SELF REPORT TECHNIQUES

• What are the two types of self report techniques?

  questionnaires and interviews
• what is a questionnaire?

  set of written questions to which a participant responds
• what are closed questions?

  questions with a fixed range of answers
• what are open questions?

  questions without a fixed range of answers, free to answer however they want
• what are filler questions?

  have nothing to do with the research and the answers font get analysed. They are used to conceal the true aim of the study and reduce demand characteristics
• what are lie detection questions?

  sometimes the same question will be asked twice but worded slightly differently, if a different answer is given each time the person isn’t taking the questionnaire seriously
• what is an interview?

  an interaction between the researcher and the respondent, usually face to face but they can be conducted over the phone
• What is a structured interview?

  questions are determined in advance and asked in a fixed order
• what is an unstructured interview?

  an informal conversation with no set of questions
• what is a semi structured interview?

  some set questions but the interview can deviate and ask further follow up questions
• Strengths of questionnaires?

  quick and cheap

  can distribute to a large number of people

  straightforward to analyse

  able to replicate easily
• weaknesses of questionnaires?

  could get a low response rate

  Social desirability bias

  lack detail (closed)

  could involve leading questions
• strengths of interviews?

  easy to replicate (structured- standardised format)

  Greater flexibility and engagement (unstructured)

  ability to clarify
• weaknesses of interviews?

  cannot elaborate (structures)

  interviewer bias (unstructured or semi structured)

  expensive and time consuming

  harder to analyse results
• How do you design a good questionnaire?

  Avoid Jargon

  Avoid double barrelled questions

  Avoid leading questions
• What is a trial run?

  a pilot study - small scale trial run of research design using a small number. of participants
• what is the aim on piloting?

  to find out if certain things don’t work so you can correct them before spending time and money on the real thing