Table 1.

Conceptual model of the cognitive processing steps undertaken by respondents to answer an AD versus IS question

Question Characteristics					Cognitive Processing Steps
		Response dimension
Response format	Question wording	Offered	Underlying	Threshold word	Comprehension	Identification	Generation	Threshold evaluation	Polarity evaluation	Mapping
AD	Medical researchers work extremely hard to make sure they keep information from participants private and secure. Do you strongly agree, agree, neither agree nor disagree, disagree, or strongly disagree?	intensity of agreement	intensity of working hard (i.e., “how hard medical researchers work”)	extremely (hard)	comprehend literal meaning of statement and pragmatic goal of the task	indirectly determine underlying response dimension, which is reinforced by the threshold value (“extremely hard”)	generate internal value (“pretty hard”)	evaluate distance between internal value (“pretty hard”) and threshold value (“extremely hard”)	evaluate whether distance between internal value and threshold value indicates “agreement” “disagreement,” or “neutrality”	map internal value onto the offered response dimension using one of the discrete categories offered in the “agreement” or “disagreement” range or select midpoint; e.g., select “agree” because “pretty hard” is close in value to “extremely hard” or “disagree” because “pretty hard” is less than “extremely hard”
IS	How hard do medical researchers work to make sure they keep information from participants private and secure: not at all hard, a little hard, somewhat hard, very hard, or extremely hard?	intensity of working hard (i.e., “how hard medical researchers work”)	same as offered response dimension	not applicable	comprehend literal meaning of question and pragmatic goal of the task	directly determine underlying response dimension based on manner of questioning and response categories	generate internal value (“pretty hard”)	not applicable	not applicable	map internal value onto one of the discrete categories; e.g., select “somewhat hard” or “very hard” because “pretty” lies between “somewhat” and “very”

Note: The “threshold evaluation” step is conditional upon the AD statement containing a threshold word.