Question

c. One problem with the pet-related questions is the reliance on memory. That is, parents may not actually remember when they got their pets. How might you check the parents' memories about these pets?

Short answer

Verification of parents' memories about their pets can be achieved by asking for relevant documents like adoption certificates or vet records, designing a verifying questionnaire and corroborating the information with third party sources like pet agencies or breeders where possible.

Step-by-step solution

Identify Methods to Corroborate Memories

Identify different ways to confirm the accuracy of parents' memories. These could include asking for proofs or documents such as adoption certificates, purchase receipts, veterinary records, or even photographs with date tags.

Implement Verifying Questionnaire

Create supplemental questions or elements in the questionnaire that can help corroborate the parents' memories. This could include questions about specific events or milestones, changes in the pet's behaviour over time, or significant family events that occurred around the time the pet was acquired.

Contact Third Party Sources

Wherever available and possible, verify the facts given by parents from third party sources such as pet adoption agencies, breeders or family vet. They should have records about when the pet was acquired and can thus validate the parents' account.