self-reports Flashcards
what is self-report technique?
- 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
- they include questionnaires and interviews
what can a questionnaire contain?
- open questions
- closed questions
- closed = likert scale, rating scale, fixed choice
what is an open question + examples?
- doesn’t have fixed range of answers, respondents can answer freely
- produces qualitative data
e.g. describe your views towards animal testing, outline your attitudes towards recreational drug use
evaluate qualitative data
strength = rich in depth, gives us insight into why behaviours/opinions occur, increase internal validity
weakness = difficult to analyse and compare participant responses, reduce the internal validity
what is a closed question?
- offers a fixed number of responses
- produce quantitative, numerical data by limiting answers respondents can give
e.g. do you agree with animal testing? yes or no
evaluate quantitative data
strength = easy to analyse and compare participant responses, generates objective data, high internal validity
weakness = lacks rich in depth and detail, little insight into why behaviours/opinions occur, reduce internal validity
what is a likert scale?
- indicates agreement with a scale of usually 5 points, from strongly agree to disagree
- uses statement e.g. zombie films have educational value
what is a rating scale?
- identify value that represents their strength of feeling about a particular topic
- uses questions e.g. how entertaining do you find zombie films?
what is a fixed choice option?
- includes list of possible options and respondents are required to indicate those that apply to them
strengths of questionnaires
- cost effective = gather large amounts of data quickly because they can be distributed to large numbers of people, completed without researcher present, reduces effort involved
- easy data analysis = particularly closed questions, comparisons can be made, increase internal validity
weaknesses of questionnaires
- responses may not be truthful = may be keen to present themselves in a positive light, show social desirability bias and demonstrate demand characteristics. reduce the internal validity
- response bias = respondents tend to reply in a similar way e.g. always ticking ‘yes’, may be because completed too quickly or don’t read questions properly
what is an interview?
- conducted over the phone or face-to-face with an interviewer, two broad types: structured and unstructured
what is a structured interview?
- made up of pre-determined set of questions that are asked in fixed order, but conducted face-to-face
evaluate structured interview
strength = easy to replicate due to their standardised format, reduces differences between interviewers, increases reliability
weakness = interviewers cant deviate from the topic or elaborate their points, leads to a lack of detail, reduce the internal validity
what is an unstructured interview?
- works a lot like a conversation, no set questions
- interaction tends to be free-flowing, interviewee encouraged to expand and elaborate answers
evaluate unstructured interviews
- strength = much more flexibility, more likely to gain insight into the interviewee’s view, increase internal validity
- weakness = analysis of data is more difficult because qualitative data is collected, also subjective
- weakness = social desirability is an issue, may answer questions that present them in a positive light, reduce internal validity
what is a semi-structured interview?
- list of questions worked out in advance, also free to follow-up questions
- most interviews involve interview schedule, list of questions that the interviewer intends to cover, should be standardised
- interviewer takes notes during interview or be recorded and analysed
