Self reports methods

• data where ppts provide information on themselves without interference from experimenter. Non-experimental methods that are often used to investigate experiences/attitudes/beliefs/thoughts/feelings towards an individual.
• Open questions - answer using own words greater detail - explain.
• Closed questions - ppts responses are fixed (rating scale).
• Questionnaire - research method that involves collecting data through having ppts respond to written q's can be opened/closed sometimes known as surveys. Used as part of surveys collected through response to written q's. aim to get good representative sample of target population using large sample able to generalise to population.
• When designing a questionnaire - know if you want qualitative or quantitative data.

  open or closed questions.

  open ended questions start with describe or explain.

  closed questions start with what rating.

  include distractor questions.

  decide on an order e.g. easier questions at beginning.

  carry out a pilot study.
• Questionnaire - Advantages - easily distributed by post/electronically, large sample groups, more representative sample, more population validity, high reliability, repeated to check for consistency, unlike a case study it is one off. Disadvantages - led to social desirability, low internal validity, misinterpretation of q's from ppts and researcher in interview can ask for clarification.
• Structured interviews - all of the questions standardised before interviews carried out, all ppts asked same q's in the same order, cannot ask extra q's biased on ppts answers.
• Structured interviews - Advantages - all ppts get same q's so can easily compare responses than an unstructured interview. standardised q's ensures consistency increase internal reliability and external reliability compared to semi structured. Disadvantages - researcher cannot deviate from pre-set q's cannot follow up enquiry, do not get full understanding compared to unstructured. More time consuming and expensive as asked face to face need a researcher unlike questionnaire.
• Semi-structured interviews - set of q's each ppt gets different q's and additonal q's based on responses more likely open q's.
• Semi-structured interviews - Advantages - allows more in-depth responses as the q's are based on the previous responses compared to structured interviews, can gain better understanding. Questions can be rephrased in different ways to understand them or put in own culture frame, increased understanding lead to more true answers increases internal validity. Disadvantages - some q's will differ difficult to compare results. Inconsistency in q's reduced internal reliability make it difficult to assess external reliability through test retest compared to structured interview.
• Interviews - a method asking verbal questions in face to face nature or over phone or on a computer, two types a structured or semi-structured interview.
• Interviews - Advantages - higher validity than questionnaires as easier for ppts to answer q's in more depth and detail than a written questionnaire. more ethical than a questionnaire interviewer can adjust sensitive q's to suit ppts responses. Disadvantages - compared to questionnaires interviews are more time consuming so limit ppt number as need to be face to face. usually answering q's face to face may try to impress them so study lacks internal validity due to social desirability.