strengths + weaknesses of self reports

• strengths of questionnaires

  • easy to administer + can be emailed to ppts - making them cost efficient
  • data = easy to analyse as they are usually quantitative
  • ppts might be more truthful than in an interview if answers = socially sensitive
• weaknesses of questionnaires

  • response biases eg. always answering 'no' can lead to invalid results
  • is limited as new questions cannot be added
• strengths of closed questions

  • easy for ppts to respond to so large amounts of data can be collected quickly - makes data more reliable + generalisable (with wide sample)
  • produces quantitative data -> easy to analyse + find mean, median + mode
• weaknesses of closed questions

  • only produce quantitative data which lacks detail so ppts cannot fully express opinions - lowering validity
  • risk of response bias eg. consistently saying 'yes'
• strengths of open questions

  • retains detail of ppts answers so information is not lost through averaging
  • produces qualitative data which provides detail so ppts can express opinions fully - raising validity
• weaknesses of open questions

  • produces qualitative data = time consuming to analyse and themes need to be identified + extracted
  • interpretation of quantitative data can be subjective - leading to bias from researchers- reducing inter-rater reliability
• strengths of rating scales

  • produces quantitative data - easy to analyse + find modes, medians + plot graphs
  • can be tested for reliability (test retest) + can be improved by removing unreliable items
  • easy for ppts to respond to so large amounts of data = collected quickly
• weaknesses of rating scales

  • only produces quantitative data - lacks detail so ppts cannot fully express opinions - lowering validity
  • risk of response biases eg. only giving answers in the middle or at the extreme end of the scale
  • cannot be used to measure complex variables eg. attitudes
• strengths of likert scales

  • allow measurement of more complex attitudes than rating scales
  • produces quantitative data - easy to analyse + find modes, medians + plot graphs
  • can be tested for reliability (test retest) + be improved by removing unreliable items
• weaknesses of likert scales

  • only produces quantitative data - lacks detail so ppts cannot express opinions - lowering validity
  • the meaning of the middle value is ambiguous - could mean no opinion or undecided
• strengths of semantic differentials

  • scale = easy to administer + understand
  • result in quantitative data that can be analysed
  • has high validity + reliability
• weaknesses of semantic differentials

  • social desirability bias may influence ppts during socially sensitive concepts (eg. cheating or stealing)
  • having too many options can reduce accuracy +too little opinions can reduce sensitivity of the measurement
  • ppts have difficulty to rank their views + only tick extreme values
• strengths of structured interviews

  • reduced research bias as the same questions are asked to all ppts
  • predetermined nature increases validity + reliability
  • is simple, cost effective + efficient
• weaknesses of structured interviews

  • difficulty building rapport between interviewer + ppt
  • limited question flexibility
  • ppts cannot go into detail about answers
• strengths of semi-structured interview

  • ability to receive detailed + rich responses due to open ended nature of questions
  • considered 'best of both worlds' as elements of structured + semi-structured are combined (leads to reliability + flexibility)
• weaknesses of semi-structured interviews

  • low validity (can be hard to compare responses)
  • high risk of social desirability bias from ppts due to open ended questions
• strengths of unstructured interviews

  • very flexible - like a conversation
  • interviewer can build rapport with ppts
  • reduced risk of bias
  • ppts able to give more detailed answers
• weaknesses of unstructured interviews

  • low generalisability + reliability
  • risk of leading questions (leads to bias responses)
  • time consuming
  • risk of low internal validity (conversations may go on a tangent)