Questionnaires

• (+) of questionnaires?

  * allow psychologists to access what can't be observed eg thoughts and feelings

  * bc can be anonymous, encourages ppts to give truthful responses leading to valid findings

  * open questions lead to more meaningful data

  * closed questions make it easier to compare ppts' answers

  * rating scales allow psychologists to look for patterns in statistics
• (-) of questionnaires?

  * rely on people being able to articulate thoughts and feelings

  * may be misunderstood as there's no one there to clarify answers

  * answers to open questions can be open to interpretation

  * closed questions can restrict ppts' answers

  * quantitative data may lack construct validity