Self-Report Measures

Question 1

What are self-report measures?

Answer 1

Any method that involves the collection of data from participants in their own words and/or activities completed by them.

Question 2

What are some examples of self-report measures?

Answer 2

Questionnaires, interviews, diaries.

Question 3

What are the characteristics of questionnaires?

Answer 3

• Can be quantitative or qualitative
• Collect large amounts of data quickly
• Results are analysed with statistical methods
• Favoured by positivist sociologists
• E.g. National Consensus & CSEW

Question 4

What are open questions?

Answer 4

The respondent can answer any way they want to.

Question 5

What are closed questions?

Answer 5

The respondents choose from a finite or limited set of answers.

Question 6

What are the characteristics of interviews?

Answer 6

• Spoken questionnaires
• Three levels of formality called ‘structure’
• Can be coded using content-analysis (bottom-up) or thematic-analysis (top-down)
• Open questions and non-directive questioning is favoured
• Unusual variations like aggressive challenging of participants or collaborative interviewing.

Question 7

What are structured interviews?

Answer 7

Questions are already set/ordered.

Question 8

What are semi/partly structured interviews?

Answer 8

Topics are set but no direction is given.

Question 9

What are unstructured interviews?

Answer 9

Conversation/free written answers with no guidance.