11. self report Flashcards
self-report
obtains data by asking ppt to provide information about themselves and their behaviour. (questionnaires, psychometric tests, interviews)
questionnaires!!!
involves the use of written questions to gather data.
what are the different questionnaire techniques?
paper/pencil
online
postal
PROS of questionnaire
PROS:
- may encourage truthfulness, as responses aren’t given face2face
- lower social desirability bias
- quick and easy
CONS of questionnaire
CONS:
- ppt may elaborate less on open questions compared to interviews
- limits depth of data collected
- social desirability bias may still affect answers
- easy to ignore
(questionnaire technique) paper/pencil PROS AND CONS
paper/pencil:
-most convenient for on the spot research
but
- cost & time to print
-ppt needs to be there physically
(questionnaire technique) online PROS AND CONS
online:
- can reach more ppt
- quick and cheap
- automatic input
but
- needs internet to be able to use the tech
(questionnaire technique) postal PROS AND CONS
postal:
- can post internationally
- kind of quick and easy
but
- cost & time to print
-ppt needs to be there physically
4 types of questions/question formats
closed questions
open questions
Likert scales
rating scales
forced/fixed choice
closed questions
only have a few, stated alternative responses and no opportunity to expand on answers
- may not provide enough options
dichotomous questions, eg. do you like cheese? yes/no OR eg. pick the dessert you like the most - tiramisu, cake, ice cream, pancakes
closed questions produce what data?
produces QUANTITATIVE data
Likert scales
closed question where ppt respond with their level of agreement with a statement along with a predetermined scale
eg. I am often excited during psychology lessons!
O agree
O neutral
O disagree
rating scales
closed question where ppt give their answer in the form of a number along with a predetermined scale
eg. on a scale of 1 to 5 (1=most likely), how likely are you to go to the part on a weekend?
1 2 3 4 5
forced/fixed choice
closed question where the scale doesn’t give a “neutral” or “I don’t know” option
eg. i often think how much I would like to buy my psychology teacher a lovely gift
Agree Disagree
intended/forces people to give their answer
open questions
questions that allow the ppt to give full, detailed answers in their own words
eg. tell me about your mother
tend to start with “why” or “tell me” or “how”
open questions produce what data?
produces QUALITATIVE data
- data is rich in retail and lowers
the risk of missing important
behaviours
open questions PROS AND CONS
open:
- ppt response is not limited
- prompts in-depth, qualitative, detailed, rich answers/data
- deeper insight into behaviours, opinions and attitured
but
- hard to analyse statistically
- may have low inter-rater reliability as researchers interpret things differently
closed questions PROS AND CONS
closed:
- quick to answer
- forced choice = more answers
- easy to analyse and present data
but
- ppt views may not fit the answer available
- may not explain behaviours fully
- can lower validity of results
leading questions
may cause ppt to answer in a way in which is not reflective of their real pov (can occur in questionnaires and interviews)
eg. in general, how healthy are you?
a double blind technique could be used
can be identified and adapted with a pilot study
psychometric tests!!!
carefully designed, standardised, valid, and reliable tests of specific characteristics
- personality traits, skills,
knowledge, disordered thinking,
etc
eg. IQ tests, anxiety disorders interview schedule (ADIS)
PROS AND CONS of psychometric tests
PROS:
- objective
- quantitative
- quick
- cost-effective
CONS:
- risk of demand characteristics or stress when completing
interviews!!!
a RM that involves the use of verbal questions asked directly to gather data
usually fewer ppt than questionnaires
may be recorded to transcribe exact responses
what are the different formats of interviews?
structured
semi-structured
unstructured
what are the different interview techniques?
face2face
telephone
PROS AND CONS of interviews
PROS:
- offers rich, in-depth data
- less structured interviews are less constrained
- can investigate
- telephone interviews are cost effective
- may encourage disclosure about
sensitive topics
CONS:
- smaller sample size
- more time consuming for ppt and researcher, especially face2face
- cannot see non verbal behaviour (telephone interview)
structured interviews and PROS AND CONS
predetermined fixed list of questions which all ppt are asked
interviewers posture, voice, etc, may be standardised
PROS:
- easier to compare answers
- more reliable and replicable
CONS:
- may miss important answers
- irrelevant questions
semi-structured interviews and PROS AND CONS
number of key questions to GUIDE the interview
interviewer can change order of questions or remove questions or add follow-ups to clarify responses
PROS:
- answers more likely to be fully investigated
CONS:
- less replicable
- harder to compare answers
- risk of researcher bias
unstructured interviews and PROS AND CONS
predetermined TOPIC that needs to be discussed
may have initial question, but each subsequent question is based on responses given by the ppt
PROS:
- answers more likely to be fully investigated
CONS:
- less replicable
- harder to compare answers
- risk of researcher bias
