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A comparison of open-ended and closed questions in the prediction of mental health

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  • Oddgeir Friborg
  • Jan Rosenvinge

Abstract

The statistical benefit of adding open-ended questions to closed questions was evaluated in a survey of 643 participants. The construct of coping was chosen as the measurement domain. Open and closed questions were used to predict mental health a year later. Verbatim responses to open questions were reliably coded (ICC = 0.92), but they did not increase the statistical prediction of measures of mental health beyond the contribution of closed questions. Open-ended questions provided more in-depth information than closed questions, but at the cost of more missing data and less degrees of freedom. The benefit of using open-ended in addition to standard closed questions was thus practically nil, hence questioning the use of qualitative information gathering in surveys for the purpose of statistical prediction. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2013

Suggested Citation

  • Oddgeir Friborg & Jan Rosenvinge, 2013. "A comparison of open-ended and closed questions in the prediction of mental health," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 47(3), pages 1397-1411, April.
  • Handle: RePEc:spr:qualqt:v:47:y:2013:i:3:p:1397-1411
    DOI: 10.1007/s11135-011-9597-8
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Folkman, Susan & Lazarus, Richard S., 1988. "The relationship between coping and emotion: Implications for theory and research," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 26(3), pages 309-317, January.
    2. Antonovsky, Aaron, 1993. "The structure and properties of the sense of coherence scale," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 36(6), pages 725-733, March.
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    Cited by:

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    2. Leylawati Joremi & Ruhaini Muda & Wan Zuraida Wan Mohd Zain & Nor Azlin Rosli, 2023. "The Challenges of Asnaf Entrepreneurs in Forming Entrepreneurial Resilience," Information Management and Business Review, AMH International, vol. 15(3), pages 242-252.

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