self report measures

Self report techniques

Any method when a person is asked to state or explain heir feelings opinions or behaviorus

Social desirability bias

Distortion in the way people answer questions - tendency to answer in a way that presents themselves in a better light

Questionnaires

Set of written items

Always pre determined

Used to gather info

Strengths of questionnaires

• cost effective

• Easy to replicate

• Willing to give personal info when not in person

Limitations of questionnaires

• social desirability bias

• Sampling bias

Interviews

Face to face real time interactions

Structured interview

Predetermined questions - asked in fixed order

No deviation from set questions

Strengths of structured interviews

Easy to analyse and replicate

Limitations of structured interviews

• can’t deep dive into answers due to no deviation from questions

• Interviewer bias

• Reluctance to answer personal questions

Unstructured interviews

• no set questions

• Begins with general aims

• Interviewee encouraged to expand answers

• Next questions created in response to answers

Strengths of unstructured interviews

More flexible

More in depth data

Limitations of unstructured interviews

• harder to replicate

• Required skilled interviewer

• Harder to analyse

• Higher Risk of interviewer bias

Closed questions

Have a predetermined range of answers and respondents select one - quantitative data

Easier to analyse through stats analysis

Open questions

Questions with no fixed choice - provide their own answers - qualitative data

Harder to analyse

How to write good questions

Clarity - no ambiguity to ensure understanding

No double barrelled or double negative questions

Avoid jargon e.g. technical language

No bias - no leading question

No emotive language

Filler questions

irrelevant Qs which distract Ps from identifying study aim

They reduce demand characteristics

Sequencing

Order of the items

Start with easier questions , straightforward + closed

Save difficult ones for later - gradual commitment

What sampling techniques are used

Usually its self selected sample - volunteer sampling

This is not as representative so difficult to generalise findings

Pilot study for questionnaire

Small scale trial run through of study - checks quality and validity so any changes to questions can be made.

Designing interviews - schedule

how its planned - order of Qs - for structured interviews only

Build a rapport by starting with easier questions

Designing interviews - recording

Video / audio - can rewatch + check reliability - can see body language and hear tone

Scribe / notes - may interrupt the flow of interview

Designing interviews - effect of the interviewer

Non verbal communication = open body language , eye contact , nodding , smiling

Listening skills - follow up Qs, encouraging sounds, not interrupting and paying attention

Help to encourage interviewer to open up

Designing interviews - questioning skills

Important in an unstructured interviews only

Must be able to formulate good questions on the spot