Using participants' responses to a multiple response question in later questions

I would like to pose a multiple response question, in which the participant selects 4 of the 8 possible answers, and then include these 4 choices in subsequent questions. For example, if their 4 choices from the single multiple response question could be labeled 1 - 4, then later questions would ask, "How many <1> are also <2>?" or "How many <2> are also <1>?" I understand how this works if the initial question has only 1 possible answer choice, but I am unsure how to differentiate the answer choices if the initial question has multiple responses.

A tricky situation! Are you familiar with using a responses.xls file as described in the chapter on Advanced Features in the user's guide? If not, take a look at that and at the samples/tutorial provided. If your multiple response question were named, say, "mult1" then you could track the values of all 8 options by including mult1_01, mult1_02, ..., mult1_08 as variables in your responses.xls file. The trick then will be to create four new variables (e.g., resp1, resp2, resp3, resp4) in the xls file that correspond to the options that were chosen. This will take a little bit of Excel's built in conditional logic to pull off. I can help you with it if you get stuck. Then you can simply insert <resp1>, <resp2> and so on into your MediaLab question wording on subsequent items. Hope that made some sense!

Thank you for your input! I am familiar with creating a responses.xls file, as discussed in the Advanced Features chapter of the user's guide, and your instructions make perfect sense. However, I'm having trouble with creating the 4 new variables to correspond with the answers chosen, as you suggested (resp1, resp2, resp3, resp4). I understand the concept of using logic in excel, but I'm really stuck on exactly how to use it in this situation, so that the new variables correspond with the participant's 4 answer choices. Could you please explain how to do this? Thank you again for you help!

Can you attach a short sample questionnaire and your responses.xls file (whatever you have so far) and I'll be happy to take a look at it.

I've attached the files you requested, although the 'responses' file isn't functioning yet. I think the previous posts on this forum explain my dilemma pretty well, but please let me know if you need further clarification. Basically, in the questionnaire file you'll notice that question "sic8" asks the participant to choose 4 of the 8 possible answers. I want to include these 4 selected choices in a subsequent series of 12 questions. They will read:

1. How many <1> are also <2>?
2. How many <2> are also <1>?

And so on until every possible combination of the 4 choices are used.

Thank you very much!