self report techniques/design

Question 1

what are self report techniques

Answer 1

any method where someone is asked to state/explain their own feelings, opinions & behaviours (etc.) on a given topic

Question 2

2 types of self report techniques

Answer 2

• questionnare
• interview

Question 3

describe questionnares

Answer 3

• preset list of questions
• used to asses thoughts/feelings
• can be used to measure DV in experiment
• different types of questions: open & closed

Question 4

whats an open question in a questionnaire

Answer 4

• no fixed range of answers
• responses include greater detail
• conclusions drawn may be open to bias (analysed differently by different interviewers)
• difficult to collate (1 big conclusion) & summarise data
• mostly produce qualitative data

Question 5

whats a closed question in a questionnare

Answer 5

• number of fixed responses
• often involves ticking/circling an answer
• responses easier to compare
• respondents cannot explain answers

Question 6

describe interviews

Answer 6

• most involve face-to-face interaction
• 2 broad types: structured & unstructured

Question 7

whats a structured interview

Answer 7

pre-determined set of questions that are fixed in set order

Question 8

whats an unstructured interview

Answer 8

works like a conversation as no set questions

Question 9

whats a semi-structured interview

Answer 9

(falls between structured & unstructured)
some set questions but interviewers can ask follow up questions

Question 10

strengths of questionnares

Answer 10

• cost effective
  E: gather large amounts of data quickly as distributed to large numbers of people and can be completed without researcher present
• easy & quick to analyse

Question 11

weaknesses of questionnares

Answer 11

• responses may not be truthful (social desirability bias)
  E: responders keen to present selves in positive light which may influence answer —> social desirability bias is type of demand characteristic
• issue of response bias (participants answer in similar way throughout) —> aka aquiescence bias

Question 12

explain social desirability bias

Answer 12

changing your answer to what you think everyone wants to hear

Question 13

aquiescence bias

Answer 13

tendency to agree with items on a questionnare regardless of the content of the question

Question 14

strengths of structured interviews

Answer 14

• easy to replicate
  E: due to standardised format - format also reduces differences between interviewers&raquo_space;
• ^reduces interviewer bias

Question 15

weakness of structured interviews

Answer 15

• lack of detail
  E: due to nature of interview, interviewers cannot deviate from topic or explain questions which limits richness of data collected as well as limit unexpected information

Question 16

strengths of unstructured interviews

Answer 16

• more flexibility
  E: follow up points as they arise & more likely to gain insight into worldview of interviewee
• more insight
• gain rapport

Question 17

define rapport

Answer 17

relationship - becoming more open & honest

Question 18

weaknesses of unstructured interviews

Answer 18

• difficulty to analyse
  E: researcher may have to sift through much irrelevant information & drawing firm conclusions is difficult
• social desirability bias

Question 19

3 types of designing questionnares

Answer 19

• likert scale
• rating scales
• fixed choice option

Question 20

define likert scaling

Answer 20

• generates quantitative data by assessing strength of opinion
• asked to rate feelings on particular topic using scale
• answers graded 1-5 to facilitate statistical analysis

Question 21

define rating scales

Answer 21

• respondents identify a value that represents their strength of feeling about particular topic

Question 22

define fixed choice option

Answer 22

• includes list of possible options
• respondents indicate those that apply to them

Question 23

key factors in designing interviews

Answer 23

• involve interview schedule
  ^^should be standardised for each participant to reduce interviewer bias
• interviewer take notes/recorderd & analysed later
• interviewer & single participant (can do group ones - esp. in clinical settings)
• quiet room away from others
• may start with neutral questions (interviewee becomes more relaxed/comfortable - establishes rapport)
• remind participants that answers are confidential

Question 24

what’s an interview schedule

Answer 24

list of questions that an interviewer needs to cover

Question 25

key factors in writing a good question

Answer 25

• clarity
• avoid using jargon
• avoid leading questions (guides respondent to particular answer)
• avoid double-barrelled questions (respondent may agree with only one half of question)
• avoid double negatives

Question 26

what’s jargon

Answer 26

special expressions only familiar to those in specialised field/area