Self-report interview

• Define ''self-report''

  A method in which a person is asked to state/explain their feelings/opinions/behaviours
• What is an interview?

  A 'real-time' interaction where the interviewer asks a set of questions to assess an interviewee's thoughts and/or experiences
• What are the three types of interviews?

  1. Structured

  2. Semi-structured

  3. Unstructured
• What is a structured interview?

  Uses a pre-determined set of questions in a fixed order
• What is an unstructured interview?

  No set questions - new questions are developed during the course of the interview based on the answers given
• What is a semi-structured interview?

  Uses a list of pre-determined questions but the interviewer is free to ask follow-up questions
• What is an interview schedule?

  The list of questions that the interviewer intends to cover
• Why should the interview schedule be standardised?

  To reduce the effect of interviewer bias
• What are two strengths of using structured interviews?

  1. Easy to replicate due to standardised format

  2. Easier to analyse as answers are more predictable
• What are two limitations of using structures interviews?

  1. Not possible to deviate from the topic which may be frustrating

  2. Interviewer bias - a form of investigator effects - interviewer's expectations may influence answers
• What is a strength of using unstructured interviews?

  More flexible - allow interviewer to gain insight into world view of interviewee
• What are three limitations of using unstructured interviews?

  1. Interviewer bias

  2. Requires interviewers with skill as have to develop new questions on the spot = more expensive to produce

  3. Difficult to draw firm conclusions from potentially irrelevant information