Structured Interviews Flashcards
what are structured interviews
Formal interviews, done in a standardised way - asking questionnaires. The same questions, wording, order, and tone of voice are used.
practical issues
- Structured interviews can cover quite large numbers of people because they are quick and fairly cheap to administer. For example, Young and Willmott interviewed 933 people in this way in their research on families in east London, they can not match the potentially huge numbers reached by postal questionnaires
- They are suitable for gathering straightforward factual information
- The results are easily quantified because they use close-ended questions with pre-coded answers
response rate
Although the numbers that can be studied are lower than for questionnaires structured interviews generally have a higher response rate because people find it hard to turn down face-to-face requests and some may welcome the opportunity to talk. Young and Willmott approached 987 people and only got 54 refusals. This increases the chances of gaining representative data - however, those with time may not be representative of the entire population and undermine its validity -
reliability
Positivists see structured interviews as a standardised measuring instrument, each interview is conducted in precisely the same way with the same question and in the same order, meaning we can compare and identify similarities and differences - uses pre-coded questions
validity
they produce a false picture of the subjects they are trying to study
1. They are only snapshots taken at one moment in time, so they fail to capture the dynamic of social life
2. They use close-ended questions that restrict interviewees from choosing from a limited number of pre-set questions. If none of these answers fits what the interviewee really wishes to say, the data obtained will be invalid
3. Interviewers are given little freedom to explain questions or clarify misunderstandings
4. People may lie or exaggerate
inflexibility
Structured interviews suffer from the inflexibility that comes from having to draw up questions in advance. In doing so, the researcher has already decided what is important and may not follow through with what the interviewee thinks is important. - Lacks validity because they may not reflect the interviewee’s concerns and priorities. - impossible to pursue any interesting leads due to the use of pre-coded questions.
feminists criticisms
feminists argue that it lacks rapport, they are patriarchal and give a distorted, invalid view of women’s experiences.
graham - feminists
they impose the researcher’s categories on women, making it impossible for them to express their experiences. It uses a masculine approach that lacks an equal and collaborative relationship based on trust, empathy and support. The researcher, not the female interviewee is in control of the interview and decides the line of questioning to be followed. This mirrors women’s subordination in wider society
It treats women as isolated individuals
Imposes the researcher’s categories on women, making it difficult for them to express their experiences of oppression
interpretivism
Interpretivists are concerned with wanting to uncover the meanings that actors use to construct social reality. We need a method high in validity to do that, quantitative methods such as structured interviews tend to produce a false picture
reasons why structured interviews produce a false picture according to interpretivism
- They use close-ended questions. This forces interviewees to choose from a limited number of pre-set questions. If none of these fits what the interviewee really wishes to say the data produced will be invalid
- It gives interviewers little freedom to explain questions or clarify misunderstandings
practical issues - young people
Less-developed linguistic and intellectual skills these may pose practical problems
1. Be less articulate or more relunctant to talk
2. Not understand long, complex questions or some abstract concepts
3. Have limited vocab
4. Shorter attention span
5. Poor memory retrieval.
These factors may lead to misunderstandings and incorrect or incomplete answers and further undermine the validity of the data obtained - this may mean that unstructured interviews may be more suitable.
children
more difficulty in keeping to the point, especially in unstructured interviews, According to Powney and Watts, young children tend to be more literal minded and often pay more attention to unexpected details in questions and may use a diff logic from adult interviewers, they may need more training = more costs
schools
Content of the interviews may get round after only a few interviews have taken place - influence responses given - reduces validity. Location of the intervieww may be problematic, if interviews are conducted on school premises, this may affect how comfortable parents or teachers feel. The school and the classroom represent higher status and authority and some pupils and parents might find the location off-putting. Teachers may be put off by the fear of colleagues or the head teacher overhearing, especially if the questions are sensitive.
access and response rate
schools are hierarchical institutions, the lower the hierarchy the interviewee is the more approvals that have to be obtained. To interview a teacher - obtain permission from the head teacher, interview pupils - require parental consent
schools may be reluctant because of the disruption it might cause to lessons - they may object to the researcher’s chosen topic
problems conducting interviews after school hours
if the researcher can obtain official permission then the hierarchical nature of the school can work in their favour
interviewer as a teacher in disguise
Power and status inequalities can affect the outcome of interviews. If interviewees have less power than the interviewer they may see it as being in their own best interest to lie, exaggerate, conceal information or seek to please when answering questions. They may also be less self-confident and their responses less articulate and be influenced by the social characteristics of the researcher.
