Research Methods - Self report Flashcards
Self Reports
Any method where the ppt reports their own thoughts and feelings about a particular matter to the psychologist.
Self-report could be a research method on it’s own or a method of collecting data to measure the DV.
Open questions
- ppts give attitudes, opinions, recall experiences in their own words.
- No pre-set options to choose
- eg. How do you feel after that experience?
Closed Questions
- Offers responses from which to choose.
- eg. what is your preferred treatment, therapy or medication?
Rating Scales
These are different types of ‘closed questions’.
Likert scales - numerical rating from 1-5 (from slightly agree to strongly agree)
Rank Orders - e.g. from 1-10 (1 being not at all, 10 being absolutely)
Checklists - tick any items that apply to you!
Semantic Differential Scales - 2 extremes are given, responses fall between these values
Filler questions
- Sometimes questionnaires have ‘filler questions’ among the real questions. The answer to filler questions are not analysed in the research, since they serve only to hide the real purpose of the study.
- In some studies you might not want the participants to know the true purpose of the questionnaire as it can lead to demand characteristics or social desirability bias, so adding in some filler question will make ppts less likely to guess the true aims of the study.
Psychometric Tests
- These are specific types of questions that measure psychological characteristics, e.g. intelligence, pain, personality
- They will give ppts a single numerical score on the characteristic or on various dimensions of the characteristic, so they quantify a characteristic that would otherwise be difficult to measure.
- A personality test is an example.
Key features of questionaires
- Gather data systematically, from large numbers of people
- Carried out on selected groups (samples), from which generalisation may be possible
- Standardised instructions
Two types of question:
**Open questions **- range of answers is not restricted by the researcher
Closed questions - possible answers are determined by the researcher – including rating scales
Surveys
- Surveys are large scale questionnaires, which aims to gain insight into a particular attitude or behaviour across a group of people.
- will have a large sample, they are usually distributed and collected via post or online.
- the researcher has little control over the response rate.
- Certain types of people may be more likely to respond. This will usually be people who have more time or feel strongly about the issue.
- surveys may have a lot of closed questions, for ease of analysis, a response bias may occur. This is where the ppt answers in a pattern, without reading the questions properly, eg, answering ‘yes’ to everything
Problem Questions
Example 1: Double barrelled question
Please indicate how much you agree or disagree with each of the following statements about our service:
‘I feel welcomed by staff and other youth at the centre.’
* Some people may not agree to everything in the statement.
Example 2: Leading question
Most people complain that there are not enough police out on the streets. Do you think there are too few police on the streets yes/no?
* Putting ideas into your head so that you are more likely to believe that’s the truth.
Strengths of Questionnaires
**Strengths: **
* Convenient- researcher does not need to be present. eg. answers can be mailed
* Can collect large amounts of data
* Many people can be questioned quickly
* Easy to analyse numerical data
* Can show changes in attitudes or behaviour before or after specific events
Weaknesses of questionnaires
- If researcher is present-may affect answers
- People may not tell the truth, especially on sensitive issues. (they will give a socially desirable response).
- Difficult to phrase questions clearly
- You may obtain different interpretations
- Leading questions > distort answers
- Postal or online surveys may have low response rate
Structured Interviews
- Has pre-determined questions
- essentially a questionnaire
- face to face, on camera or over the telephone.
- There is no deviation from the original questions.
**Strengths: ** - interviewer can explain questions if the participant does not understand > increases the validity.
- questions are standardised > increasing the reliability
- researcher can compare answers establishing trends
**Weaknesses: ** - Comparability difficult if interviewer behaves differently
- Researcher/interviewer effects – where the behaviour of the interviewer affects the ppts response.
- Interviews data needs to be analysed. Analysis could be influenced by the researcher (researcher/interviewer bias)
Semi-Structured Interview
- some pre-set questions are written
- opportunity for the researcher to ask further questions.
Unstructured Interview
- New questions are developed/added during the interview.
- The interviewer may begin with general aims and possibly a few pre-determined questions
- subsequent questions develop based on the answers that are given.
**Strengths: ** - researcher can explain questions if the ppt does not understand - data may be more valid.
- data can be more detailed/specific adding more insight.
**Weaknesses: ** - require interviewers with more skill > more expensive, need for trained interviewer
- Questions may lack comparability
- Researcher bias is more likely to occur
Interviews - Practical & Methodological issues
Recording the interview – The interviewer may make notes> may interfere with their listening skills.
The effect of the interviewer – The presence of an interviewer may increase
the amount of information provided, even in an unstructured interview.
Non-verbal communication –
Discouraging or encouraging body language can affect the ppt’s responses ‘researcher effects’
Listening skills – Do not interrupt too much and when they do speak.
* Avoid repeating Questions
* Avoid probing too much
* Avoid asking why to often
* Ask more focused questions
