment” can be subcategorized into groups such as “antitheft”, personal security”, and “fire safety.” Thus, the subcategory structure was designed based 

on the premise that recall is activity-based, as supported by the present cognitive interview 

studies and the cognitive research literature. 

 In early work on the global questions, a number of “other” subcategories were created. 

The current CEIS Information Booklet also contains such categories. With some effort, these 

miscellaneous item grouping were eliminated from the recent Information Booklet materials for 

the global questions. This kind of grouping fails to take advantage of the opportunity to use 

conceptual subcategory groupings to facilitate their reading and comprehension. 

All research participants (N = 27) using global category items lists organized in this way 

responded favorably to these subcategory labels and indicated that they helped add coherence to 

the presentation of lengthy lists of items. They also indicated that groups of items were more 

easily understand and could be read more quickly because of the context provided by the 

subcategory labels. Finally, they indicated that the subcategory labels permitted the respondent 

to skip groups of items when they were not relevant. In many cases, respondents would read the 

label and then more quickly peruse the items (or a subset of the items) rather than skipping the 

group entirely. Nevertheless, some facilitation in the review was clearly afforded. 

 Item Ordering. Another change to the format of the Information Booklet was to cease 

using an alphabetical ordering for the listed items. Instead the recommended approach is to list 

items according to the size of their expense and the frequency by which they are purchased. In 

some cases it is useful to emphasize certain items that are less typical of the category and are less 

likely to be thought of when the global category is mentioned. Even with the constraint of these 

important factors, there is nothing particularly systematic about the recommended approach. It is 

important to be deliberate in formulating the ordering. 

In cognitive interviews, a useful practice appeared to be to probe on certain common and 

important items to make sure that the respondent noticed their presence For example, for the 
Global Questions Research: BLS Conference Presentation Report 20

global category “clothing” it may be effective to probe whether the respondent has had any shoe 

purchases. For “TV and Video Equipment and Supplies” it may be effective to ask whether any 

movie videos have been rented. It should be possible to train or encourage FRs to engage in 

such probing, especially as they become familiar with the categories and response patterns. This 

may also lead to some biases in the way that data is collected, but these may be no worse than 

biases that are introduced by the ordering of items in the Information Booklet. Ultimately, the 

success of the method relies on the thoroughness of respondents in reviewing the item lists. 

Use of a Column Format. The Information Booklet for the global questions was first 

designed with the subcategory labels listed on the left hand side and three columns of items to 

the right (see Figure 3) . The goal of this design (Design A) was to allow respondents to review 

the subcategory labels quickly, and refer only to the items that are relevant. 

Figure 3. Horizontal layout for global question cues in Information Booklet (Design A)

4. LUGGAGE, CASES, AND STORAGE such as: 

 

 TRAVEL ITEMS -- suitcases luggage carriers toiletry bags 

 

 DAILY USE -- attaché cases lunch boxes fanny pack 

 STORAGE -- closet organizers clothes hangers under-the-bed boxes 

 garment bags tie racks 

Cognitive interviews were conducted with 9 participants who were asked to “trace” their 

scanning eye movements as they were reviewing the lists. They were also asked to describe how 

they were reviewing the lists. Finally they were asked about their impressions of the formatting. 

The following observations were made: 

• 6 of 9 participants were observed and reported scanning haphazardly through the lists, or by 

cutting across subcategories of item downwards through the columns; 

• 5 of 9 participants said they ignored or paid little attention to the middle level categories; and 

• 9 of 9 participants reported that the lists looked cluttered and disorganized. 
Global Questions Research: BLS Conference Presentation Report 21

 One problem with the design that clearly contributes to these observations is that the 

spacing between the items in different subcategories was not sufficient to encourage respondents 

to review each subcategory before moving to the next. Another problem is that the subcategory 

headers are out of the main path that is followed by respondents who are reviewing the items. 

In response to these findings and based in part on the ideas provided by two research 

participants, two new designs for the Information Booklet were created and tested with the 

following group of cognitive interview participants. One design (Design B) was an attempt at 

improving the previous design by adding alternating shading to separate the subcategory groups 

of items. Uppercase words were also changed to lowercase. This design is show in Figure 4. 

Figure 4. Revised layout for Information Booklet cues (Design B) 

4. Luggage, cases, and storage (examples) 

 

Travel suitcases luggage carriers toiletry bags 

 

Daily use attaché cases lunch boxes fanny pack 

Storage closet organizers clothes hangers under-the-bed boxes 

tie racks garment bags 

The second design was created with the idea of placing the items from each subcategory 

into a column, and putting the subcategory label at the top of the column where it would be seen 

as respondents reviewed the item lists (see Figure 5). 

 

Figure 5. New design layout for Information Booklet cues (Design C).

4. Luggage, cases, or storage (examples)

 

Travel 

suitcases 

luggage carriers 

toiletry bags 

Daily use 

attaché cases 

lunch boxes 

fanny packs 

Storage 

closet organizers 

garment bags 

clothes hangers 

tie racks 

under-the-bed boxes 
Global Questions Research: BLS Conference Presentation Report 22

In 15 cognitive interviews, participants were asked to compare the three designs and 

chose between them. The procedure varied slightly. Five participants used the first design to 

answer the global question about clothing, and then were asked which of the two designs they 

preferred. Another five participants used the second design to answer a global question about 

clothing, and then were asked for their design preference. The remaining five participants were 

asked for their preference before they . The results were overwhelming: only two participants 

indicated that they preferred Design B over Design C and A. One of two participants who 

preferred Design B made the excellent point that reading left to right is more natural than reading 

down a column. The other preferred Design B because of the ability to quickly scan the 

subcategory headers. 

Overall, however, participants reported that Design C looked significantly less 

disorganized. In addition, participants indicated that the lists in Design C were much easy to 

review and that the subcategory headers were easier to see and more useful in Design C. This 

formatting was used in 18 cognitive interviews and in all interviews, participants were observed 

to scan the lists in an orderly manner one subcategory column at a time. To the researcher, there 

appeared to be a significantly reduced risk of missing items. 

The Information Booklet material for the global questions were reformatted according to 

this Design C, and it was determined that very little additional space was required for this design 

over the original Design A even with the addition of considerable numbers of items, and that 

considerably less space was required in comparison to Design B with the same number of items 

listed. 

6. DOMAIN OF THE GLOBAL QUESTIONS 

The development of global questions for the CEIS has thus far included Sections 6, 8, 9 

and 12. Expenditures collected in these sections include apparel, furniture, household 

equipment, recreational equipment, and vehicle operating expenses. The selection of these 

sections was motivated in part because the collection of this data in detail is time consuming and 

tedious in the current CEIS. Moreover, many of the common household items in these sections 

are readily organized into superordinate categories, making these sections especially suitable for 
Global Questions Research: BLS Conference Presentation Report 23

the development of global questions. Numerous related items collected in other CEIS sections 

were also included in the global questions when appropriate and feasible 

6.1 Types of Expenses Collected 

 The global questions are designed to collect the total expenses for a CU over a three 

month reference period for various mid- to large-size categories of products and services. In 

some cases smaller supplies are also included. Other than total expense, there are no attributes 

collected for the expenditures. Thus, the data collected in the global questions cannot be used for 

estimation in either the CE or CPI, but will contribute to meeting the needs of data users who are 

interested in total expenses for a CU. Total expenses for a CU does not include business 

expenses. Total expenses for these categories does include: 

• expenses for the purchase and rental of products, or for the purchase of services; 

• expenses for members of the CU or as gifts for persons outside of the CU; 

• sales tax; 

• delivery and installation charges. 

The decision to have respondents include sales task was made based on an examination 

of data from the current CEIS on whether or not people tend to include sales tax in their reports 

when given the choice whether or not to include the tax. Table 1 provides a breakdown 

percentages of reports in the CE Interview Survey, Sections 6, 8 (Part A only), and 9 with respect 

to the inclusion of sales tax. For each estimate reported in these sections, respondents are asked 

whether or not sales tax was included. The counts provided in the table are for reports made in 

four collection quarters (CEIS numbers 931-934). The percentages indicate that there is a rough 

balance between those who include and those who exclude sales tax, although the percentages 

favor inclusion. The clothing section (Section 9, Parts A and B), is the only section where the 

number of reports including sales tax does not exceed reports excluding sales tax. This is very 

likely due to the fact that sales tax was not charged for clothing items in certain states and 

locales. 
Global Questions Research: BLS Conference Presentation Report 24

Table 1. The voluntary inclusion of sales tax in CEIS collection quarters 931-934.

Section/Part 

Percentage of 

reports that include 

sales tax 

Percentage of 

reports that do not 

include sales tax 

6A - Household Appliances 64 36 

6B - Small Household Appliances, Equipment 57 43 

8A – Furniture 54 46 

9A - Clothing for Non-infants 42 58 

9B - Clothing for Infants 45 55 

9C - Sewing Materials 51 49 

9D - Clothing Services 57 43 

It is therefore recommended that respondents should be asked to include sales tax in the 

global questions. It is important to recognize that in addition to the respondents who provide this 

information voluntarily, some respondents who might choose not to include sales tax are likely 

to be able to provide this information if it is specifically requested. 

6.2 Enhancements to the Expenditures Collected

 The original domain of the global questions included the items collected in Section 6, 8, 

and 9. Early research on the global questions suggested that that there were some limitations in 

the current CEIS questions in the collection of recreational items, furniture, and household 

equipment: 

• The collection of household equipment and furniture in CEIS Sections 6 & 8 may be limited 

by the lack of explicit mention of a number of categories. 

• Many popular items from existing categories in Sections 6, 8, and 9 are not found in the 

Information Booklet. 

• The collection of non-electric household equipment and equipment accessories in Sections 6 

and 8 is inconsistent, varying by category. 

• The collection of supplies and replacement parts in Section 6 and 8 may be inconsistent. 

 The strongest evidence of these gaps in the CEIS collection is the existence of Diary-only 

UCCs containing items that are closely related to the items collected in Sections 6 and 8. Data 

mapped to these UCCs is not expected to be captured in the CEIS. The following is a list of 

these Diary-only UCCs: 
Global Questions Research: BLS Conference Presentation Report 25

Table 2. Diary only UCCs as evidence for gaps in the CEIS data collection. 

UCC Description Examples 

300900 Misc. Household Appliances trash compactor, icemaker, battery charger, 

 shower massager, steam cleaner, air purifier 

320140 Laundry and Cleaning Equipment clothes pins, brooms, ironing board & cover, 

 food brush, toilet brush & stand, laundry bag

320380 Tableware/Non-electric trivets, napkin holders, plastic table cloth, 

 Kitchenware gift tins, kitchen scissors, spatula, dishpan, 

 cookie jar, cutting board, ice cube trays, 

 steak knives, roll basket, mugs 

320430 Other Hardware ladders, rope, shelves, sheds, curtain rods 

320610 Misc. Supplies and Equipment nails, mailbox, metal cabinet, carpet knife, 

 drill bits, work bench, tool chest, padlocks, 

 hooks, keys, caulk, utility gloves 

320905 Misc. Household Equip./Parts appliance parts, electronic parts, lawn 

 mower blades, filters, sewing machine parts 

330510 Misc. Household Products disposable plastic & paper dinnerware, 

 staples, pool supplies, pool parts, rug 

 shampoo, plastic tarps, batteries 

330610 Lawn and Garden Supplies flower bulbs, plant foot, mulch 

660000 School Supplies book bags, ruler, globe, note books, 

 compass, atlas, school equipment. 

620913 Pinball, electronic video games arcade games, arcade tokens, pinball 

As a result of this investigation, an attempt was made to design the global categories and 

Information Booklet cues to more carefully encompass the intended domain of Sections 6, 8, & 

9. In many cases this was a simple matter of making items to-be-reported for explicitly to 

respondents by including them in the Information Booklet. In other cases it required the addition 

of entire new subcategories of items. Most of the items from the related Diary-only UCCs were 

incorporated in the global questions domain. Other items such as Souvenirs (610902), and 

Fireworks (610901) for example, are not currently covered in the interview survey, but have less 

of a conceptual relationship to the global questions developed thus far for the CEIS. 
Global Questions Research: BLS Conference Presentation Report 26

6.3 Expansion To Other Interview Sections

 The development of the global questions provided an opportunity to streamline the 

interview by including highly related items from sections of the interview other than those 

primarily targeted for conversion to global questions. An additional benefit of expanding the 

domain is a reduction in the risks of redundancy in the interview, which can lead to duplicate 

reporting. Obviously the inclusion of these items in the global question domain requires that 

detail be collected elsewhere for the purposes of the CE and CPI. Originally, these expansion of 

the global questions beyond Sections 6, 8 and 9 was possible because a corresponding expansion 

was planned for the BLS’s second diary instrument due to the relatedness of the items. 

In addition to the closely related items, a small set of other items were moved from 

Section 19 into the global questions because it made little sense to leave one or two product 

categories in Section 19 when all other items in the section are services. Finally, two items were 

moved from Section 20 Part B to the global questions. These items collect total expenses in the 

three month reference period for coin-operated laundry and for dry cleaning. The form of these 

questions matches that of the global questions and the items fit well with other clothing services 

such as clothing storage, clothing alteration and repair, and watch and jewelry repair and 

cleaning. 

Table 3. Items from non-targeted sections that were incorporated into the global questions 

Item Current Section

310341 CDs, tapes, & videos from mail-order clubs 17A 

310342 Records, CDs, tapes, & needles 17B 

610210 Photographic film 17B 

310220 Video cassettes, tapes, & discs 17B 

620912 Rental videos, tapes, etc. 17B 

620330 Film processing 17B 

620410 Pet services 19 

320903 Fresh flowers and potted plants 19 

310230 Video game hardware and software 19 

610110 Toys, games, tricycles, hobbies 19 

610320 Pet purchase, supplies, medicine 19 

340520 Laundry and dry cleaning --hh textiles 20B 

340530 Coin-operated laundry -- hh textiles 20B 

440120 Coin-operated laundry --clothing 20B 

440210 Dry cleaners or laundry -- clothing 20B
Global Questions Research: BLS Conference Presentation Report 27

There are a number of service items that have not been incorporated into the global 

questions. Several items are closely related with global categories. For example, several 

cognitive interview participants reported or asked about reporting “fees for participant sports” in 

“Sports and Exercise Equipment.” This is less likely to occur in an actual CEIS interview since 

Section 17 would appear prior to the global questions. 

Table 3. Related items from non-targeted sections not included in the global questions. 

Item Current Section 

 Cable TV service 4 

 Telephone service 4 

 Household equipment repairs 7 (entire section) 

 Automobile or other vehicle insurance 13 

620310 Fees for recreation lessons 16A 

620221 Admissions to sports events 17A,B 

620211 Movie, theater, opera, ballet 17A,B 

620121 Fees for participant sports 17A,B 

 Home security service 19 

 Computer information services 19 

800803 Gambling 19 

 Public phone service 20 

 Taxi and limousine fares 20 

 Mass transportation fares 20

6.4 Location of the Global Questions in the CEIS

 It is recommended that the global questions be located at or near the end of the interview. 

Placing the global questions toward the end of the survey will help to ensure that items collected 

in other sections are not reported in response to the global questions. It may also help to increase 

the quality of data collected from other sections because these sections will be asked earlier in 

the interview. Finally, it would seem appropriate to located the global questions near Section 20 

(and 17) which already contain some total expense questions. It appears appropriate to create a 

new section between Section 20 and 21. 
Global Questions Research: BLS Conference Presentation Report 28

6.5 Implications For Other Interview Sections 

The recommendation to locate the global questions toward the end of the interview 

survey means that questions in Section 7 about repairs and service contracts for household 

equipment are asked without the benefit of first going through the purchase of household 

equipment in Section 6. The Information Booklet pages for Section 7 should be enhanced to 

provide additional cues so that Section 7 may stand alone. The changes necessary to address 

possible problems are not expected to be substantial. 

In addition, the decision to ask about expenditures for items from sections other than 6, 8 

& 9 means that certain changes need to be made to these other sections. That is, a number of 

questions that need to be removed from sections 17, 19, and 20 because these questions have 

been incorporated into the global questions. If the globals are implemented as proposed, Section 

19 will collect expenses for services only. Therefore, Section 19 might be changed from 

“Miscellaneous Expenses” to “Miscellaneous Services”. It seems reasonable to conduct research 

into expanding and developing this section by considering additional services that can be 

collected. 

7. Future Research

The primary reason for developing the global questions was to relieve some of the burden 

of the CEIS. There are a number of different ways in which time savings are achieved through 

the use of the global questions as compared with the current interview questions. First, there are 

more than 50% fewer global questions than there are expenditure questions for Sections 6, 8 & 9. 

Second, none of the detailed questions currently asked in the CEIS are asked. This provides 

great savings in that these attribute questions are asked for every itemized expense in the current 

procedure. Third, itemization of expenditures is not required, and so even simple descriptions of 

the expenses and their individual costs do not need to be recorded. 

The development of the global question methodology and associated materials has 

reached a stage where quantitative field test comparison with the current methodology can be 

conducted. Statistical data derived from the expenditure reports might be examined, such as the 

total amount of reported expenditures. Alternatively, some form of validity data might be 
Global Questions Research: BLS Conference Presentation Report 29

obtained. In addition, the difference in time to complete the interview could be assessed. 

However, an investigation of the time savings attributable to the global questions needs to take 

into consideration the expansion of the global questions beyond the items currently collected in 

Sections 6, 8, 9 and 12. Moreover, if the global questions do pose less of a burden for 

respondents, data quality in other parts of the interview may be enhanced and this should be 

assessed as well. 

One difficulty in conducting a quantitative field test is that changes in the methodology 

have been confounded with enhancements to the expenditure domain and Information Booklet 

cues. Such a test this would not provide specific assessments of the difference due to the global 

questions themselves or the developmental work to expand and enhance the collection of 

expenditures. This holds for the timing data as well. Reviewing the more extensive Information 

Booklet may lengthen the interview. In addition, a more extensive set of cues may lead to higher 

reporting and a lengthening of the interview. Clearly any timing test would need to consider the 

total expenditure estimates reported by respondents. 

One may question whether a quantitative field study is necessary. Mock interviews 

demonstrated that the procedures can be managed well by FRs. There is little reason to believe 

that data from the global questions will be any less valid than data from the current CEIS 

questions based on observations from the numerous laboratory-based interviews that have been 

conducted. While quantitative data is not available from these interviews, there were no obvious 

limitations in respondent performance that would not also be expected in the context of the 

methodology currently employed in the CEIS. In the interviews conducted for the present 

research, participants answering global questions provided complete and accurate reports of their 

total expenditures. 
Global Questions Research: BLS Conference Presentation Report 30

8. REFERENCES

Barsalou, L. W. (1988). The content and organization of autobiographical memories. In. U. 

Neisser & E. Winograd (Eds.), Remembering reconsidered: Ecological and traditional 

approaches to the study of memory. Cambridge University Press: Cambridge, England. 

Blair, E., & Burton, S. (1987). Cognitive processes used by survey respondents to answer 

behavioral frequency questions. Journal of Consumer Research, 14, 280-288. 

Brewer, Dull, and Jobe (1989). Social cognition approach to reporting chronic conditions in 

health surveys. Vital and Health Statistics. U.S. Department of Health and Human 

Services. 

Conway, M. A., & Berkerian, D. A. (1987). Organization in autobiographical memory. Memory 

& Cognition, 15, 119-132. 

Felcher, E. M., & Calder, B. J. (1991). A psychological theory of survey responses, the case of 

behavioral frequency questions. Unpublished manuscript. 

Felcher, E. M., & Calder, B. J. (1992, May). The relationship between respondent memory 

structure and retrieval strategies: A protocol analysis of behavioral frequency data. Paper 

presented at that annual meeting of the American Association for Public Opinion 

Research, St. Petersburg, FL. 

Lessler, J. T. (1989, January). Recall strategies for questions from the Consumer Expenditure 

Interview Survey. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Association for 

the Advancement of Science. 

Nickerson, R. S. (1984). Retrieval inhibition from part-set cueing: A persisting enigma of 

memory research. Memory & Cognition, 12, 531-552. 

Poulton E. C. (1967). Searching for newspaper headlines printed in capitals or lower-case letters. 

Journal of Applied Psychology; 51, 417-425. 

Poulton E. C. (1968). Rate of comprehension of existing teleprinter output of possible 

alternatives. Journal of Applied Psychology, 52, 16-21. 

Reiser, B. J., Black, J. B., & Abelson, R. P. (1985). Knowledge structures in the organization and 

retrieval of autobiographical memories. Cognitive Psychology, 17, 89-137. 

Robinson, J. A. (1976). Sampling autobiographical memory. Cognitive Psychology, 8, 578-595. 

Roediger, H. L., & Neely, J. H. (1982). Retreival blocks in episodic and semantic memory. 

Canadian Journal of Psychology, 36, 213-242. 

Rosch, E. (1978). Principles of categorization. In E. Rosch & B. B. Lloyd (Eds.), Cognition and 

Categorization. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum. 

Rosch, E. Mervis, C. B. Gray, W. D., Johnson, D. M., & Boyes-Braem, P. (1976). Basic objects 

in natural categories. Cognitive Psychology, 8, 382-439. 

Tinker M. A. (1965) Bases for Effective Reading. Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota 

Press. 
Global Questions Research: BLS Conference Presentation Report 31

9. APPENDIX 

Below is a listing of the global question categories for Sections 6, 8, 9 and 12. 

Apparel, Household Equipment, Furniture, & Recreational Items

(NOTE: These categories are currently under development) 

Clothing or Footwear 

Jewelry or Other Personal Accessories 

Cleaning, Alteration or Repair of Clothing and Accessories 

Luggage, Cases, or Storage 

Tools or Hardware Supplies 

Lawn and Garden Equipment and Supplies 

Outdoor Furniture, Equipment or Decorative Items 

Cooking, Serving or Dining Wares 

Kitchen Appliances 

Housekeeping Appliances and Equipment 

Heating, Cooling or Humidity Control Equipment 

Safety or Security Equipment 

Infant Furniture and Equipment 

Furniture 

Home Furnishings 

Bed and Bath Linens and Accessories 

Personal Care Appliances 

TV, Video, or Photography Equipment and Supplies 

Audio Equipment and Supplies 

Computer Equipment and Supplies for non-business use 

Telephone or Office Equipment and Supplies for non-business use 

Sports and Exercise Equipment 

Camping, Hunting or Fishing Equipment 

Pets or Pet Equipment and Supplies 

Games, Toys or Play Equipment 

Equipment and Supplies for Sewing, Arts, Crafts or Hobbies 
Global Questions Research: BLS Conference Presentation Report 32

Vehicle Operating Expenses 

(NOTE: These categories are currently under development) 

Mandatory Fees for Vehicles 

Vehicle Parking and Tolls 

Vehicle Fuels 

Vehicle Cleaning 

Vehicle Maintenance, Repairs and Parts 

Vehicle Tools, Safety or Security Equipment 

Vehicle Accessories and Customizing 

Driver and Passenger Accessories 

Vehicle Furnishings