self report techniques- questionnaires, interviews (structured and unstructured)

what are questionnaires?

A set of written questions used to assess a person's thoughts and/or experiences on the DV

strengths of questionnaires

- cost effective and efficient

- can be distributed quickly to a large and diverse sample- improves generalisability

- standardised so consistent and reliable data collected useful for identifying patterns

weakness of questionnaires

- Social desirability bias as pps may lie to present themselves in a positive light which lowers validity

- Biased sample as only certain people fill in questionnaires

- Different interpretations to questions reducing validity

What are open questions?

respondents use their own words to respond, gather qualitative data

strengths open questions

- rich, detailed responses so greater understanding of complex behaviours/attitudes

- can reveal patterns/themes

- high validity as capture depth and nuance of human experience

weakness of open questions

- difficult and time consuming to analyse data

- may end up with brief/vague answers so useless data

What are closed questions?

questions that provide a fixed set of responses to choose, used to collect quantitative data

strengths of closed questions

- quick and easy to answer increasing response rates

- standardised answers so easy to quantify and analyse- high reliability

- reduced risk of researcher bias in analysis

weaknesses of closed questions

- limit depth and richness of responses reducing validity of data

- pps may feel frustrated if none responses reflect their views

weakness of closed questions- rating scales

- rating scales have the potential for subjective interpretation undermining validity and causing inconsistency which limits usefulness of data and leading to misleading conclusions

what is a structured interview?

questions are predetermined and asked in a fixed order, conducted face to face/over the phone

strengths of structured interviews

- quick and easy to conduct- easier quantitative analysis as responses can be statistically analysed

- standardised format = high reliability, reduces interviewer bias and ensures consistency

weaknesses of structured interviews

- lack flexibility- superficial data which doesn't accurately reflect pps thoughts and feelings

- pps may feel restricted/frustrated if not able to elaborate affecting validity of data- miss important insights

what is an unstructured interview?

Works like a conversation, no set questions, a topic is discussed but interaction is free flowing.

strengths of unstructured interviews

- More flexible as questions can be adapted leading to greater validity and richer data

- conversational style builds rapport- more genuine and honest answers

- understand meaning behind behaviours

weaknesses of unstructured interviews

- difficult to replicate- each interview different depending on direction of conversation so harder to ensure reliability

- difficult to analyse data so greater risk of researcher bias influencing interpretation

- time consuming to conduct/analyse