SELF-REPORT

• What is self report?

  • Methods of gathering data
  • Participants provide info about themselves without interference from the experimenter
  • EXAMPLE: Questionnaires, interviews, diaries -> response to pre-set questions
  • STRENGTHS: Participants can be asked about their feelings / cognitions (e.g. thoughts) which is more useful than observing behaviour, can be asked hypothetically (don’t have to set them up & observe behaviour)
  • WEAKNESSES: Participants may not be willing to disclose thoughts / feelings, social desirability bias (may try to give the answers they think researchers are looking for)
• Unstructured: (informal) 

  • Casual conversation (build a rapport, natural)
  • No set questions
  • Raise topics that they deem relevant
  • Qualitative Data
  • STRENGTHS: Detailed / rich info (interviews) , conversational so can discuss sensitive issues
• Structured: (formal)

  • Like a job interview
  • Fixed, predetermined set of questions
  • Given to ppts in the same order and way
  • Interviewer stays within their role (social distance from interviewee)
• Semi- Structured (everyday life) 

  • No formalised question list
  • Open-ended questions (allows for discussion rather than Q & A format)
• GENERAL STRENGTHS & WEAKNESSES OF INTERVIEWS:

  • Strengths: Can be used as part of a pilot study
  • Weaknesses: Time-consuming, expensive (training interviewers, analysis of data), ppts must have basic competencies e.g. adequate communication skills) to partake (could limit sample size / representativeness)
• Interviewer Bias: 

  • Appearance / behaviour of the interviewer may influence respondent’s answers
  • Can bias / invalidate results
• QUESTIONNAIRES:

  • Face-to face, telephone, by post
• Questionnaires can be open ended (flexibility in respondent’s answers), however issues may arise if:

  • Jargon (subject-specific language) is overused
  • Leading questions are used
  • Double- barrelled questions are used
  • Double negatives are used
• Closed questions can also be used: (require short answers / choice of answers from given alternatives)

  • Likert scales (Strongly agree -> Strongly disagree, May remove “neutral”)
  • Rating scales (numerical, find average)
  • Fixed choice (multiple choice, tick what you agree with / other)
• KEY POINT:

  *QUESTION CHOICE SHOULD AVOID BIAS / AMBIGUITY*
• STRENGTHS OF QUESTIONNAIRES

  • Relatively cheap / quick way to gather a large amount of data
  • Can be completed privately / anonymously (honest answers)
• WEAKNESSES OF QUESTIONNAIRES:

  • Social desirability issues
  • ”Attrition” response return rates are poor (e.g. if sent by post) so cannot generalise 
  • Can be flawed if there are leading questions
  • Misunderstood questions- no clarification - questionnaire may be completed incorrectly