Structured interviews

Question 1

What is a structured interview?

Answer 1

A set of standardised questions (interview schedule) that a researcher asks to a participant

Question 2

KEY STUDY: British Crime Survey for England & Wales

Answer 2

Measures crime every year since 1981. Asks members of the public about their experiences of crime over the last 12 months. Approximately 40,000 households are contacted each year - on average 75% take part

Question 3

KEY STUDY: Young & Wilmott (1973)

Answer 3

Interviewed 933 families in East London about their ideas of the family. Developed the idea of the symmetrical family (where men and women perform similar domestic roles)

Question 4

KEY STUDY: Goldthorpe & Lockwood (1980)

Answer 4

Interviewed 10,000 men to find out about their class compared to their fathers

Question 5

What are some practical strengths of structured interviews?

Answer 5

• Training researchers is cheap and easy as they only have to read from the interview schedule
• This also makes them quick and cheap to conduct
• Can cover large numbers of people
• Data is easily analysed because they use close-ended questions

Question 6

What are some practical weaknesses of structured interviews?

Answer 6

• Compared to questionnaires, they are more costly and time-consuming
• Can cover large numbers, but not as many as questionnaires

Question 7

What are some ethical strengths of structured interviews?

Answer 7

• Interviewees do not have to answer questions they don’t want to
• Interviewees can be kept anonymous
• Informed consent can be gained as participants do not have to take part if they don’t want to

Question 8

What are some ethical weaknesses of structured interviews?

Answer 8

• Not suitable for sensitive topics because there is no opportunity to develop rapport and trust

Question 9

What are some theoretical strengths of structured interviews?

Answer 9

• Positivists like them as they gain quantitative data
• Generally have a higher response rate than questionnaires
• Highly reliable; easy for the researcher to standardise/repeat because of the interview schedule
• Less interviewer bias compared to unstructured interviews

Question 10

What are some theoretical weaknesses of structured interviews?

Answer 10

• Interpretivists dislike them as they use close-ended questions, reducing validity
• Data can lack verstehen as there is no opportunity for participants to give more information
• Interviewer bias; different tones of voice and body language can affect responses