Research methods- self-reporting data questionnaires and interviews

Question 1

What is meant by self report?

Answer 1

• Any data collection method that involves asking people to report their thoughts, feelings or behaviour
• can be given through a fixed set of written questions- a questionnaire, or by an interviewer who asks face-to-face questions- an interview

Question 2

What is a questionnaire?

Answer 2

Respondents record their own answers. The questions are predetermined (structured). They are provided in written form, and there is no face to face contact with another person.

Question 3

What is a strength of self report methods in general?

Answer 3

• Are a means of finding out what people and feel. This is not true of other methods such as observations.

Question 4

What is a weakness of self report methods in general?

Answer 4

-People don’t always tell the truth, either because they don’t know what they think about particular topic or don’t know how they behave in a particular situation. The lack of truthfulness may be because they don’t want to look foolish or unlikable so they present them selves in a way that makes them look better. This is called social desirability bias

Question 5

What are some specific strengths of using questionnaires as a self report method?

Answer 5

• Can be easily repeated so that data can be collected from large numbers of people relatively quickly because they can all do it at the same time.
• respondents may feel more willing to reveal personal information in a questionnaire that in an interview because they feel more anonymous

Question 6

What is a specific weakness of using questionnaires as a self report method?

Answer 6

-The sample may be biased because only certain kinds of people fill in the questionnaires, they are more willing to spend the time filling them in

Question 7

What are closed question questionnaires/interviews?

Answer 7

As a fixed number of possible answers. They provide quantitive data, answers that can be counted.

Question 8

What are two strengths of using closed question questionnaires/ interviews?

Answer 8

1. Easy to analyse because data is in numbers which can be summarised using averages or graphs. This makes it easier to draw conclusions as you can make comparisons
2. Answers are more objective because they are more likely to be interpreted in the same way by any researcher

Question 9

What are two weaknesses of using closed question questionnaires/interviews?

Answer 9

1. People can’t express their precise feelings because the researcher determine the choice of answers. This may lower the validity and tends not to uncover new insights
2. Oversimplifies reality and human experience because it suggests that there are simple answers, where is people may think there are several possible answers to reflect their views

Question 10

What are open question questionnaires/ interviews?

Answer 10

Respondents provide their own answers. Produces qualitative data, descriptive data which can’t immediately be counted

Question 11

What are two strengths of using open question questionnaires/interviews?

Answer 11

1. Provides details of how people behave because they are given free range to express themselves. This increases the validity of the data
2. The fact participants can provide any answer means that researchers may collect unexpected findings

Question 12

What are two weaknesses of using open question questionnaires/interviews?

Answer 12

1. More difficult to draw conclusions because there is a wider range of respondents answers, so may look for patterns instead
2. Interpreting what people mean it’s likely to be subjective as each researcher may have a slightly different view of the ppts answer

Question 13

What are ranked scale questionnaires/interviews?

Answer 13

A kind of closed question where respondents are asked to give an assessment of their views using a scale. For example from 1 to 5 with 5 represents very positive and 1 represents very negative

Question 14

What are two strengths of using ranked scale questionnaires/interviews?

Answer 14

1. A reasonably objective way to represent feelings and attitudes related to the topic
2. Produces quantitive data which is easy to analyse or represent in graphs so can draw straightforward conclusions

Question 15

What are two weaknesses of using ranked scale questionnaires/interviews?

Answer 15

1. Participants may prefer to respond in the same way to all questions
2. Social desirability bias may be an issue in terms of the validity of responses given

Question 16

Why may an interview be chosen instead of a questionnaire?

Answer 16

• if some questions are to be explored in more depth
• when the respondent may need reassurance
• when access is difficult

Question 17

What is a structured interview?

Answer 17

When the interviewer follows the standardised interview sequence with questions set in a particular order

Question 18

What is an unstructured interview?

Answer 18

When the interviewer is free to ask any questions.

Question 19

How can you ensure that researchers giving an interview remain completely objective?

Answer 19

• produce a complete transcript of the interview- so they don’t select what to include
• ensuring the interviewee sees the results and agrees they are accurately recorded
• have another researcher analyse the results

Question 20

What is a semi structured interview?

Answer 20

Where the interviewer has an idea of what questions they will ask, but the phrasing and order of the questions is not set

Question 21

What is acquiescence bias? Why does it occur?

Answer 21

• When people are more likely to agree with a statement or answer a yes/no question with yes.
• people want others to like them so being agreeable as likeable or the way that the question was asked me cause someone to remember incorrectly