7) Self-reports techniques

what is a questionnaire?

A questionnaire is a set of pre-written questions which the participants respond too.

What do psychologist use questionnaire to assess?

Psychologist use questionnaire to assess thoughts and/or feelings

What can questionnaire be used as a part of?

Questionnaire can be used as a part of an experiment to assess the dependent variable

What is an open question?

An open question does not have a fixed range of answers and the respondents are free to answer in any way

What are advantages of open questions?

1. Produce lots of qualitative data

2. Rich in detail and depth

What’s a limitation of open questions?

Difficult to analyse

What are examples of closed questions?

1. Yes or no questions

2. Rate on a scale of 1 to 10

3. Likert scale

What are strengths of closed questions?

1. Easy to analyse

2. Provided quantitative data

What are limitation of closed questions?

They lack depth and details

How can closed questions that produce qualitative data be turned into quantitative data

Closed questions that produce qualitative an be turned into quantitative data by counting the number of yes or no responses

What is a strength of questionnaires in terms of time and money?

questionnaire are quick and cost-effective to administer to large samples.

What is a strength of questionnaires regarding data type?

Questionnaire produce quantitative data, which is easy to analyse statistically.

What is a limitation of questionnaires in terms of response rate?

In questionnaire, response rates can be low, meaning fewer people complete them, reducing validity.

What is social desirability bias in questionnaires?

Participants may give answers they think are socially acceptable rather than truthful.

What is a structured interview?

Structured interviews are a set of pre-determined questions that are asked in a fixed order.

What is an unstructured interview?

An unstructured interview works like a conversation. The are no set questions but there is a general aim that a certain topic will be discussed. The interaction is free flowing and the interviewee is encouraged to expand and elaborate their answers as prompted by the interviewer.

What is a semi structured interview?

A semi-structured interview falls between structured and unstructured. There is a laid of questions that have been worked out in advance but the interviewers are free to ask folllow-up questions when they feel is appropriate.

What is a strength of interviews in terms of respondent’s viewpoint?

Interviews provide in-depth, qualitative data, giving detailed insight into what participants think and feel.

What is a strength of interviews for understanding sensitive topics?

Interviews allow clarification and probing, making it easier to explore complex or sensitive issues.

What is an ethical strength of interviews?

A strength of interview is that Consent is usually gained, and participants can be better informed and supported.

What is a limitation of interviews due to investigator effects?

In interviews, the interviewer may influence responses through leading questions, tone, or body language.

Why are interviews time-consuming?

Interviews are time consuming because they take a long time to conduct and analyse, especially with detailed responses.

What is a limitation of interviews in terms of replication and generalisation?

Unstructured answers to interviews are harder to replicate and may not be generalisable to a wider population.