Research Methods: Self Reported Data

Question 1

What are the differences between questionnaires and interviews?

Answer 1

Interviews take place face to face with the interviewer and live responses are obtained,
Questionnaires involve written responses that are carried out away from the researcher.

Question 2

What are the different forms of interviews?

Answer 2

Structured
Unstructured
Semi-structured

Question 3

What is a Structured Interview?

Answer 3

The questions are predetermined and asked in the same order

Question 4

What is an Unstructured Interview?

Answer 4

Informal interview

Question 5

What is a Semi-structured Interview?

Answer 5

Contain predetermined questions alongside informal chat

Question 6

Evaluate the use of Structured interviews

Answer 6

Strength- Reliable due to the predetermined questions asked in the same order so results can be compared and multiple participants can be interviewed at one time.
Weakness- Unnatural don’t have high ecological validity

Question 7

Evaluate the use of Unstructured interviews

Answer 7

Strength- Produce a natural response from the interviewee and the researcher is able to go back over questions that may not have been answered clearly
Weakness- Unreliable

Question 8

Evaluate the use of Semi-structured interviews

Answer 8

Strength- High ecological validity (more realistic)
Weakness- Difficult to carry out and the interviewer needs to be experienced

Question 9

What are the types of questions that can be asked within questionnaires?

Answer 9

Open and Closed questions

Question 10

What are Open questions?

Answer 10

Do not restrict the answers of the respondent
The respondent can answer based on their own interpretation

Question 11

What are Closed questions?

Answer 11

Restricted answers from a list of responses

Question 12

Evaluate the use of Open questions

Answer 12

Strength- Do not restrict the answers of the respondent
Weakness- Difficult to score and compare the qualitative data

Question 13

Evaluate the use of Closed questions

Answer 13

Strength- Easy to score as the researcher knows possible answers in advance
Weakness- The respondent is restricted within their answer alongside this they may misinterpret answers

Question 14

Evaluate the use of self reported methods in psychology (8 marks)

Answer 14

Generalisability- Strength and Weakness
A larger sample creates a greater representation of the wider population, however the response rate for questionnaires are often low as they are often discarded as junk.
Groups excluded by low response rates tend to be the people who are under represented in research (homeless, criminals, poor)