Computer-Assisted Personal Assessment (CAPA) Questionnaire

As a leader in the field of research data collection, we understand that some research respondents are particularly challenging to interview. Young children are a case in point. That is why Westat developed CAPA, the computer-assisted personal assessment. CAPA was designed as an instrument to be used with young children, but it can be modified to be used for any sampled population.

Audience

Prekindergarten children.

Objective

A key factor in the accuracy of survey research is the consistency with which survey questionnaires are administered. This includes both how questions are asked and how responses are recorded. An additional challenge when working with young children is to engage their interest in a neutral manner.

Solution

Westat project research team, computer programmers, survey designers, and Graphics staff collaborated to develop the CAPA technology.

• The use of a computer platform ensures that the assessment is always administered in the same way. This avoids mistakes, such as not reading the script verbatim or forgetting to give neutral feedback.
• The use of touchscreen technology permits children to enter their own responses, avoiding the problem of scores being entered incorrectly. Scores are recorded by the computer and stored in a data file.
• The use of headphones helps the child stay focused on the assessment. This allows the assessor to monitor the progress of the assessment, deal with nonstandard responses, and intervene only if needed.
• The questionnaire script is read by an experienced narrator, the voice of an animated character who guides the child through the assessment.
• Practice items in the questionnaire can be programmed with corrective feedback based on each child's response. Elaborate skip patterns, matrix sampling, and multiple languages can be programmed easily.

All of these features help ensure the highest quality of survey data collection. The CAPA instrument was first used by the Office of Head Start; however, it can be modified for use with other surveys of children or adults.

Westat also produced the marketing video, My Name Is Bear, that describes the CAPA instrument used for the Office of Head Start.