RM: Self reports Flashcards
What are self reports?
-techniques where ppts provide info about themselves (thoughts/opinions/feelings)
What is a psychometric measure?
-tests that have been assessed (statistically tested) for (internal) validity and (concurrent) reliability
Strengths of self-reports?
-ppts describe their own experiences: rich qualitative data (about complex human behaviour)
-helps explain the reasons behind behaviour
-an easy way to gather a large amount of data
-increases generalisability.
-can ask people hypothetical questions
Limitations of self-reports?
-social desirability bias- untruthful responses/lower result validity
-only useful if the ppts are willing to disclose the information
-rely on ppts to have the introspective ability to understand their thoughts/feelings.
-acquiescence bias
-ppts may misinterpret the questions (subjective)
What are questionnaires?
-ppts given a pre-set number of questions to respond to
How can questionnaires be administered?
-person
-by post
-online
-to a group of ppts simultaneously
How are questionnaires designed?
-should progress from least-> most sensitive
-more general-> more specific
-q’s should not be influenced by previous ones
What type of questions are asked in a questionnaire?
-Likert scales (strongly disagree-> strongly agree)
-rating scales (1-10)
-closed questions (yes/no)
-open questions
What are closed questions?
-only a certain number of options available to answer
What data do closed questions collect?
-quantitative data
What are open questions?
-no set answers/no restrictions on what the ppts can say
-could lead to ideas for further investigation
What data do open questions collect?
-qualitative data
What are standardised instructions?
-a set of written/recorded instructions given
-all ppts receive them in the same way
Why are standardised instructions used?
-as a control to standardise the proceduce
-increases reliability and validity of the research
What are filler questions?
-q’s put into a questionnaire/interview to disguise the study’s aim
-reduce demand characteristics
What did Adorno (1950) create?
-the F-Scale questionnaire- measured the authoritarian personality
-there was a link between the authoritarian personality and obedience
Strengths of questionnaires?
-social desirability bias is reduced/mitigated- no interviewer present/anonymous questionnaires
-data can be collected very quickly
-data can be analysed easier than interviews (quantitative)
Limitations of questionnaires?
-the options given may not reflect the ppts opinion- lowers finding’s validity
-the quantitative data produces less rich data than interviews (no follow up q’s)
What is an interview?
-an experimenter asking ppts questions and recording their responses
-usually on a one-to-one basis
What are structured interviews?
-interviews with predetermined questions.
-a face-to-face questionnaire (or over the phone)
-do not deviate/follow up answers
What are semi-structured interviews?
-a mix of structured and unstructured
-usually the most successful
What are unstructured interviews?
-interviews with less structure
-may start with predetermined questions, then new questions asked during the interview depending on the answers given (follow-ups)
What is an interview schedule?
-the list of questions that the interviewer intends to cover
-should be standardised for each ppt-> reduce interviewer bias (could ask questions in a dismissive way that corrupts data).
How can researchers take notes?
-write them down in the interview
-audio/video record it and analyse data after
What is an interview transcript?
-audio recordings from the interview turned into written data
-must protect anonymity
What considerations need to be taken for interviews?
-interview should be conducted in a quiet room
-one on one
Strengths of structured interviews?
-standardised questions= replication
-reduces differences between interviewers
-quick to conduct
Limitations of structured interviews?
-interviewers cannot deviate from the topic or elaborate points (if something interesting comes up)
-mainly produces quantitative data (lack insight)
Strengths of unstructured interviews?
-more flexibility= richer data
-interviewer can ask follow ups/seek clarification (more validity)
Limitations of unstructured interviews?
-dfficult to analyse
-the researcher should demonstrate reflexivity/responsivity-> results can depend on interviewers skill.
Interviewees may not be truthful-> social desirability bias lowers the validity
