interviews

• structured interview

  There are set questions that the researcher has to ask, they can only ask the set questions.
• unstructured interview

  Researchers will have some 'starter' questions to ask but will then construct questions based on the responses they get.
• semi structured interview

  The researcher will have set questions but they can ask other questions throughout the interview.
• group interview

  The researcher interviews more than one person at the same time.
• interviewer effects

  When the interviewer influences the response participants give (normally accidentally) e.g., race, sex, gender, age.
• interviewer bias

  The values of the interviewer can change how the participant answers e.g., asking leading questions.
• social desirability

  When the participant gives the socially acceptable answer even if they think it is not the right answer.
• AO3 - practical factors

  -time: structured interviews are time effective as the same questions are always asked; group interviews - lots of people can be interviewed in short amounts of time; unstructured interviews can be time consuming as lots of questions can be asked, this is the same for semi structured interviews.

  -interviewers need to be trained which is time consuming.
• AO3 - ethical factors

  -all people are giving their informed consent to take part.

  -in structured interviews, participants are not protected from psychological harm.

  -it is hard to keep confidentiality in group interviews.
• AO3 - theoretical factors

  -group interviews produce more valid results as there are more people answering.

  -different types of interviews produce different types of data.

  -demand characteristics could happen in all interviews.
• what interviews would positivists prefer?

  Structured interviews.
• what interviews would interpretivists prefer?

  Unstructured/group interviews