Week 3 MI Continued Flashcards
What are the interview types?
1) A fully-structured interview - all questions are delivered to each respondent consistently, regardless of their responses.
2) A semi-structured interview - there are some set questions that are delivered to all respondents. However, other questions vary depending on earlier responses.
3) An un-structured interview - an exploratory interview with few or no set questions. The interviewer has the complex task of trying to work through multiple issues, which can result in bias if they assume that one issue is more important (or easier to talk about, or piques their own curiosity), and fails to discuss the other issues.
Clarifying the objectives of the interview
What is it you want to know and why?
What is the information being used for?
What direction do you want to take?
Specifying the information needed to achieve those objectives
Will different responses affect the direction taken?
Is it important, or are you just curious?
Have you made any assumptions?
Formulate concrete questions designed to obtain the information
Serves as a guide to stay on track
Open-ended or closed?
What are the 3 Interview stages
Opening - Introductions, credentials, start will small talk to build rapport then into the more difficult questions.
Main Body - Main themes and exploring responses, move to more specific questions, again easiest to hardest questions.
Closing - Wind down, recap, thank the individual
Open-ended or Close-ended questions?
Open-ended questions
- are useful when the interview is exploratory
- is motivational by allowing free association, allows interviewer to be a sympathetic listener
- The disadvantage is that the interviewer will receive irrelevant information and may miss some details
Close-ended questions
- Use when objectives of the interview are known
- Useful for reluctant respondents
- Usually proceeded by open questions to provide context
Recommendations
- Start broad with open-ended questions
- Then move to more specific close-ended questions when necessary
- A combination of both is required to get the bigger picture and clarification of important details
Probing Questions
Follows up a previous question/s used to:
- Clarify or search for reasons behind previous answers
- Search for inconsistencies
- Help the respondent deal with a topic that has been difficult to speak about
- Revisit responses from earlier in the interview
Motivating Questions
There are factors than can influence a respondent’s motivation to respond. Threatening their ego with decrease their motivation, whilst making them feel better or good or recognising the importance of their response will increase motivation. It is important to choose words that do not prejudice or imply anything unintended.
Minimising Ego-Threat
- Contextual prefacing can reduce threat –by indicating you are aware of the issue
- E.g., “We are trying to understand the way in which an individual ends up in a certain course at university. A student may find themselves in a course that was not their first choice, because of things like grades, influence of family and friends, or financial considerations. So let me start by asking….How did you end up studying law?”
Maximising Recognition
- One way to motivate a response is to demonstrate you recognise the respondent’s view as unique.
- E.g., “There are many studies looking at how university students end up in a particular course. However, these studies do not adequately ask the student their perspective. As a first year student, who has just been through the process, I’m sure you can give an accurate analysis, and I would therefore like to hear your view”
Loaded Questions
Loaded questions are phrased in a way that evoke a different response from what was intended (Framing)
Biased Questions
These questions elicit a skewed answer. Should be avoided as they can affect the structure of the interview, as they may lead to a biased or hostile response. It is the interviewer’s responsibility to avoid bias.
Examples:
· “You don’t…, do you?”
· “You don’t support gay marriage…., do you?”
· “You know smoking causes cancer, don’t you?”
These questions suggest there is a ‘correct’ response, which most people would endorse.
Communication style
In the case of an interview, which often is between strangers, there can be a mismatch between the communication style of the interviewer and the respondent. The communication style needs to be considered so that clear understanding occurs between both parties. The interviewer often needs to adjust the complexity of their language, their vocabulary, and their use of jargon, to build rapport and trust.
Language Complexity
If you are interviewing a layperson, it is better to use a simple level of language, and avoid technical jargon and confusion (e.g., ‘Commanding officer’, instead of CO). Conversely, in a specialised population, it is better to use their terminology to gain rapport and show understanding (mirroring).
Methods of building rapport
Commonality - The technique of deliberately finding something in common with a person or a customer in order to build a sense of camaraderie and trust. This is done through shared interests, dislikes, and situations (i.e., small talk).
Emotional Mirroring - Empathizing with someone’s emotional state by being on ‘their side’. It involves listening for key words, and then using similar valence words to show you understand what they have said. Both too little and too much emotional expression by the interviewer results in less disclosure by the respondent
Posture Mirroring - Matching the tone of a person’s body language through mirroring the general message of their posture and energy. (do NOT use direct imitation, as this can appear as mockery)
Tone and Tempo Mirroring - Matching the tone, tempo, inflection, and volume of a person’s voice.
Non-judgemental attitude – the respondent will not open up if they feel as they are being judged
Inviting behaviour - If anxious, make them feel invited by inviting gestures/body language. If they are intrusive into your personal space, you can use more control e.g., “why don’t you sit over there? That way we can talk more comfortably?”
