Peach Pack 2 Flashcards
What’s are questionnaires?
Questionnaires are a self report data collection method consisting of a series of carefully structured questions given to participants in a standardised manner.
When are questionnaires used?
Questionnaires are used as both an overall research method (where psychologists ask a research question) and a data collection method in experiments.
What are researcher effects/ researcher bias?
Refers to the idea that the researcher can affect the data that is collected. If the researchers know the full aims of the study and an expected outcome, they may struggle to remain objective.
When they administer and analyse the data from the questionnaire they may influence the results (intentionally or unintentionally) to reflect their expectations.
What are the principles of questionnaire design that ensure data is valid and objective?
•Fit for Purpose; Questionnaires should be to the point and ask as few questions as possible to ensure that respondents do not lose patience. And make sure that the questions they choose stick to the original aims of their
research.
- Filler Questions: Having said this, it may be helpful to include some irrelevant questions to hide or distract from the main purpose of the questionnaire. This will help to reduce demand characteristics but does raise ethical issues.
- Sequence of Questions: It is better to begin the questionnaire with easy questions saving the more sensitive questions until towards the end.
- Standardised procedures, where all participants are given exactly the same questions administered in exactly the same way, is important to ensure reliability.
- Pilot studies: A practice run where the questions are tested on a small group of people. This allows the researcher to refine the questions and avoid any leading or confusing questions
•Ethical Issues: Deception may be necessary to control demand characteristics but an ethical questionnaire should really only ask about
the researcher needs to know.
Questions may be related to personal and sensitive issues which may make respondents feel uncomfortable (psychological harm)
Such sensitive issues should be handled with care. Confidentiality and privacy
must be respected.
How can we write appropriate questions for a questionnaire?
• Questions should be clear and concise so that respondents know what is being asked.
• Avoid double barrelled questions (two negatives)
•Avoid Bias: Questions should be objective and value free.
•They should not imply that a particular answer is more desirable (leading questions).
They should not be worded in such a way that
Statements or questions should be phrased and set out in
such a way that respondents do not begin to answer in a
certain pattern e.g. If for the first few questions a
particular kind of respondent was likely to agree there may
be a tendency to agree with statements all the way through
the questionnaire. This is tendency to stick to an answer throughout the questionnaire is known as response bias.
Why is the order of the questions important? (link to respond bias)
The order of the questions is important so that the respondents do not begin to answer in a certain pattern. This can cause respondents to stick to an answer thought out the questionnaire causing respond bias.
e.g. If for the first few questions a particular kind of respondent was likely to agree there may be a tendency to agree with statements all the way through the questionnaire.
This is tendency to stick to an answer throughout the questionnaire is known as response bias.
What are leading questions?
Questions were the correct answers prompted or encouraged by the way it is worded.
What are socially desirable answers?
When the respondents will give an answer that reflects what they think they ought to say to present themselves in a positive light
What are open questions?
Open questions allow respondents express themselves freely in their own words and without constraints. The data gathered is qualitative.
What are closed questions?
Close questions give participants a set range of answers to choose from. There is no possibility of extending the answer. The data gained is quantitive.
What is a likert scale?
These involve the respondent being given a series of statements about topic. For each item the respondent must select from a fixed set of choices.
Explain the difference between an open ended and a fixed response question
•Open ended: participants can answer in their own words
where as
•Closed: participants must choose from a set range of answers.
Briefly explain why a standardised procedure is important when collecting data in a questionnaire
Standardised procedures use the same questions for all participants improving reliability so that the survey can be repeated in a consistent way.
Why are socially desirable answers a problem in self-repot methods of research?
Socially desirable answers are a problem because it means that the data will lack validity because participants haven’t answered accurately.
What are the advantages of open questions?
- Allows us to access thoughts and feelings
- Can find out WHY people behave in certain ways
- May be high in validity because it allows for COMPLEX QUALITATIVE data that is rich and detailed
What are the disadvantages of open questions?
•Difficult to analyse data and identify trends in qualitative data
What are the advantages of closed questions?
- Produces quantitative data that is easy to analyse
- Tend to be high in reliability because they have standardised questions that can be replicated
- Quantitative data means it’s more objective
What are the disadvantages of closed questions?
- Quantitative data can oversimplify complex behaviour.
- Validity reduced if participants answers don’t fall into one of the given categories.
- Cannot find out why participants answer in a certain way.
Explain one ethical issue raised by questionnaires.
The use of filler questions to control demand characteristics is a form of deception.
Give 4 strengths of a questionnaire:
➢High reliability due to use of standardised procedures.
➢Standardised procedures control extraneous variables.
➢Because researcher does not need to be present when questionnaire is completed, social desirability effects are reduced, which increases validity.
➢Allows data to be collected from a large sample of participants quickly and cheaply.
Give 4 limitations of questionnaires
➢Use of closed questions can limit validity.
➢Demand characteristics if participants know the aim of the questionnaire can limit validity.
➢Participants may misunderstand questions which reduce validity.
➢If questionnaires are administered differently then reliablity is reduced.
State one factor that increases reliability and one factor that decreases reliability of questionnaires:
The use of standardised procedures make questionnaires easy to replicate therefore increasing reliability.
However not all researchers may follow set procedures eg. The questions are the same but how respondents receive them are different therefore decreasing reliability.
State one factor that increases validity and one factor that decreases validity of questionnaires:
The use of open questions and face validity can increase the validity.
However demand characteristics can lead to participants giving socially desirable answers reducing validity.
Name the three types of interviews
- Structured
- Unstructured
- Semi-Structured
What are structured interviews?
Structured interviews have predetermined questions given in a set order. Typically they are standardised so all participants are asked the same questions in the same way.
Tends to produce more quantitative data.
What are unstructured interviews?
Unstructured interviews involve questions that are not in a set format. Researchers may have a set topic area for discussion but the exact phrasing of the questions is left to the interviewer.
In addition, the interviewer may generate questions as a result of the answers they have been given.
Tends to produce more qualitative data.
What are semi-structured interviews?
Semi structured interviews tend to have set questions but will allow the interviewer more chance to explore the answers further.
Produces both qualitative and quantitative data.
What makes good interview practice?
- Establish rapport
- Start with less sensitive questions
- Avoid jargon and leading questions
- Make sure the participants understand the questions
- Sensitively deal with information to protect the participants
- Ensure confidentiality is maintained
What is establishing rapport?
Establishing rapport: The
interviewer should try to build a
sympathetic and friendly relationship with the interviewee.
The interviewee should find the interviewer trustworthy, feeling comfortable answering the questions.
Hopefully the responses given will
be more open and honest and
therefore have higher validity.
What is Thematic Analysis?
identifying and assessing patterns in
qualitative data allowing conclusions
to be drawn.
Explain phase 1 of thematic analysis
- Familiarisation with the data.
The researcher must become very familiar with the data - reading and re-reading it noting their initial observations
Explain phase 2 (Coding) of thematic analysis
- Coding
Involves the identification and grouping together into categories the main ideas appeared to be emoji on the data that are relevant to the research question.
Explain phase 3 (Searching for themes) of thematic analysis
A theme is a coherent and meaningful pattern in the data relevant to the research question. The researcher organises all the coded data so that each code is linked to a relevant theme.
Explain phase 4 (Reviewing themes) of thematic analysis
- Reviewing themes
Involves checking that themes accurately reflect both the coded extracts and the full data set. The researcher should begin to define the nature of each individual theme.
Explain phase 5 of thematic analysis
5.Defining and naming themes
Requires the research to conduct and write a detailed analysis of each theme and constructing a concise and informative name for each theme
Explain phase 6 (Writing- up) of thematic analysis
- Writing-up
Writing the report involves weaving together the main themes found in the data and data extract to tell the reader coherent and persuasive story about the data and contextualising it in relation to the research question.
What are the strengths of thematic analysis?
- Reduces large amounts of complex qualitative data into a more manageable summary allowing conclusions to be drawn. Validity remains high as the data remains qualitative.
- The process of identifying codes and actively looking for themes means that the researcher on must derive themes from the data rather than impose their own preconceived themes onto the data.
