Self-report techniques

Question 1

What is the self-report technique?

Answer 1

Any method in which a person is asked to state/explain their feelings, opinions and experiences on a particular topic.

Question 2

What is a questionnaire?

Answer 2

Set of written questions used to assess a person’s thoughts/experiences

Question 3

What is an interview?

Answer 3

A live encounter where the interviewer asks questions to assess the interviewee’s thoughts/experiences.

Question 4

What are structured interviews?

Answer 4

Made up of pre-determined questions asked in a fixed order.

Question 5

What are unstructured interviews?

Answer 5

Works as a conversation:

• No set questions
• General aim that a certain topic will be discussed and convo is free-flowing
• Interviewee is encouraged to expand and elaborate their answers

Question 6

What are semi-structured interviews?

Answer 6

Questions made before interview but interviewers can ask follow-up questions

Question 7

1. What kind of answers do open questions provide?
2. What type of data do they produce?
3. What is the disadvantage of the data produced by open questions?

Answer 7

1. Doesn’t have fixed answers - PPs can respond how they want
2. Produces in-depth, qualitative data
3. Data has detail but may be difficult to analyse

Question 8

1. What kind of answers do closed questions provide?
2. What type of data do they produce?
3. What is the disadvantage to the data produced by closed questions?

Answer 8

1. Answers are fixed.
2. Produce numerical, quantitative data that’s easy to analyse
3. Data may lack depth and detail

Question 9

Evaluate questionnaires?

Answer 9

Strength:
+ Cost-effective
+ Gather large amounts of data as can be sent to many people
+ Can be completed in absence of researcher, so less effort needed
+ Data is straightforward to analyse, especially in closed questions
+ Data can be statistically analysed - comparisons can be made between groups by using graphs/charts

Weakness:
+ Responses may not be truthful - respondents may want to look good so lie - SOCIAL DESIRABILITY BIAS, a type of demand characteristic
+ Often produce response bias, where respondents answer in the same way e.g. always yes on one side of the scale

Question 10

Evaluate structured interviews.

Answer 10

Strength:
+ Straightforward to replicate due to standardised format, just like questionnaires

Weakness:
- Interviewers can’t deviate from topic or elaborate on points - may be frustrating

Question 11

Evaluate unstructured interviews.

Answer 11

Strength:
+ More flexible vs structured
+ Interviewer can elaborate and points so gains more insight on interviewee

Weakness:

• Not straightforward to analyse data; researcher may have to filter through irrelevant data
• Social desirability bias - interviewees may lie to sound better