Self-report techniques and designs

Cards (12)

  • Questionnaires
    Involves a pre-set list of written questions for PP to respond to which can be used to assess the DV of an experiment.
    There are two types of questions - open and closed.
  • Open questions
    • don't have a fixed response and tend to gather qualitative data as PP must respond by writing their answer e.g. why do you like dogs?
    • rich in detail but hard to analyse
  • Closed questions
    • offers a fixed numbers of responses and tends to gather quantitative data as the number of PPs that have circled a particular answer can be analysed e.g. do you like dogs - yes or no?
    • easy to analyse but lacks detail
  • Designing closed questions
    • Likert scales - PP states how much they agree with the statement you have written, usually involves five points (strongly agree, agree, neutral, disagree, strongly disagree)

    • Rating scales - similar but instead PP represents their own opinion on the topic (strongly agree may be '1' and strongly agree may be '5' but numbers in between aren't labelled)

    • Fixed choice option - researcher includes a list of possible options and PPs are required to indicate those which apply to them (e.g. why do you watch movies? 1. entertainment 2. amusement 3. education)
  • Evaluating questionnaires
    Strengths:
    • cost-effective
    • quick gathering of data
    Weaknesses:
    • social desirability bias
    • response bias on Likert scales
    • acquiescence bias (PPs tend to agree with survey question statements rather than give their own personal, unbiased views)
  • Interviews
    Tend to take place over phone or in person and the researcher will use a recording device so they are able to listen back to the interview to conduct a thematic analysis (identifying, analysing and reporting patterns within data).
    There are three types - structured, unstructured, and semi-structured.
  • Structured interviews
    Using a predetermined set of questions that are in a fixed order, It is a face-to-face questionnaire
  • Unstructured interviews
    Takes the form of a conversation, there are not set questions but only a general aim
  • Semi-structured interviews
    Using a list of a predetermined set of questions but interviewers follow up questions when appropriate (this is the most common type - like a job interview)
  • Designing interviews
    • interview schedule
    • standardised for each PP (reduces interviewer bias)
    • may include group interviews in clinical settings
    • often takes place between the interviewer and one interviewee
    • often a pseudonym is created to protect the interviewees identity in the recording
  • Things to avoid when designing an interview
    • jargon
    • emotive language
    • leading questions
    • double-barrelled questions
    • double negatives
  • Evaluating interviews
    Strengths:
    • structured interviews are easy to replicate
    • unstructured interviews are more likely to get a worldview of the interviewee
    Weaknesses:
    • structured interviews do not allow the researcher to elaborate on points
    • unstructured interviews must be difficult to analyse