RM: Self reports

Question 1

What are self reports?

Answer 1

-techniques where ppts provide info about themselves (thoughts/opinions/feelings)

Question 2

What is a psychometric measure?

Answer 2

-tests that have been assessed (statistically tested) for (internal) validity and (concurrent) reliability

Question 3

Strengths of self-reports?

Answer 3

-ppts describe their own experiences: rich qualitative data (about complex human behaviour)
-helps explain the reasons behind behaviour
-an easy way to gather a large amount of data
-increases generalisability.
-can ask people hypothetical questions

Question 4

Limitations of self-reports?

Answer 4

-social desirability bias- untruthful responses/lower result validity
-only useful if the ppts are willing to disclose the information
-rely on ppts to have the introspective ability to understand their thoughts/feelings.
-acquiescence bias
-ppts may misinterpret the questions (subjective)

Question 5

What are questionnaires?

Answer 5

-ppts given a pre-set number of questions to respond to

Question 6

How can questionnaires be administered?

Answer 6

-person
-by post
-online
-to a group of ppts simultaneously

Question 7

How are questionnaires designed?

Answer 7

-should progress from least-> most sensitive
-more general-> more specific
-q’s should not be influenced by previous ones

Question 7

What type of questions are asked in a questionnaire?

Answer 7

-Likert scales (strongly disagree-> strongly agree)
-rating scales (1-10)
-closed questions (yes/no)
-open questions

Question 8

What are closed questions?

Answer 8

-only a certain number of options available to answer

Question 9

What data do closed questions collect?

Answer 9

-quantitative data

Question 10

What are open questions?

Answer 10

-no set answers/no restrictions on what the ppts can say
-could lead to ideas for further investigation

Question 11

What data do open questions collect?

Answer 11

-qualitative data

Question 12

What are standardised instructions?

Answer 12

-a set of written/recorded instructions given
-all ppts receive them in the same way

Question 13

Why are standardised instructions used?

Answer 13

-as a control to standardise the proceduce
-increases reliability and validity of the research

Question 14

What are filler questions?

Answer 14

-q’s put into a questionnaire/interview to disguise the study’s aim
-reduce demand characteristics

Question 15

What did Adorno (1950) create?

Answer 15

-the F-Scale questionnaire- measured the authoritarian personality
-there was a link between the authoritarian personality and obedience

Question 16

Strengths of questionnaires?

Answer 16

-social desirability bias is reduced/mitigated- no interviewer present/anonymous questionnaires
-data can be collected very quickly
-data can be analysed easier than interviews (quantitative)

Question 17

Limitations of questionnaires?

Answer 17

-the options given may not reflect the ppts opinion- lowers finding’s validity
-the quantitative data produces less rich data than interviews (no follow up q’s)

Question 18

What is an interview?

Answer 18

-an experimenter asking ppts questions and recording their responses
-usually on a one-to-one basis

Question 19

What are structured interviews?

Answer 19

-interviews with predetermined questions.
-a face-to-face questionnaire (or over the phone)
-do not deviate/follow up answers

Question 19

What are semi-structured interviews?

Answer 19

-a mix of structured and unstructured
-usually the most successful

Question 20

What are unstructured interviews?

Answer 20

-interviews with less structure
-may start with predetermined questions, then new questions asked during the interview depending on the answers given (follow-ups)

Question 21

What is an interview schedule?

Answer 21

-the list of questions that the interviewer intends to cover
-should be standardised for each ppt-> reduce interviewer bias (could ask questions in a dismissive way that corrupts data).

Question 22

How can researchers take notes?

Answer 22

-write them down in the interview
-audio/video record it and analyse data after

Question 23

What is an interview transcript?

Answer 23

-audio recordings from the interview turned into written data
-must protect anonymity

Question 24

What considerations need to be taken for interviews?

Answer 24

-interview should be conducted in a quiet room
-one on one

Question 25

Strengths of structured interviews?

Answer 25

-standardised questions= replication
-reduces differences between interviewers
-quick to conduct

Question 26

Limitations of structured interviews?

Answer 26

-interviewers cannot deviate from the topic or elaborate points (if something interesting comes up)
-mainly produces quantitative data (lack insight)

Question 27

Strengths of unstructured interviews?

Answer 27

-more flexibility= richer data
-interviewer can ask follow ups/seek clarification (more validity)

Question 28

Limitations of unstructured interviews?

Answer 28

-dfficult to analyse
-the researcher should demonstrate reflexivity/responsivity-> results can depend on interviewers skill.
Interviewees may not be truthful-> social desirability bias lowers the validity