Self report techniques & design

Question 1

What is a self-report technique?

Answer 1

• any method in which a person is asked to state or explain their own feelings, opinions, behaviours and/or experiences related to a given topic

Question 2

What is a questionnaire?

Answer 2

• a pre-set list of written questions (items) used to assess a persons thoughts and/or experiences

Question 3

What are open-ended questions?

Answer 3

• questions for which there is no fixed range of answers, respondents can answer in any way they wish ( why Qs)
• tend to produce qualitative date

Question 4

What are close-ended questions?

Answer 4

• questions for which there is a fixed choice of responses for respondents ( e.g. yes/no Qs)
• tends to produce quantitative data

Question 5

strenghts of using questionnaires

Answer 5

• cheap > no need to recruit interviewers
• can be posted > reduces effort
• easy to quantify & analyse (particularly close-ended)
• maintains objectivity & detachment
• can collect info from a larger number of people

Question 6

Weaknesses of using questionnaires

Answer 6

• participants can’t ask questions
• participants may misinterpret questions
  -responses may not always be truthful (social desirability bias)
• may produce response biases e.g. Acquiescence bias (always ticking yes)

Question 7

What is an interview?

Answer 7

• a live encounter where one person asks a set of questions (interviewer) to assess a interviewees thoughts and/or experiences

Question 8

What are structured interviews?

Answer 8

• interviews which consist of a pre-determined set of questions asked in a fixed order ( standardised0

Question 9

What are unstructured interviews?

Answer 9

• no set questions and works like a conversation
• interviewee is encouraged to expand and elaborate on their answers by interviewer

Question 10

What are semi-structured interviews?

Answer 10

• interview in which their is a pre-determined list but interviewers are free to ask follow up questions

Question 11

Strengths and weaknesses of structured interviews

Answer 11

strengths
- easy to replicate > standardised format
- format reduces differences between interviewers
- easy to analyse (quantitative data)
weaknesses
- less quality & depth in data as follow up questions can’t occur
- social desirability bias

Question 12

Strengths and weaknesses of unstructured interviews

Answer 12

strengths
- more flexibility > can ask follow up questions & gain more insight
- can clarify misunderstandings
- build a rapport with interviewee > truthful answers= increases validity
weaknesses
- qualitative date = harder to analyse
- interviewer bias
- may lie due to social desirability bias

Question 13

What are the 3 ways close questions can be divided? designing questionnaires

Answer 13

• Likert scale- one in which respondents indicate their agreement (scale ranges from strongly agree to strongly disagree)
• rating scales- respondents identify a value that represents their strength of feeling to a topic
• fixed- choice option- includes a list of possible options, respondents indicate those that apply to them

Question 14

Overuse of jargon - research design error

Answer 14

• these are technical terms that are only familiar to those within a particular field or area
• best questions are simple & easily understood

Question 15

Emotive language & leading questions - research design error

Answer 15

• research attitudes towards a particular topic is clear from the way research questions are phrased

Question 16

double- barrelled questions and double negatives- research design error

Answer 16

• DBQ contains two questions in one > respondents may agree to one half of the Q and not the other
  DNQ- difficult for respondents to decipher