Self-report techniques Flashcards
Questionnaires
Are made up of a pre-set list of written questions (or items) to which a participant responds.
They can be used as part of an experiment to assess the DV
What is one strength of questionnaires?
Can be distributed to lots of people.
Gather large amounts of data quickly and researcher need not be present when completed.
Reduces the effort involved and makes questionnaires cost effective.
What is a second strength of questionnaires?
Straightforward to analyse.
Especially if closed, fixed choice questions are used.
Statistical data can easily be converted to graphs and used for comparison.
What is one limitation of questionnaires?
Response may not always be truthful.
Respondents tend to present themselves in a positive light.
Thus social desirability bias is possible.
What is a second limitation of questionnaires?
Response bias.
Respondents may favour a particular kind of response.
This means that all respondents tend to reply in a similar way.
Interviews
Face to face or online interaction between an interviewer and interviewee.
Structured interview
List of pre-determined questions asked in a fixed order.
What is a strength of structured interviews?
Easy to replicate.
Straightforward to replicate because of standardised format.
The format also reduces differences between interviews.
What is a limitation of structured interviews?
Interviewers cannot elaborate.
Interviewers cannot deviate from the topic or explain their questions.
This may limit the richness of data collected.
Unstructured interview
No set questions, there is a general topic to be discussed but the interaction is free-flowing and the interviewee is encouraged to elaborate.
What is a strength of unstructured interviews?
There is greater flexibility.
Unlike a structured interview, points can be followed up as they arise.
More likely to gain insight into interviewee’s worldview and collect unexpected information.
What is a limitation of unstructured interviews?
Increased risk of interviewer bias.
Closer dialogue between interviewer and interviewee.
Means more opportunity for unconscious cues.
Semi-structured interviews
List of questions that have been worked out in advance but interviewers ask further questions based on previous answers.
