Table 2.

Aspects of qualitative analysis and consequences for questionnaire development

Aspects of criticism	Illustrative examples	Implications for development process
Aspect 1: commentary on the preferred wording of the anchors of the Likert scales.	“The anchors don’t match the question, seems like they are asking for two different things in one question.” (ID: 1002) Commentary about item 2b: How much improvement in your condition do you expect? Anchors: 0 (no change)/10 (largest possible improvement).	Changing the anchors to every item.
		Using the same specific phrasing for the low and the high anchor.
Aspect 2: comparison of analogue phrasings for key constructs to hope/to expect/to fear with phrasings like to think or to wish.	“To wish for something isn’t reality, you can wish for inaccessible things, to hope for something is more realistic.” (ID: 1004)	Only using ‘to hope’, ‘to expect’ and ‘to fear’ in every item.
		Deleting all analogical phrases.
Aspect 3: evaluation of the theoretical differentiation between probabilistic and value-based expectation.	“To expect and to hope are different from each other. You can hope for a lot more than expect. To expect is more realistic.” (ID: 1009)	Retaining the differentiation between hope and expect.
Aspect 4: comparison of two different versions of exemplary items: change question or statement formulation.	“The phrasing of 24a triggers burdens when you’re at the beginning of the treatment, 24b doesn’t trigger burdens.” (ID: 1005) Commentary about item (24a) vs (24b): (24a) I expect to be burdened by the treatment. (24b) How much burden do you expect your treatment will cause?	Inconclusive preferences among the interviewees.
		Choosing change question format for better acceptability and comprehensibility in some items.
Item-level criticism: commentary on the content or wording of specific items.	“Item sounds like it is just for psychotherapy.” (ID: 1007) Commentary about item 15: I expect to take part more actively in social life due to treatment.	Rewording of items.
		Deletion of items.
		Consideration in the discussion about the final item selection.