self report techniques

Question 1

what are questionnaires

Answer 1

written questions used to access a person’s though/experiences

Question 2

what are open questions

Answer 2

questions phrased so people can answer freely
collects qualitative data
eg. ‘What do you think about…’

Question 3

2 strengths of open questions

Answer 3

-have lots of detail
-good for sensitive topics- people can elaborate

Question 4

criticism of open questions

Answer 4

hard to convert into stats, so it is hard to analyse and compare with other data

Question 5

what are closed questions

Answer 5

questions that restrict you to a fixed number of responses
collects quantitative data

Question 6

strength of closed questions

Answer 6

easy to analyse and compare with other data

Question 7

2 criticisms of closed questions

Answer 7

-limiting- can be frustrating for people
-lacks detail

Question 8

5 strengths of questionnaires

Answer 8

-gathers lots of data quickly
-cost effective
-researcher doesnt need to be present
-easy to analyse
-responses are usually anonymous so participants are more open

Question 9

5 criticisms of questionnaires

Answer 9

-hard to know if the target population answered it eg. if it was online
-takes a long time to design
-social desirability bias can be presented- reduces validity
-participant bias can be presented- reduces validity
-response bias can be presented- acquiescence bias where participants agree with everything- reduces validity

Question 10

how to construct questionnaires (4)

Answer 10

-needs clarity
-avoid jargon, emotive language and leading questions- can cause biases
-use sequencing questions- start with easy ones to build participant confidence
-use filler questions- distracts participants from real aim of study- eliminates demand characteristics

Question 11

what is a structured interview

Answer 11

set of predetermined questions being asked during an interview

Question 12

3 strengths of structured interviews

Answer 12

-standardisation is possible
-easily replicable
-can compare participants

Question 13

2 criticisms of structured interviews

Answer 13

-interviewer bias (body language, interpretative bias)
-social desirability bias

Question 14

what are interviews

Answer 14

live encounter where questions are asked to assess thoughts+experiences

Question 15

what are unstructured interviews

Answer 15

no predetermined questions- questions develop as interview goes on
can be tailored to individuals

Question 16

2 strengths of unstructured interviews

Answer 16

-lots of data collected with more detail
-can be tailored to individuals- provides more insight

Question 17

5 criticisms of unstructured interviews

Answer 17

-skilled interviewers needed
-interviewer bias
-social desirability bias
-hard to compare participants
-hard to analyse data- lots of irrelevant data

Question 18

how to construct interviews (4)

Answer 18

-record info (write it down, use a camera/recorded)
-ethical issues- informed consent is needed for interviewer to keep data
-location- should use a quiet room so participants can open up
-neutral questions