James Pann interviews Melanie Hwalek, Ph.D., a program evaluation consultant, to discuss the retrospective pretest (RPT) design, focusing on its practical applications and the findings from her recent research detailed in the paper, “Designing a Questionnaire with Retrospective PrePost Items: Format Matters.” RPT is particularly useful for evaluating changes in participants’ perceptions or self-assessments following interventions such as workshops or training sessions. It can be used to address common survey research challenges encountered by program evaluation consultants and researchers.
Historical Background and Evolution of RPT
Melanie traces the origins of RPT back to 1947, when it was first used to evaluate training impacts on soldiers’ attitudes. She highlights the significant milestones in RPT’s development, including its discussion in Campbell and Stanley’s seminal 1963 book on quasi-experimental designs, which solidified its methodological relevance.
Advantages of Retrospective Pretest Surveys
Practicality: Melanie emphasizes RPT’s practicality, particularly where pretesting is unfeasible or participants are unaware of their intervention until it happens. This method consolidates data collection at a single point, thereby simplifying logistical challenges and reducing potential biases associated with traditional pre/post-testing methods.
Reduction of Response Shift Bias: A significant advantage of RPT is its ability to mitigate response shift bias. This occurs when participants’ understanding of the measured concept changes due to the intervention. For example, participants might realize they knew less than they initially thought after a training session. RPT asks participants to reassess their prior state of knowledge or attitudes postintervention, leading to potentially more accurate change measurements. This can prevent misleading outcomes like the boomerang effect, where participants report decreased knowledge or skills postintervention—not because the intervention failed, but because their enhanced understanding reveals a previous overestimation of their capabilities.
Disadvantages and Limitations
Despite its benefits, RPT has limitations, including reliance on autobiographical memory, which can be unreliable over long periods. It may also be unsuitable for children or certain interventions where defining a clear ‘before’ state is challenging.
Insights from Dr. Hwalek’s Study on Retrospective Pretest Layouts
Melanie’s recent study, as detailed in her paper, investigated the impact of different RPT questionnaire layouts on data quality. The study involved 1,941 caregivers participating in training workshops, comparing six layouts to see which minimized errors like inattentiveness and the boomerang effect.
Key Findings:

* Best Layout: Layout 1 was found to be the most effective. It placed questions in the center, with ‘before’ responses on the left and ‘now’ responses on the right. This layout significantly reduced inattentiveness and minimized the boomerang effect, indicating that it helped participants better understand and respond accurately to the survey.
* Implications for Evaluators: These findings underscore the need to carefully consider survey design in RPTs to enhance data reliability and validity.

Conclusion
The interview with Dr. Hwalek provides comprehensive insights into the retrospective pretest design, reinforcing its utility in evaluating the impact of interventions and assisting Back to Episodes