Non-Experimental Methods: Interviews

Question 1

● What is an interview?

Answer 1

A method for asking questions face-to-face or remotely

Question 2

● What are the two main types of interviews?

Answer 2

Structured and unstructured

Question 3

● What is a structured interview?

Answer 3

An interview with pre-set questions

Question 4

● What is an unstructured interview?

Answer 4

An interview with flexible, open questions

Question 5

● What type of interview allows for deviation?

Answer 5

Unstructured interview

Question 6

● What type of interview uses standardised questions?

Answer 6

Structured interview

Question 7

● What type of data do unstructured interviews produce?

Answer 7

Qualitative data

Question 8

● What type of data do structured interviews produce?

Answer 8

Quantitative data

Question 9

● What is a strength of structured interviews?

Answer 9

Easier to compare and analyse responses

Question 10

● What is a limitation of structured interviews?

Answer 10

Cannot explore new topics

Question 11

● What is a strength of unstructured interviews?

Answer 11

Provides rich, detailed data

Question 12

● What is a limitation of unstructured interviews?

Answer 12

Hard to replicate and analyse

Question 13

● What is meant by interviewer effects?

Answer 13

When the interviewer influences participant responses

Question 14

● What is one way to reduce interviewer effects?

Answer 14

Train the interviewer to be neutral

Question 15

● Why is appearance of interviewer important?

Answer 15

It may affect how participants respond

Question 16

● What is a pilot study in interviews used for?

Answer 16

To identify problems with wording or structure

Question 17

● What does a standardised script do?

Answer 17

Ensures consistency in how questions are asked

Question 18

● What can be used to record interviews?

Answer 18

Notes or audio/video recording

Question 19

● What does inter-rater reliability mean in interviews?

Answer 19

Agreement between two independent interviewers

Question 20

● What should be avoided to improve validity?

Answer 20

Leading questions

Question 21

▲ Why use structured interviews in large samples?

Answer 21

Allows comparison and quicker analysis

Question 22

▲ Why might unstructured interviews provide more insight?

Answer 22

They follow up on interesting points

Question 23

▲ What is one risk of using interviews instead of questionnaires?

Answer 23

Interviewer effects may bias responses

Question 24

▲ Why use open questions in interviews?

Answer 24

To allow participants to express detailed views

Question 25

▲ How can interviews improve internal validity?

Answer 25

Allow clarification of unclear questions

Question 26

▲ What is one way to check reliability of interview results?

Answer 26

Use inter-rater reliability

Question 27

▲ Why should interviewers use a neutral tone?

Answer 27

To avoid influencing responses

Question 28

▲ Why might participants respond differently in a face-to-face interview?

Answer 28

Presence of interviewer may lead to social desirability

Question 29

▲ How can structured interviews be made more reliable?

Answer 29

Use same set of standardised questions

Question 30

▲ What is a weakness of interviews compared to questionnaires?

Answer 30

They are time-consuming and costly

Question 31

▲ What type of interview is most prone to bias?

Answer 31

Unstructured interview

Question 32

▲ How does training improve interview validity?

Answer 32

Reduces variation in delivery and interpretation

Question 33

▲ Why are interviews good for sensitive topics?

Answer 33

They allow clarification and discussion in private

Question 34

▲ Why is it important to match interviewer and participant characteristics?

Answer 34

To reduce participant discomfort and bias

Question 35

▲ Why might recording an interview be beneficial?

Answer 35

Improves accuracy and prevents missing data

Question 36

✪ Why are unstructured interviews low in reliability?

Answer 36

Questions vary so responses can't be consistently compared

Question 37

✪ How do interviewer effects reduce internal validity?

Answer 37

Responses may be influenced by researcher's behaviour or appearance

Question 38

✪ Why might structured interviews increase external validity?

Answer 38

They are easier to replicate with other samples

Question 39

✪ Why do interviews have higher risk of social desirability bias?

Answer 39

Participants may try to please or impress the interviewer

Question 40

✪ Why is it harder to establish cause and effect in interviews?

Answer 40

Responses are subjective and not controlled

Question 41

✪ How does inter-rater reliability improve credibility of interviews?

Answer 41

Agreement between raters increases consistency of interpretation

Question 42

✪ How does standardisation reduce researcher bias in structured interviews?

Answer 42

It ensures all participants receive same questions

Question 43

✪ Why is face-to-face interviewing vulnerable to investigator effects?

Answer 43

Interviewer's presence may unintentionally affect answers

Question 44

✪ Why are interviews more time-consuming than questionnaires?

Answer 44

Each participant requires individual interaction

Question 45

✪ How can interviews be adapted to improve both reliability and validity?

Answer 45

Use training, standardised scripts, and pilot testing