Self-report methods

• What are the two types of self-report methods?

  • Questionnaires
  • Interviews
• What are the two types of questionnaires?

  • Open-ended question
  • Close-ended question
• What are the two types of interviews?

  • Structured
  • Unstructured
• What are the key features of all questionnaires?

  • Self-report -> ppt answers questions in order to collect thoughts/attitudes/feelings/opinions
  • Used to:
  • Understand how ppl feel about certain issues, e.g. immigration
  • Measure psychometric properties, e.g. IQ
  • Conduct large-scale surveys to gage extent to which ppl are likely to vote, use sustainable energy, etc
• What are the key features of open questionnaires?

  • Offers freedom of response
  • Generally generate qualitative data, e.g. interview transcripts, emerging themes in conversation, complex things about a person that can't be reduced into numerical data (subjective)
• What are the key features of closed questionnaires?

  • Offers limited options for ppts' responses
  • Generate quantitative data, e.g. number of 'yes' responses across questionnaires, number of times ppts picked option 'B', total score calculated from scaled questions, etc
• What are the strengths of all questionnaires?

  • Quick, easy + convenient way of gathering data
  • Large samples reached via electronic survey tools
  • Large samples = reliable data + anomalous results averaged by overall data trends
• What are the weaknesses of all questionnaires?

  • People tend to under-report negative things + over-report positive things about themselves = ppts succumb to social desirability effect + validity of findings impaired
  • Questionnaires can under-utilise open questions = usefulness limited -> shows 'what' of behaviour instead of 'why'
• What are the strengths of open-ended question questionnaires?

  • Allows ppt to expand on answers they give = both researchers + ppt can clarify/explain/qualify answers = good explanatory power to each response
  • + general strengths of all questionnaires
• What are the weaknesses of open-ended question questionnaires?

  • Questions difficult to analyse since answers are subjective -> researchers have to interpret meaning + intention = potential lack of consistency + objectivity
  • Often lack reliability
  • + general weaknesses of all questionnaires
• What are the strengths of close-ended question questionnaires?

  • Quantitative data = easy to analyse + spot patterns -> can be presented both graphically + statistically = higher reliability (data can all be quantified in the same way)
  • Especially if there is a larger sample!!
  • + general strengths of all questionnaires