Lesson 3 - Self-Report Techniques

Question 1

What are self-report techniques?

Answer 1

Participants give information about themselves with researcher interference. Possibly without them present.

Question 2

What is a structured interview?

Answer 2

All participants are asked the same questions in the same order

This provides qualitative data, as it can be expressed numerically.

Usually consists of closed questions (yes/no)

Question 3

Strengths of structured interviews

Answer 3

Can be standardised

Usually quite quick compared to unstructured interviews.

Easy to replicate to see if the results are reliable

Question 4

Weaknesses of structured interviews

Answer 4

There is a risk of interview effects. This can be unintentional and can be the result of the interviewer’s appearance, manner, or body language. This can make the results of the study invalid.

Not being able to elaborate may be frustrating for the participants.

Lacks qualitative and in depth data. They lack meaning and depth therefore the results might be invalid and not accurately be measuring the key variables. Does not take into account context.

Question 5

What is an unstructured interview?

Answer 5

An informal in-depth conversational exchange between the two. Questions are not planned. Might consist of themes that the interviewer wants to discuss.

Provided qualitative data, non numerical, uses words to give a description. Usually gives opinions and context.

Question 6

Strengths of unstructured interviews

Answer 6

There is a risk of social desirability bias as people may lie to present themselves in a better light. This renders results invalid.

Interviewers need to be more trained in order to conduct an unstructured interview than a structured interview. Can be time consuming and expensive.

Question 7

What needs to be considered when writing a questionnaire?

Answer 7

1. The type of data you want to produce (quant/qual). This effects whether you ask open/closed questions
2. Avoid ambiguity (define terms explicitly like ‘frequently’ - how often is frequently?)
3. Avoid double barrelled questions (pps may want to answer differently to each part)
4. Avoid leading questions
5. Define any complex or topic-specific language. This avoids unnecessary complexity.

Question 8

Strengths of questionnaires

Answer 8

Easy, quick, relatively cheap compared to interviews.

Possible to have a large sample and collect large amounts of data when using a questionnaire rather than an interview.

Interviews require an interviewer, questionnaires typically do not.

Can be easily replicated so reliability can be established

Question 9

Weaknesses of questionnaires

Answer 9

Questions may be ambiguous and wording unclear. The researcher is not there to explain any terms, so this can lead to invalid data

Many questionnaires might end up unanswered because it is up to the participants discretion.