self report design

Question 1

designing questionnaires - likert scales

Answer 1

respondents indicate their agreement with a statement using a scale of usually 5 points

scale ranges from strongly agreee to strongly disagree

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. etc

Question 2

designing questionnaires - rating scales

Answer 2

gets respondents to identify a value that represents their strength of feeling about a particular topic

example - how entertaining o you find zombie films

1 - very entertaining - 5 not at all entertaining

Question 3

designing questionnaires - fixed-choice option

Answer 3

includes a list of possible options and respondents are required to indicate those that apply to them

example - for what reasons do you watch zombie films tick those that apply

entertainment
amusement
to escape
education etc

Question 4

designing interviews

Answer 4

should involve an interview schedule - list of questions that the interviewer intends to cover
should be standardised to reduce the contaminating effect of interviewer bias

typically interviewer will take notes throughout the interview or alternatively the interview may be recorded and analysed later

usually involve interviewer and single participant
group interviews may be appropriate in clinical setting - in case of a one-to-one interview the interviewer should conduct it in a quiet room away from other people
this will increase the likelihood of the interviewee opening up

good to beging the interview with some neutral questioning to make the interviewee more comfortable and as a way of establishing rapport

interviewees should be reminded on several occasions that their answers will be treated in the strictest confidence - especially is it included personal or sensitive subjects

Question 5

writing good questionnaires - overuse of jargon

Answer 5

jargon - technical terms that are only familiar to those within a specialised field or area

simple and easily understood

Question 6

emotive language and leading questions

Answer 6

sometimes a researchers attitude towards a particular topic is clear from the way in which the question is phrased.

emotive words should be replaced with neutral alternatives

leading questions - guides the respondent towards a particular answer

Question 7

double barrelled questioning and double negatives

Answer 7

double barrelled question contains two questions in one, issue being that reposndent may agree with one hand of the question and not the other