Answer :
Final answer:
The questionnaire item is a closed-ended question with an "other" option, not a dichotomous question, because it provides more than two possible answer choices. The correct option is a.
Explanation:
"Did you file federal and state income tax reports last year?" with response set of yes, no, can't remember, other, is an example of a closed-ended question with an "other" option.
While dichotomous questions have only two possible answers, such as yes or no, the inclusion of "can't remember" and "other" in the options expands the possible responses beyond two categories, thus disqualifying it as purely dichotomous.
Despite having more than two options, this question remains closed-ended because the respondent is still provided with a limited set of clear response options from which to choose. Closed-ended questions are simpler to analyze than open-ended questions, which allow respondents to elaborate in their own words without predefined constraints. The correct option is a.
