Self-report techniques and designs

• What is a self-report tech

  Method where a person is asked to state/explain their own feelings, opinions, behaviours and experiences related to given topic
• Types of self report tech: questionnaires

  • Questionnaires - set of written questions used to assess person's thoughts/experiences
  • Has open questions = produce qualitative data - wide range of responses may be difficult to analyse
  • Has closed questions = quantitative data w/ fixed responses - lack of depth, but easy to analyse
• Self-report tech: interviews

  Interview = live encounter, face-to-face/phonecall where interviewer asks set of Qs to assess interviewee's thoughts

  Structured interview = predetermined Qs asked in fixed order

  Unstructured = no set Qs, free-slowing interaction, interviewee is encouraged to expand on answers as prompted

  Semi-structured - e.g. job interview, set Qs and free-flowing follow-up Qs
• Advs of questionnaires

  ADv

  • Cost-effective
  • Gather large amounts of data quickly as they can be distributed to large number of ppl
  • Minimal effort - can be completed w/o researcher's presence
  • Straightforward to analyse
• Dis of questionnaires

  • Responses may not be truthful
  • Demand characteristics - social desirability by present themselves in a pos light
  • Response bias e.g. always ticking yes, answering at favoured end of rating scale
• Eval of structured

  Adv

  • Replicate
  • Reduces differences between interviews

  Dis

  • Ppts may deviate from topic = limits richness of data collected
• Eval of unstructured

  Adv

  • More flexible - interviewer gains more insight
  • Skilled interviewer can establish rapport with ppt so responses are more truthful

  Dis

  • Interviewer bias
  • Analysis of data isn't straightforward
  • Social desirability - interviewees may lie
• Self-report design: designing questionnaires

  Closed Qs further divided into

  • Likert scale - 5 point scare strongly agree - strongly dis
  • Rating scales - identify value that represents strength of feeling about particularly topic
  • Fixed-choice option - list of possible options + respondents tick those that apply to them
• Self report design: interviews

  • Interview schedule = list of Qs to cover
  • Standardised Qs = reduce interviewer bias
  • Interview is recorded, interviewer takes notes
  • One-to-one conducted in a quiet room - allows person to open up
  • Neutral questions to get interviewee comfortable
• Design: writing good interview questions

  • Avoid leading Qs
  • Avoid double-barrelled Q - two Qs in one
  • Avoid ambiguous Qs - can be interpreted differently by diff people
  • Avoid jargon