Respondents ’ Understandings of Confidentiality in a Changing Privacy Environment 1

The aim of this paper is to discuss recent findings about respondents ’ views of confidentiality, and to examine continuity and change in these ideas since research that we did in the year 2000. 2 The focus of this research was a cognitive assessment of confidentiality language in cover letters, designed for use with the decennial mail out-mail back package. The aim of the language tested in these letters was two-fold: 1. To reassure respondents about the confidentiality of their answers, and therefore to motivate them to respond; and 2. To include information which provides respondents with a more complete understandin