Interviews Flashcards

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1
Q

Interviews

A
  • questionnaires may form the basis of interviews
  • one of the most widely-used methods
  • 2 main types - structured and unstructured
  • can be conducted on individuals or small groups, face-to-face or over the phone
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2
Q

Structured/formal interviews

A
  • based on a structured pre-coded questionnaire (the interview schedule)
  • closed questions in the same order each time
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3
Q

Advantages of structured interviews

A
  • generally the most effective way of getting questionnaires completed
  • problems of illiteracy are overcome
  • data is seen as reliable
  • useful for obtaining answers to questions about facts (like age, gender etc)
  • easy to put data into quantitative form
  • less of an issue with interviewer bias compared to unstructured interviews
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4
Q

Disadvantages of structured interviews

A
  • the closed questions may impose limits of what the respondent can say
  • limited depth of understanding
  • not suitable for sensitive topics as they lack rapport
  • more time consuming and expensive than self-completion questionnaires - may be a smaller sample
  • possibility of interviewer bias
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5
Q

Group interview definition

A

an interview in which the researcher interviews several people at the same time, with the researcher controlling the direction of the interview

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6
Q

Focus group definition

A

a type of group interview in which the group focuses on a particular topic to explore in depth, and are free to talk to one another as well as the interviewer

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7
Q

Unstructured/informal interviews

A
  • like a guided conversation - topics to cover but no or few pre-set questions
  • open-ended questions
  • relaxed, informal situation
  • may be done as a group interview or a focus group
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8
Q

Example of using unstructured interviews - Oakley (1981)

A
  • studied the experience of becoming a mother in British society
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9
Q

Advantages of unstructured interviews

A
  • more flexible so more validity as can ask for more explanation or clarification
  • Oakley found that they allowed her to establish rapport
  • ambiguities in questions and answers can be clarified
  • a new hypothesis could emerge during the research as interviewers can change direction if new ideas or insights emerge
  • interviewers may be able to assess the honesty and validity of replies
  • group interviews (esp focus groups) can spark off discussions and ideas
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10
Q

Example of developing a hypothesis during unstructured interviews - Bott (1957)

A
  • interviewed 20 married couples in London
  • created her theory of conjugal roles because of the link between social networks and conjugal roles which emerged during her interviews
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11
Q

Disadvantages of unstructured interviews

A
  • time-consuming and costly (potentially smaller sample size)
  • may be less reliable as researchers are more involved
  • difficult to replicate or compare with other research (findings are highly dependent on interviewer)
  • difficult to compare and measure responses (sometimes interviewees may contradict themselves)
  • group interviews may have issues with peer pressure
  • interviewer bias is more of an issue than with structured interviews
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12
Q

Semi-structured interviews

A
  • most interviews include both structured and unstructured questions
  • involve the strengths and weaknesses of both types of question
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13
Q

General issues with interviews

A
  • validity - people may be dishonest esp about sensitive topics or exaggerate
  • words can have different meanings between social groups (eg wicked as cool or evil)
  • members of different groups attach different importance to the content of questions (eg different cultural attitudes towards LGBTQ+ community may affect answers)
  • interviewer bias
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14
Q

Interviewer bias

A
  • answers may be distorted or influenced by the presence or behaviour of the interviewer
  • personal skills, dress, characteristics, tone of voice, facial expressions etc of interviewer can affect responses
  • status differences may affect levels of honesty (eg if an adult is asking a child)
  • interviewees might try to impress interviewers or tell them what they want to hear to obtain their approval
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15
Q

Overcoming interviewer bias

A
  • interviewers are trained to be non-directive and not offer opinions, show approval/disproval - need to show a polite indifference
  • can try to match interviewers’ characteristics to interviewees - Nazroo (1997) translated questionnaires on health of minorities into 6 asian languages and respondents were interviewed by someone who spoke their language
  • Becker (1970) suggests a more aggressive style of interviewing may get more valid responses eg playing the devil’s advocate to spark emotional responses
  • could do over the phone interviews instead
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