Self report

Question 1

Self report

Answer 1

A way psychologists can collect data by asking people about their behaviour, thoughts, feelings and attitudes

Question 2

2 main self report techniques

Answer 2

Questionnaires
Interviews

Question 3

Questionnaires

Answer 3

Written methods of gaining data, composed of sets of questions

Question 4

Questionnaire answerer name

Answer 4

Respondent

Question 5

When would questionnaires be used?

Answer 5

If researcher wishes to gain quantitative data from a large sample of participants fairly quickly

Question 6

Advantages of using questionnaires

Answer 6

Respondent can answer anonymously so more likely to be truthful
Quicker to complete, usually more closed Qs
Large amount of data can be collected faster
Ps may consider questions more carefully and not be self conscious of judgment

Question 7

Disadvantages of using questionnaires

Answer 7

People may not return or submit the test = low response rate
Interviewer not present so no one there to further explain the question if they misunderstand it

Question 8

Interviews

Answer 8

Usually a face to face meeting where the interviewer asks interviewee questions to answer(direct verbal questionning)
Answer can be taped then transcribed or notes made during it

Question 9

3 types of interviews

Answer 9

Structured
Semi structured
Unstructured

Question 10

Structured interview

Answer 10

Interviewer asks same question to every interviewee in the same order. Often uses closed questions

Question 11

Strengths of structured interview

Answer 11

Easier to gather quantitative data because questions are closed and same for every interviewee = easier to analyse and compare

Question 12

Weaknesses of structured interview

Answer 12

Being asked questions this way is unnatural so low ecological validity
Participant may not feel free to expand so limited data

Question 13

Semi structured interview

Answer 13

Interviewer has set of pre prepared questions to ask and may develop extra follow up questions dependant on responses given

Question 14

Semi structured interview strengths

Answer 14

Interviewee feels slightly more comfortable to go into detail since interviewer seems more interested = more personalised
Both qualitative and quantitative data collected

Question 15

Semi structured interview weaknesses

Answer 15

Gives some qualitative data which can be harder to analyse and compare against each participant

Question 16

Unstructured interview

Answer 16

Researcher has topics to discuss but these aren’t in order for each interviewee, and more Qs developed dependant on answers
More conversational

Question 17

Unstructured interview strengths

Answer 17

Lots of detailed data because interviewees given a lot of room to talk, descriptive of thought processes etc
Feels like a regular conversation so higher ecological validity

Question 18

Unstructured interview weaknesses

Answer 18

Very difficult to analyse the detailed and qualitative data
Hard to make trends and compare amongst interviewees

Question 19

When would an interview be used?

Answer 19

Gain in depth qualitative data from representatives of a narrow target population

Question 20

Interviews strengths

Answer 20

Cam ask follow up questions based on responses given
Get more detailed answers as a result as participants may feel more compelled to answer in more detail
Build a rapport (understanding of feelings) with interviewee, being in person with them

Question 21

Interviews weaknesses

Answer 21

May not answer questions truthfully if shy or to appear more socially desirable in case of embarrassing question
More time consuming
More difficult to analyse questions

Question 22

Types of question

Answer 22

Open question
Closed question

Question 23

Open questions

Answer 23

Asks participants to describe/ explain why or what they think about something
Aim is to find person’s emotions by collecting qualitative data

Question 24

Open questions advantages

Answer 24

Provides more rich and detailed data
Doesn’t force participants to choose a specific option in a closed question that might not be accurate to them

Question 25

Open questions disadvantages

Answer 25

Time consuming for completions and analysis Responses may not be open to what the researcher desired if the question is too vague or misunderstanding

Question 26

Different structures of ‘questions’ in questionnaires particularly

Answer 26

Rating scales Likert scales Semantic differentials

Question 27

Rating scale

Answer 27

When given a numerical scale (and what number = positive etc) and respondent asked to mark their attitude to something or degree they feel a certain emotion

Question 28

Is rating scale a closed or open question?

Answer 28

Closed because participants choose which number represents them Although may leave room to specify why they chose this

Question 29

Rating scale advantages

Answer 29

More detailed than yes/no since it can show degree of something Gives quantitive data which can be compared amongst Ps Easily repeated

Question 30

Rating scale disadvantage

Answer 30

Tendency for Ps to choose the middle scale/ neutral Standard response set where Ps choose same answer each time = low construct validity No middle option causes forced choice No qualitative data

Question 31

Forced choice

Answer 31

When Ps have to choose an option not accurate to their own beliefs because an accurate option was not present Usually in rating/likert scales when a neutral option is not there

Question 32

Likert scale

Answer 32

A STATEMENT (not question) is written down and a scale of agreement levels are below, and Ps tick to what extent they agree with the statement Sometimes a number correlates to the word

Question 33

How do likert scales control for standard response set?

Answer 33

Half of the statements have a positive attitude to attitude object eg saying agree = favourable And the other half of statements have negative attitude eg saying agree = unfavourable To catch out people who give these or force Ps to think I carefully

Question 34

How many boxes should be used in likert scales?

Answer 34

An odd number of 5 or over Because this includes a neutral option so Ps who are unsure aren’t forced into an opinion = increases validity

Question 35

Semantic differentials

Answer 35

An attitude object is given And antonym adjectives given with a scale between where participants state where on the scale of these adjectives they’d state the attitude object lies

Question 36

How is validity shown in self report?

Answer 36

That participants accurately show their honest attitudes/feelings

Question 37

What areas of validity are focused most on in self report?

Answer 37

Construct eg what is being measured (participants attitudes/feelings are true to reality Population Not ecological

Question 38

Problems with validity in self report (not accurately represents Ps feelings/ the truth)

Answer 38

Leading questions Forced choice questions Answering to be socially desirable Standard response set Lack of anonymity Researcher bias Giving in to demand characteristics

Question 39

Leading questions issue with validity

Answer 39

The participants will be lead to an opinion subconsciously so won’t accurately represent their true beliefs

Question 40

How to overcome issue with leading questions?

Answer 40

Word questions that won’t include an opinion and be more vague so participants feel more room to share what they think

Question 41

Participants need for social desirability issue with validity

Answer 41

Won’t accurately measure participants honest opinions or thoughts because they say what they believe will make them look better to researcher

Question 42

How to overcome issue with social desirability?

Answer 42

Guarantee confidentiality so participants don’t feel they need to associate their name with positive attributes

Question 43

Forced choice questions issue with validity?

Answer 43

Causes a participant into an option they don’t agree with decreases construct validity because it will not measure their true opinions

Question 44

How to overcome issue with forced choice questions?

Answer 44

Include a larger rating scale with a neutral option rather than closed yes/no questions Allow participants to state their own with an ‘other__’ option

Question 45

Showing demand characteristics issue with validity

Answer 45

Participants won’t input their true views/ feelings because they may guess what the researcher wants to find out so act accordingly

Question 46

How to overcome Demand characteristics validity issue?

Answer 46

Ask smokescreen questions to avoid Ps figuring out the aim

Question 47

Standard response set validity issue

Answer 47

Participants may not give real view because they aren’t individually considering each question

Question 48

How to avoid standard response set validity issue?

Answer 48

Write opposite questions eg ask if they like something then dislike something so participants are ‘kept on their toes’ to ensure they don’t answer all questions the same