Self reports

Question 1

What is involved in self reports? (3)

Answer 1

• Participants give information to researcher to give details about thoughts/feelings/behaviours
• Respond to questions in questionnaire or interview
• Questionnaire can be open or closed questions and interviews can be structures or unstructured

Question 2

Describe a questionnaire (3)

Answer 2

• Survey for a large sample asking for information on a certain topic
• Pre set list of written questions to which they respond
• Gets good representation of target population using large sample to generalise the results to target population

Question 3

Strengths of questionnaires? (3)

Answer 3

1) Sensitive issues, anonymous by not asking names. Honest and disclose more sensitive information increasing internal validity

2) Reduce investigator effects, researcher not present. Response not visible and not influence answers, increasing internal validity

3) Large quantity of people, not present, increasing generalisibilty

Question 4

Weakness of questionnaires (2)

Answer 4

1) Social desirability bias, lie to present themselves in best possible light, lowering internal validity

2) Misinterpretation of questions, not understand but can’t ask as researcher not present, leave question of invalid information. Researcher could misinterpret answer. Lowering internal validity

Question 5

How to design a questionnaire?

Answer 5

1) Operationalised aim
2) Sampling - Who and how?
3) Question types? (Open or closed. Quantitative or qualitative)
4) 2 example questions
5) Distracter question to reduce demand characteristics
6) Pilot testing - problems
7) Ethics - anonymity, confidentuality

Question 6

What is an interview?

Answer 6

A method for asking questions, face to face or over the phone. Two types of interviews structured or unstructured. Good for gathering detailed information.

Question 7

AO1: Structured interview

Answer 7

• Pre set questions
• Less likely to deviate from topic
• Will be asked the same questions in the same order
• Interviewer can’t ask more questions based on the information provided

Question 8

Strength of structured interview

Answer 8

Same questions, compare responses, identify trends

Question 9

Weakness of structure interview

Answer 9

Can’t deviate, can’t follow up new lines of enquiry. Don’t get a full understanding of behaviour

Question 10

AO1: Unstructured interview

Answer 10

• Topic area for discussion but no set questions, all questions are different
• Questions based off response can can discuss interesting responses
• Open questions more likely

Question 11

Strength of unstructured interview

Answer 11

In depth as based on response. Fuller understanding of behaviour, increasing internal validity

Question 12

Weakness of unstructured interview (2)

Answer 12

• Hard to identify patterns and trends as all different questions. Responses harder to analyse and make comparisons
• Difficult to replicate, different questions based on responses

Question 13

AO3: Overall interviews (3)

Answer 13

1) Time consuming and expensive. Face to face and require 1:1 unlike questionnaire less time consuming and expensive given to lots of participants, researcher doesn’t need to be present.

2) Investigator effects, Researcher present, behaviour or appearance influence certain way, lowering internal validity