self report - Questionnaires Flashcards
What is a questionnaire?
A researcher instrument consisting of a series of written questions designed to gather information from respondents
What are open questions?
Questions that allow respondents to answer in as much or little detail as they want. It doesn’t require a set answer
What does an open question provide?
Qualitative data
Open questions evaluation
Strengths
- Rich in detail
- Can help to understand
behaviour fully
Weaknesses
- Difficult to analyse
- Time consuming
What are closed questions?
Questions that provide respondents with a set of predefined answers to choose from
What do closed questions provide?
Quantitative data
What are the types of closed questions?
Fixed choice, Likert scale, semantic differential and rating scale
Fixed choice questions
Questions that provide a limited range of answers. The respondent selects the answer that applies.
Fixed choice evaluation
Strengths
- Easier to analyse as limited
choice of responses
- Analysis should be more
objective
Weaknesses
- Answers may not reflect the
respondents true feelings
- Narrow range and lacks quality
- Low validity
Likert scale
Questions that typically ask people to indicate their level of agreement with a statement on a multiscale
Likert scale evaluation
Strengths
- Shows the respondent’s extent
of agreement
- easy to analyse and compare
Weaknesses
- May show central tendency
bias
- Still may not indicate their true
feelings
- May be hard to interpret
Semantic differential
Questions which ask to rate a concept on a scale between two bipolar adjectives
Semantic differential evaluation
Strengths
- Answers are easy to analyse
and compare
Weaknesses
- Respondents may interpret the
positions on the scale
subjectively from other people.
- Central tendency bias
Rating scale
Questions that ask to assign a value, typically on a numerical scale.
Rating scale evaluation
Strengths
- More insight with qualitative
data
- Comparisons can be made
between respondents.
Weaknesses
- Central tendency bias
Questionnaire dos
- Ensure you brief respondents
at the start of the questionnaire - Ensure the purpose and the
way the data will be used is
clear as well as who you are - Ensure questions aren’t
ambiguous or misleading. - Ensure simple language is used
Questionnaire don’ts
- Don’t have overlapping
- Don’t have too few choices
- Don’t ask for personal details
(only if required at the end)
Questionnaire strengths
- Relatively cheap
- Quick way to gather large
amounts of data - Completely private - More likely
to be honest
Questionnaire weaknesses
- Social desirability issues
- Can lack generalisability
- may be flawed if questions are
poorly designed - Cannot get clarification on the
meaning of questions. So can’t
respond accurately (reduces
validity).
