Methodology: Interviews

Question 1

What is an interview?

Answer 1

A one-to-one conversational questionnaire in which questions are asked by the interviewer and answered by the interviewee.

Question 2

What is a key difference between and interview and a questionnaire?

Answer 2

A researcher must be trained in how to conduct interviews.

Question 3

What are the two types of questions that can arise in an interview?

Answer 3

1) Closed

2) Open

Question 4

Define ‘closed questions’.

Answer 4

A question that has a predetermined answer that produces quantitative data.

Question 5

Give an example of a closed question.

Answer 5

“What is 2x2?”

Question 6

Define ‘open questions’.

Answer 6

A question that has no set answer and is open to many responses that produces qualitative data.

Question 7

Give an example of an open question.

Answer 7

“What is the meaning of life?”

Question 8

How is an interview recorded?

Answer 8

The researcher often films or records the interview so that a transcript can be written up at a later date to analyse what is said.

Question 9

Using an example, identify what might limit interviews as a research method.

Answer 9

Sensitive topics that may cause psychological distress for the interviewee, such as reliving an abusive childhood.

Question 10

List the 3 different types of interviews.

Answer 10

1) Structured
2) Semi-structured
3) Unstructured

Question 11

Define ‘structured interviews’.

Answer 11

A formal question and answer session that uses an interview schedule to follow a set number of questions, often using predetermined answers producing quantitative data.

Question 12

Evaluate a generalisability point of structured interviews.

Answer 12

P - High
E - Can gain a large sample quickly due to the standardised nature
E - Therefore its easy replication allows for more to be conducted sooner

Question 13

Evaluate a reliability point of structured interviews.

Answer 13

P - High
E - Follows a standardised set of questions that gain quantitative data
E - Easy to replicate and compare results

Question 14

Evaluate 2 validity points of structured interviews.

Answer 14

P - High
E - Closed questions produce objective quantitative data
E - Therefore it is not open to interpretation or bias
P - Low
E - Lack of detail with mainly closed questions and predetermined answers
E - May not be a true representation of the respondents views

Question 15

Evaluate 2 practicality points of structured interviews.

Answer 15

P - High
E - Less time is taken to ask questions and get answers
E - Quicker and easier to analyse
P - Low
E - Due to the set structure of questions they aren’t flexible
E - Therefore new questions cannot be asked to gain a deeper understanding of what the respondent said

Question 16

Define ‘unstructured interviews’.

Answer 16

A guided conversation that often won’t use an interview schedule and doesn’t follow a set number of questions, producing qualitative data.

Question 17

Evaluate a generalisability point of unstructured interviews.

Answer 17

P - Low
E - Longer to conduct and analyse answers
E - It takes more time to carry out and will be more expensive leading to a smaller sample

Question 18

Evaluate a reliability point of unstructured interviews.

Answer 18

P - Low
E - No set questions with no interview schedule
E - Harder to replicate and compare answers if ppts go off topic

Question 19

Evaluate 2 validity points of unstructured interviews.

Answer 19

P - High
E - More detail due to open questions allowing for qualitative data
E - Can gain more of an insight into the attitudes of respondents
P - Low
E - Analysing qualitative data from open questions can be subjective
E - Therefore researcher bias may reduce credibility of analysed results

Question 20

Evaluate 2 practicality points of unstructured interviews.

Answer 20

P - High
E - There is more flexibility to ask different questions due to not using a set interview schedule
E - Therefore clarification of responses and more detail can be gained
P - Low
E - Analysing qualitative data from open questions
E - More time taken and costs more

Question 21

Evaluate the ethics of unstructured interviews.

Answer 21

P - Low
E - Often covers sensitive issues (such as Adorno’s 1950 interview on ppts childhood who had high F-scores)
E - Can lead to psychological distress in ppts

Question 22

What is the ‘interviewer effect’?

Answer 22

When certain characteristics of the interviewer can be received differently by different respondents, such as a female interviewee being more likely to open up to a female interviewer.

Question 23

How would the interviewer effect alter the design of an interview?

Answer 23

The interviewer would need to account for these variables that may affect results:

• Gender
• Age
• Ethnicity
• Personal characteristics (e.g. clothing)