Self-report design Flashcards
Three scales for designing questionnaires.
1) Rating scales
2) Likert scales
3) Fixed-choice option
How to write good questions when designing questionnaires?
Avoid jargon: Do you agree that maternal deprivation in infant hood inevitably leads to affectionless psychopathy?
Avoid double-barrelled questions: Do you agree that footballers are overpaid and should give 20% of their wages to charity?
Avoid leading questions: Do you agree that boxing is barbaric?
Closed questions
Respondent has limited choices.
Data produced tends to be quantitative but can produce qualitative then converted to quantitative.
What is a strength of closed questions?
Easier to analyse.
Can produce graphs and charts for comparison.
Makes it easier to draw conclusions.
What is a limitation of closed questions?
Responses are restricted.
Forced into an answer that may not represent true feelings.
May reduce the validity of the findings.
Open questions
Respondent provides own answers expressed in words.
Data produced tends to be qualitative and produce a range of personal answers.
What is a strength of open questions?
Responses not restricted.
Answers more likely to provide detailed, unexpected information.
Likely to have more external validity than statistics.
What is a limitation of open questions?
Difficult to analyse.
Wider variety of answers than produced by closed questions.
May be forced to reduce data to statistics.
What are the four requirements of designing interviews?
1) Interview schedule
2) Quiet room
3) Rapport
4) Ethics
Interview schedule
A standardised list of questions that the interviewer needs to cover, can reduce interviewer bias.
Quiet room
Will increase the likelihood that the interviewee opens up.
Rapport
Begin with neutral questions to make participants feel relaxed.
Ethics
Remind interviewees that answers will be treated in confidence.
