Interviews Flashcards
(2 cards)
What are the disadvantages?
INTERVIEWER EFFECTS - may unconsciously bias answers eg a woman may be less likely to talk about sex to a male participant. Interviews are also subject to demand characteristics and social desirability bias.
INTERVIEW TRAINING - it is hard to find interviewers who have been trained with the high level of skill required for unstructured interviews, especially for sensitive subjects.
ETHICAL ISSUES - participants may not know the true purpose of the interview and there is a danger that they will reveal more than they want.
PARTICIPANT ANSWERS - not suited to participants who find it hard putting their feelings or opinions into words.
What are the advantages?
COMPLEX ISSUES - these can be dealt with in face to face interviews by making participants feel relaxed and able to talk.
EASE MISUNDERSTANDING - misunderstood questions can be explained and individual questions can be adapted.
DATA ANALYSIS - semi structured interviews produce quantitative and qualitative data.
REPLICATION - structured interviews can be easily replicated. Unstructured interviews can also be reviewed by other researchers.
