self report + interviews

• What is a self-report?

  A method to obtain data by asking participants to provide information about themselves
• What are the types of self-report methods?

  • Self-report technique
  • Questionnaires
  • Open and closed questions
  • Likert scale
  • Rating scale
  • Fixed choice option
  • Leading questions
  • Jargon
• What is jargon in the context of self-reports?

  Special words or expressions used by a profession or group that are difficult for others to understand
• What are the types of interviews used in self-reports?

  • Structured interviews: mainly closed questions
  • Unstructured interviews: mix of open and closed questions
  • Semi-structured interviews: mainly open questions
• What characterizes structured interviews?

  They mainly ask closed questions
• What is the main feature of unstructured interviews?

  They ask a mix of open and closed questions
• What is the primary focus of semi-structured interviews?

  They mainly ask open questions
• How do structured, unstructured, and semi-structured interviews differ?

  • Structured: mainly closed questions
  • Unstructured: mix of open and closed questions
  • Semi-structured: mainly open questions
• strengths of questionnaires


  • easy to administer + can be emailed to ppts - making them cost efficient
  • data = easy to analyse as they are usually quantitative
  • ppts might be more truthful than in an interview if answers = socially sensitive
• weaknesses of questionnaires


  • response biases eg. always answering 'no' can lead to invalid results
  • is limited as new questions cannot be added
• strengths of closed questions


  • easy for ppts to respond to so large amounts of data can be collected quickly - makes data more reliable + generalisable (with wide sample)
• weaknesses of closed questions


  • only produce quantitative data which lacks detail so ppts cannot fully express opinions - lowering validity
  • risk of response bias eg. consistently saying 'yes'
• strengths of open questions


  • retains detail of ppts answers so information is not lost through averaging
  • produces qualitative data which provides detail so ppts can express opinions fully - raising validity
• weaknesses of open questions


  • produces qualitative data = time consuming to analyse and themes need to be identified + extracted
  • interpretation of quantitative data can be subjective - leading to bias from researchers- reducing inter-rater reliability
• strengths of rating scales


  • produces quantitative data - easy to analyse + find modes, medians + plot graphs
  • can be tested for reliability (test retest) + can be improved by removing unreliable items
  • easy for ppts to respond to so large amounts of data = collected quickly
• weaknesses of rating scales


  • only produces quantitative data - lacks detail so ppts cannot fully express opinions - lowering validity
  • risk of response biases eg. only giving answers in the middle or at the extreme end of the scale
  • cannot be used to measure complex variables eg. attitudes
• strengths of likert scales

  • allow measurement of more complex attitudes than rating scales
  • produces quantitative data - easy to analyse + find modes, medians + plot graphs
  • can be tested for reliability (test retest) + be improved by removing unreliable items
• weaknesses of likert scales


  • only produces quantitative data - lacks detail so ppts cannot express opinions - lowering validity
  • the meaning of the middle value is ambiguous - could mean no opinion or undecided
• strengths of semantic differentials


  • scale = easy to administer + understand
  • result in quantitative data that can be analysed
  • has high validity + reliability
• weaknesses of semantic differentials


  • social desirability bias may influence ppts during socially sensitive concepts (eg. cheating or stealing)
  • having too many options can reduce accuracy +too little opinions can reduce sensitivity of the measurement
  • ppts have difficulty to rank their views + only tick extreme values
• what is a questionnaire?


  a self report method that uses written questions
• what are closed questions?


  questions which restrict ppts to one set of possible answers
• what are open questions?


  questions that allow ppts to provide more detailed repsonses on how they think + feel
• what is a rating scale?


  a numerical scale where ppts indicate a choice by one number - providing quantitative data
• what is a likert scale?


  type of question that measures attitudes using a statement to which ppts respond by choosing an option - typically 'strongly agree' +'agree' etc
• what is a semantic differential


  type of rating scale that allows ppts to choose on a scale between two extremes using an opposing pair of descriptive words - eg. 'weak' +'strong'
• what is a structured interview?

  a standardised interview that predominantly asks closed questions in a fixed order
• what is a semi-structured interview?


  an interview method that combines open-ended and structured questions (interviewer can add additional questions if needed)
• what is an unstructured interview?


  an interview that generally begins with a standard question for all ppts but then questions depend on ppts answers (uses open ended questions)
• strengths of structured interviews


  • reduced research bias as the same questions are asked to all ppts
  • predetermined nature increases validity + reliability
  • is simple, cost effective + efficient
• weaknesses of structured interviews


  • difficulty building rapport between interviewer + ppt
  • limited question flexibility
  • ppts cannot go into detail about answers
• strengths of semi-structured interview


  • ability to receive detailed + rich responses due to open ended nature of questions
  • considered 'best of both worlds' as elements of structured + semi-structured are combined (leads to reliability + flexibility)
• weaknesses of semi-structured interviews


  • low validity (can be hard to compare responses)
  • high risk of social desirability bias from ppts due to open ended questions
• strengths of unstructured interviews


  • very flexible - like a conversation
  • interviewer can build rapport with ppts
  • reduced risk of bias
  • ppts able to give more detailed answers
• weaknesses of unstructured interviews

  • low generalisability + reliability
  • risk of leading questions (leads to bias responses)
  • time consuming
  • risk of low internal validity (conversations may go on a tangent)
• structured interview example

  • multiple choice questions
  • dichotomous questions (eg. true or false + yes or no questions)