self report techniques

• What are self-report techniques in psychology?

  Methods where participants report their own data
• What is a questionnaire?

  A written method for data collection
• What types of data can questionnaires produce?

  Qualitative or quantitative data
• What are the two main types of questions in questionnaires?

  Closed and open questions
• What is a closed question?

  Questions with predetermined answer options
• What is an open question?

  Questions without restricted answer options
• What is a Likert scale?

  A scale measuring agreement with statements
• How would you use a rating scale in a questionnaire?

  To assess strength of feelings on a topic
• What is a fixed choice option in questionnaires?

  A list of options for respondents to select
• What should be considered when designing questionnaires?

  Clarity, brevity, and pilot testing
• What are the advantages of questionnaires?

  • Easy to administer after piloting
  • Quantitative data is easy to analyze
  • Large amounts of data can be collected quickly
• What are the two main types of questions used in questionnaires?

  Closed and open
• What is a Likert scale?

  A scale where respondents indicate their agreement with a statement using a range of options from strongly agree to strongly disagree
• What is a rating scale?

  A scale where respondents identify a value that represents the strength of their feeling about a particular topic
• What is a fixed choice option?

  A list of possible options where respondents indicate those that apply to them
• Why are closed questions best used to get factual information?

  Because the range of possible answers is determined by the researcher, making the data easy to quantify and analyze
• Why are open questions better for getting qualitative information?

  Because the researcher does not restrict the range of available answers, leading to a greater depth of qualitative information
• What are the key design principles for questionnaires?

  • Keep the number of questions to a minimum
  • Use short questions
  • Phrase questions clearly to avoid ambiguity/misunderstanding
  • Pilot the questionnaire before administering
  • Can be used as a one-off measure or before and after an event to examine an event's impact
• What are the advantages of questionnaires?

  They can be carried out with minimum training, quantitative data from closed questions is easy to analyze, and large amounts of data can be gathered quickly from a large number of respondents
• Why can problems with question wording in questionnaires make comparing answers meaningless?

  If the wording is ambiguous, people may interpret the questions differently, so their answers cannot be meaningfully compared
• Why can a biased sample be a disadvantage of questionnaires?

  Questionnaires are only suitable for people who are literate and willing/able to spend time filling them out, so certain people's views will not be represented in the results
• Why can a low response rate be a disadvantage of questionnaires?

  A low response rate means the results may not be representative of the target population
• Why can social desirability bias be a disadvantage of questionnaires?

  Participants may present themselves in a positive light or lie about sensitive issues, so the results will not be a true reflection of their actual behavior
• What are the three major types of interviews?

  1. Structured interviews
  2. Unstructured interviews
  3. Semi-structured interviews
• What is the main aim of a structured interview?

  To produce quantitative data using questions decided in advance so the interviewee's responses are structured
• Why are structured interviews easier to analyze than unstructured interviews?

  Because the procedure is standardized with the same wording and order of questions, so the data is more structured and easier to analyze
• Why do unstructured interviews have higher validity than structured interviews?

  Because the interviewee is more likely to report what they wish to say, and the interviewer can be flexible to follow up on issues, leading to more realistic and ecologically valid data
• Why can the success of an interview depend on the interviewer's skill?

  Because the interviewer's skill will impact how easily the interviewee can express themselves, which could then affect the validity of the data collected
• How can interviewer effects bias the respondent's answers in an interview?

  The interviewer's appearance, gender, or other characteristics may cause the respondent to not answer honestly or give a complete answer
• What are the key steps to follow when designing questionnaires and interviews?

  • Ensure questions are clear and unambiguous to avoid misunderstanding
  • Pilot the questionnaire or interview guide before administering
  • Consider reliability and validity issues:
  • Reliability: Consistent wording, order of questions
  • Validity: Questions accurately measure what they intend to measure
  • Decide on the appropriate question types (closed, open, Likert, rating scales, etc.)
  • Determine the best method (questionnaire, structured/unstructured/semi-structured interview)
• How do the advantages and disadvantages of questionnaires and interviews differ?

  Questionnaires have advantages like ease of administration and quantitative data analysis, but disadvantages like biased samples and social desirability bias. Interviews have advantages like rich, varied data and ability to explore complex issues, but disadvantages like dependence on interviewer skill and potential for interviewer effects.