Self-report techniques

• Questionnaires-

  • Pre-set list of written questions to assess a person's thoughts/experiences.
  • Can be used to asses DV.
  • Has open (qualities data) or closed (quantitate data) questions.
• Questionnaires-

  • S- Cheap and quick when gathering information.
  • S- Honest/reliable due to being private.
  • S- Doesn’t ned the researcher to be present.
  • S- Statistically analytic information.
  • W- Social desirability issues
  • W- Distributing in masses requires a return – may take time to get the right amount of responses.
  • W- May not read the questions properly/too quickly.
• Interviews-

  Structured - Predetermined questions in a set order alike to a questionnaire that’s face to face or over the phone with immediate responses.

  • S- easily replicated.
  • S- standardised format reduces differences between interviews.
  • W- Limits richness of data due to being strictly on topic, stopping unexpected information being obtained.
• Interviews-

  Semi-structured - A set list of questions with others that follow up based on the responses.
• Interviews-

  Unstructured – no set questions but a general aim/topic of discussion.

  • CPS- Flexible so able to gain a world view of the participant.
  • CPW- Risk of interviewer bias and a harder analysis of the data.
  • CPS- Skilled and experienced interviewer should be able to tell if the participant is lying/ being able to gain their trust.
  • CPW- Risk of social desirability.