Self Report Techniques

Question 1

What is a self report technique

Answer 1

When the participant reveals personal information about themselves in response to questions

Question 2

What is a questionnaire

Answer 2

Data collected through a set of written questions

Question 3

What is an interview

Answer 3

A face-to-face real-time interaction resulting in the collection of data

Question 4

Name and explain the three types of interview

Answer 4

Structured, interviewers Read out a list of pre-written questions
Semi-structured, Mix of prepared questions and ability to ask additional ones
Unstructured, interview has no list of questions it’s like a flow of open conversation

Question 5

Evaluate the use of a structured interview

Answer 5

+ All participants answer the same questions making it easy to compare
+ No requirement for a trained interviewer
- Less detail and no opportunity for additional questions

Question 6

Evaluate the use of an unstructured interview

Answer 6

+ Participants Feel more comfortable and they give more detailed answers
+ More detail can be gained through follow-up questions
- Comparison between interviews can be difficult as not all participants are asked the same questions
- The interviewer must be highly trained to ask the correct questions

Question 7

Evaluate the use of a semi structured interview

Answer 7

+ allows for comparison whilst also gaining more detail through additional questions
- Requires a trained interviewer

Question 8

What is the difference between open and closed questions

Answer 8

Open questions, allow participants to answer however they want generating qualitative data
Close questions, limits participants responses to a fixed number of options generating quantitative data

Question 9

Evaluate the use of open questions

Answer 9

+ More detail and depth
- Qualitative research is harder to analyse and compare

Question 10

Evaluate the use of close questions

Answer 10

+ Generates quantitative data making it easier to compare and analyse 
- Restricts participants to fix answers so may lose detail

Question 11

What factors would a researcher need to consider when designing a self report technique

Answer 11

• Complex terminology, this can be easily misunderstood and affect participants answers
• Leading questions, these prompts certain answers out of participants and may generate patterns that aren’t true
• Piloting, running the self report on a small scale to spot confusions or questions that reveal the aim of the study
• Destruction questions, can be used to ease the participant in or distract them from the aim of the study this reduces demand characteristics and socially desirable answers
• Length, if the questionnaire is too long the participants may get bored and not answer properly E.g. Just ticking boxes (acquiesce bias) 

Question 12

Evaluate the use of a questionnaire

Answer 12

+ Don’t require a trained interviewer and can be distributed easily to generate large samples
+ Cheap and easy process
+ When using close questions responses can be easily compared
- Confusing questions that participants don’t understand can’t be rephrased
- Questionnaires Are often not taken seriously and result in acquiescence bias 

Question 13

Evaluate the use of interviews

Answer 13

+ Can rephrase questions that are difficult to understand
+ The interviewee will take the interview more seriously and are likely to give more detail
- Requires an interview that may need to be trained which increases costs
- May suffer from interviewer affects, Interview a bias is the effect of an interview as expectations which I communicated unconsciously