Self-Report (qu) Flashcards
Questionnaire
Giving people a fixed set of questions
Advantages of a questionnaire
It can be easily repeated so that the data can be collected from a large number of people relatively cheaply and quickly.
Respondents may feel more willing to reveal personal or confidential information in a questionnaire than in an interview.
Disadvantages of a questionnaire
The group of people involved (called the sample) may be biased because only certain kinds of people filling questionnaires - literate individuals who are willing to spend time filling them in.
Closed question
Has a fixed number of possible answers.
Provide quantitive data.
Advantages of a closed question
Easy to analyse because data is quantitive which can be summarised using averages as well as simple graphs - this generally makes it easier to draw conclusions.
Disadvantages of closed questions
My not permit people to express their precise feelings and tends not to uncover new insights, and so data collected may be low in validity.
Oversimplifies reality and human experience because it suggests that there are simple answers.
Open questions
Invites respondents to provide their own answers.
Produce qualitative data.
Advantages of open questions
Provides rich details of how people behave because they are given a free range to express themselves.
Respondents can express what they actually think rather then being restricted by preconceived categories - this increases the validity of the data collected.
Disadvantages of open questions
More difficult to detect patterns and draw conclusions because there are likely to be a wide range of respondents answers. Therefore a researcher may look for trends rather than using descriptive statistics.
Rating scale
Respondents are asked to give an assessment of their views using a scale e.g. from 1 to 5
Advantages of a rating scale
A reasonably objective way to represent feelings and attitudes related to the topic being researched.
Produces quantitive data which is easy to analyse all represent in a graph.
Disadvantages of a rating scale
Respondents may avoid ends of scales and go for the middle so answers do not represent true feelings i.e. lack validity.
Key issues to consider when designing a questionnaire
Clarity - making questions clear = higher validity.
Bias - avoid social desirability bias and leading questions
Type of question
Pros and cons of a questionnaire
Can be given out to lots of people and therefore the researcher and collect a large amount of data.
People may feel more willing to reveal confidential information on a questionnaire because the presence of an interviewer may make them feel evaluated.
