self report methods

• Self-Report Method


  A research method that relies on individuals' own self-reported data, often in the form of questionnaires or interviews.
• Advantages of Self-Report Methods

  Allows for collection of detailed and subjective information, cost-effective, and flexible.
• Disadvantages of Self-Report Methods

  May be subject to biases and inaccuracy, participants may not accurately recall or report information, and limited generalizability.
• Types of Self-Report Methods

  Questionnaires, Interviews, Scales and Rating Scales, Diaries and Logs, and Online Surveys.
• advantages of questionnaires include:

  -cheap and easy

  -as they can be completed privately or anonymously responses are more likely to be honest
• disadvantages of questionnaires include:

  -answers may be inaccurate due to social desirability

  -question may be leading

  -poor response rate will lead to lack of data

  -individuals may not understand questions
• Structured interviews are where the interviewer has a set list of questions to lead the conversation, a framework which will be rigidly stuck to
• Unstructured interviews are where the interviewer may have a list of topics or questions, but has extra flexibility to lead the conversation further, should participant responses lead to deeper/more detailed discussion
• strengths of interview:

  -Unstructured interviews can gather rich and detailed information from each participant

  -conversational nature of unstructured interviews is best suited to discussing complex or sensitive issues

  -Interviews can be used as part of a pilot study to gather information prior to conducting proposed research.
• weaknesses of interviews:

  -lot of time and expense involved when training interviewers, to conduct unstructured interviewers in particular.

  -Social desirability bias can be a problem with self-report techniques

  -Interview data can be a time-consuming task to analyse and interpret when it is so detailed (and in a qualitative [written] format).

  -require participants to have basic competencies to be successful (e.g. adequate communication skills, memory, honesty) could potentially limit the sample’s size and representativeness of the population.