Self-Report Techniques

• Questionnaires are a self-report technique which systematically gathers data from large numbers of people.
• There are two types of questionnaire questions; open and closed. Open questions allow the participant to answer in their own words. Closed questions have a set of pre-determined answers.
• There are three measures of closed questions:

  • rating scale
  • fixed options
  • Likert scale: strongly agree to strongly disagree
• Closed Questions: AO3

  Closed questions make it easier to compare large amounts of data, however the answers may not be true/accurate as participants can't explicitly say their response.
• Open Questions: AO3

  Open questions are more valid and accurate as participants can answer exactly how they feel. However, it is difficult to analyse qualitative data that open questions provide.
• When designing interviews and questionnaires, researchers should consider:

  • the complexity of terminology, as in questionnaires questions that they don't understand can't be rephrased
  • Piloting questions to determine which ones are most significant and difficult to answer
  • Rewording questions in interviews
  • Filler questions to prepare for more intense questions
• A structured interview is when researchers have a set list of questions to ask. This does not require much interviewer training and is easy to conduct, however this means that responses cannot be followed up with additional questions.
• An unstructured interview is when interviewers do not have a set list of questions to ask. This means that interviewers can ask additional follow up questions. However, interviewers need to be trained to be able to think off questions on the spot, making it more expensive and difficult than a structured interview.
• A semi-structured interview is a combination of structured and unstructured interview, where the interviewer can ask set questions as well as follow up questions. The data from these interviewers can be compared easily as they ask the same questions. It also creates rapport like an unstructured interview, making participants more comfortable and more likely to be honest. However, the interviewer needs to be well trained to ask additional unstructured questions.
• Questionnaires: AO3

  Questionnaires do not require a trained interviewer and can be distributed easily, making collecting large amounts of data quick and easy. It is easy to compare responses as they ask the same questions. However, responses cannot be followed up or rephrased if they don't understand them. Questionnaires tend to suffer from acquiesce bias where people do not take them seriously and choose the same answer for each question. This can be tested for by later rephrasing the same question.
• Interviews: AO3

  Interviews are more like an open discussion, which creates rapport and comfortability where the participant is more likely to be honest. Questions can be followed up and rephrased if they don't understand. However, this is a more expensive and difficult self-report technique as it requires a trained interviewer. Interviewer effects may impact the responses and validity of the data.