self report techniques Flashcards
define a self-report technique
any method in which a person is asked to state or explain their own feeling, opinions, behaviors and/or experiences to a given topic
give examples of self-report techniques
questionnaires and interviews
define a questionnaire (2)
a set of written questions used to assess a person’s thoughts
and/or experiences. often used within an experiment to assess the DV (making it easier to analyse and compare)
what are the 2 possible styles of questions ?
- open + closed questions
define an open question
questions for which there is no fixed choice of response and repsonders can answer in any way they wish
give an example of an open question
why did you take up smoking ?
what type of data would an open question produce ?
qualitative data
what is a strength and limitation about the type of data used for open question?
- rich in depth and detail
- but may be difficult to analyse
define an closed question
offers a fixed number of responses
give an example of an closed question
- do you smoke (yes/no) ?
what type of data would an closed question produce ?
quantitative data
what is a strength and limitation about the type of data used for closed question?
- easier to analyse
- but it may lack the depth and detail associated with OQ’s
what are strengths of questionnaires ?
- cost-effective
give an strength of questionnaires (people) (3)
- gather large amounts of data quickly –> as they can be distributed to large numbers of people –> number of people are important as it determines the volume of data collected
what is a strength of questionnaires ? (effort) (2)
- can be completed without the researcher being present ( as in postal questionnaires) –> reduces the effort involved
what is a strength of questionnaires ? (data) (4)
- data produced is usually straightforward to analyse
–> case if q’s mainly fixed choice closed q’s
–> data lends itself to statistical analysis and comparisons between groups of ppl can be made using graphs and charts
what is a limitation of questionnaires ? (SDB + example) (4)
social desirability bias
–> respondents may be keen to present themselves in a positive light and this may influence their answers
–> responses given may not always be truthful
–> example: ‘ how often do you lose your form? ‘
–> most people would underestimate the frequency
what is a limitation of questionnaires ? (AB)
- tendency to agree with items on a questionnaire regardless of the content of the question
-example : ‘ always ticking ‘yes’ or answering at the same favored end of a rating scale ‘ - as respondents complete questionnaires too quickly and fail to read questions properly
define an interview (2)
a ‘live’ encounter where one person asks a set of questions to assess an interviewee’s thought and/or experiences. the questions may be pre-set or may develop as the interview goes along
what are the two broad types of interview ?
structured and unstructured interviews
define structured interviews
- made up of a pre-determined set of questions that are asked in a fixed order
what is structured interviews similar to and how is different from it ?
- questionnaires but conducted face to face (over the phone ) in real time
describe how structured interviews would work ?
- i.e. interviewer asks the questions and waits for response
what is unstructured interviews similar to and how is different to SI ?
- a conversation and the are no set questions
- general aim that a certain topic will be discussed
–> interaction tends to be free-flowing
what is the interviewee encouraged to do in a unstructured interview ?
- expand and elaborate their answers as prompted by the interviewer
what are is name of the interview that one is most likely to encounter in everyday life ?
- a job interview (semi-structured interview)
define a semi structured interview
a lost of questions that have been worked out in advance but interviewers are also free to ask follow-up questions when they feel it is appropriate
what is a strength of structured interviews ?
- straightforward to replicate due to the standardised format
–> format also reduces differences between interviewers
what is a limitation of structured interviews ?
- not possible for the interviewers to deviate from the topic or elaborate their points
–> may be a source of frustration for some
what is a strength of unstructured interviews ?
- interviewer can follow up points as they arise
–> is much more likely to gain insight into the worldview of the interviewee
what is there more of in unstructured interview compared to structured interview ?
flexibility
what is a limitation of unstructured interviews ?
–> analysis of data is not straightforward
–> researcher may have to sift through much irrelevant information
–>drawing firm conclusions may be difficult
what is a problem with unstructured interviews and it be resolved as.. ?
-risk that interviewees may lie for reasons of social desirability
–> a skilled and experienced interviewers should be able to establish sufficient rapport with the participant – even when sensitive and personal topics are discussed responses given are truthful
