self-report design Flashcards
what is a likert scale?
- when the respondent indicates their agreement (or otherwise) using a scale of usually five points
- the scale ranges from strongly agree to strongly disagree
what is a rating scale?
- works similarly to the likert scale but gets respondents to identify a value that represents their strength of feeling about a particular topic
- eg. how entertaining do you find zombie films? 1 = very entertaining etc.
what is a fixed choice option?
- it includes a list of possible options and respondents are required to indicate those that apply to them
evaluation of likert (and rating scale)
+ produces quantitative data which is easy to analyse
- people would choose middle if unsure
evaluation of fixed choice option
+ easy to analyse as it produces quantitative data
+ replicable, reliable, standardised
- forces participants to choose an option
- lacking in detail and validity
- may force a choice that does not represent the beliefs or opinions of the participants
what does an interview involve?
- most involve an interview schedule, which is the list of questions the interviewer intends to cover
- interviewer will take notes throughout or record and analyse later
who does an interview involve?
- usually involves interviewer and single participant
- group interviews may be appropriate in clinical settings
where should a one-to-one interview take place and why?
- in the case of one-to-one interviews, the interviewer should conduct the interview in a quiet room, away from other people
- this will increase the likelihood that the interviewee will open up
what should an interview begin with?
- it is good practice to begin the interview with some neutral questions
- this makes the interviewee feel relaxed and comfortable
- it is also a way of establishing rapport
what should the interviewee be reminded of?
- interviewees should be reminded on several occasions that their answers will be treated in the strictest confidence
- this is especially important if the interview includes topics that may be personal or sensitive
why is clarity essential when designing questionnaires and interviews?
if respondents are confused by or misinterpret particular questions, this will have a negative impact on the quality of the information received
what are some common errors in question design that should be avoided where possible?
- overuse of jargon
- emotive language
- leading questions
- double-barrelled questions
- double negatives
what is an overuse of jargon?
- jargon refers to technical terms that are only familiar to those within a specialised area or field
- eg. ‘do you agree that maternal deprivation in early childhood inevitably leads to affectionless psychopathy in later life?’
what are questions with emotive language?
- when a researcher’s attitude towards a particular topic is clear from the way in which the question is phrased
- eg. ‘boxing is a barbaric sport and any sane person would want it banned’
- ‘barbaric’ and ‘sane’ are emotive and should be replaced with more neutral alternatives
what are leading questions?
- when respondents are guided towards a particular answer
- eg. ‘it is not obvious that student fees should be abolished?’
