Section: I

Report on Poor interview

1. Introduction to Interview

Interviews are pervasive in modern society and encompass a variety of genres, including journalistic, media,
medical, parent–teacher, and research interviews. In the
context of research, an interview is a type of qualitative
research technique that usually involves asking open-
ended questions to get to know people and get
information from them. Interviewing encompasses a
wide range of scenarios, from completely unstructured
encounters through semi-structured encounters, to
highly structured encounters with respondents.
Interviews can be conducted over the phone, in person,
via mail, or online (Bernard, H.R., 2017). Interviews are
meant to "make the informant come up with statements
that are both real or natural to his or her lifeworld, and
useful or relevant to the research project" (Mazeland et
al. 1996, p.1). Interviews are a great way to learn more
about a participant's narrative. Face-to-face, video, Figure 1 Advantages and disadvantage of different types of
Interviews.
telephone, and internet chat interviews are all examples
Source: Saarijärvi & Bratt (2021)
of different sorts of interviews. Each has its own set of
benefits and drawbacks (Saarijärvi & Bratt, 2021). The advantages and disadvantages of various interview
techniques are illustrated in Figure 1.

Face-to-face interviews ensure that the relationship between the interviewer and interviewee is always
straightforward and free of technical hiccups (Saarijärvi & Bratt, 2021). Research in the humanities and social
sciences, education, and medicine have all benefited greatly from the widespread use of qualitative face to face
interviewing. According to some researchers, this type of interviewing has evolved into the primary method
through which the social sciences and societies interact with the topics that concern them (Rapley, 2001). In
research interviews, information is generated between the interviewer and the interviewee's perspectives. It is an
interpersonal scenario, a discussion between two individuals about a shared interest. It is a distinct kind of
human contact in which knowledge is transmitted via a dialogue. The two players in a research interview are
assigned separate roles, and the interview follows an unwritten script.
2. The Conduct of the Interview
2.1 Introducing the research topic: Prior to conducting an interview, researchers should educate and
prepare the participant about the research and obtain their informed consent to participate. The manner
in which permission is obtained (i.e., verbally or written) and the layout of consent forms may vary
based on the research design. In the given case, the interviewer introduced the purpose of research and
was able to get the subject's permission to do the interview in a matter of seconds. However, the
interviewer didn’t explain the format of the interview and she seems to be in rush to start the interview.
Rather than starting the interview immediately she may have asked a few "getting to know you"
questions.

2.2 Pace of the interviewer's communication: The speed of communication plays a crucial role in
qualitative interviews. The interviewer should be familiar with the topic and should be gentle, clear and
remembering. Allowing for proper pauses between sentences is a good idea for the interviewer to keep
up with the pace of the interviewee. Interviewer's pace of communication was excessively quick and
there were no appropriate breaks in the communication in the specific scenario. However, the subject in
this instance did not appear to be bothered by the interviewer's rapid communication.

2.3 Critical analysis of the interviewer behavior: When conducting a research interview, the
interviewer's ability to communicate effectively is critical in determining whether or not the interview
results in the necessary data. Written, spoken, nonverbal and visual means of communication all fall
under the umbrella of communication Behavior. Interviewer's body language and demeanour indicated
authority in the current situation. The interviewer did not have any of these qualities: friendliness,
empathy, attentiveness, or gentleness.

2.3.1 Body language: Body language is the hidden component of communication that we utilize to
express our actual emotions and to amplify the effectiveness of our messages. The combination of
body position, movements, expressions, and eye movements is known as body language. Interviewer
looked indifferent and frequently moved her hands, as if not paying attention. A lack of eye contact
reveals that she isn't paying attention to what the interviewee was saying. It was obvious that she
wasn't paying attention to the interviewer when she kept gazing down at her phone.

2.3.2 Rapport building with the interviewee: Rapport is the ability to build a relationship based on
mutual respect and faith. It's also the capacity to value and embrace the viewpoints of others, as well
as the emotions of those around us (Knight, S., 2010). As productive communication starts with trust
 and understanding Qualitative researchers must create rapport with participants in order to come as
close as feasible to the subject's point of view (Denzin, N.K. and Lincoln 2011). The interviewer, on
the other hand, lacked rapport with the participant and sounded robotic in the provided scenario. She
began asking questions right away, without building rapport.

2.3.3 Listening Skills: Active listening is a critical skill for attaining the objectives of a qualitative
research interview (Louw, Todd and Jimarkon, 2011). The simplest way to characterize active
listening is as "engaged listening with a purpose" (Pearson et al.,2006). Active listening, in brief,
tries to increase the interviewer's comprehension of the participants' preoccupations and interests by
eliciting empathy and ensuring that the person feels heard. In light of this, the interviewer didn't
sound empathic, and she criticized the interviewee as well. The interviewer failed to grasp the
participant's point of view since she didn't engage in active listening during the conversation with
him or her.

2.3.4 Respect: According to Richard Sennett (2003), respect is central to our sense of social relationships.
Respect, according to Ramarjan and Barsade (2006, p.4), is "the acceptance and acknowledgment of
one's self by others." Respectful actions are acquired through communication with others, as respect
is shown through these conversations (Batelaan 2001, pp.237-238). The interviewer frequently
obstructed the interviewee, which showed a lack of respect. In addition, the interviewer failed to
grasp the participant's point of view and kept looking at her phone constantly, showing her
disrespectful demeanour.

2.4 Detailed Evaluation of the Question asking Skills

The research interview is conducted in the same manner as a typical discussion, but with a distinct
goal and framework. It is defined by a methodical structure of inquiry. The interviewer's questions
should be succinct and unambiguous (Flinders, 1997).
2.4.1 Objective questions: The interviewer has asked direct questions at the outset of the conversation.
She may opt to defer asking direct questions until after respondents have provided their own natural
observations and so revealed which aspects of the phenomena are essential to them in their
interactions. In addition, as she didn't have a standardized questionnaire, her questions tended to be
ambiguous and objective. More importantly, the interviewer made no attempt to follow up on
pertinent themes.
2.4.2 Leading questions: Leading questions are ones that an interviewer asks that may sway a
participant's response in a biased or specific direction. Without a doubt, the interviewer posed
precise questions with a short window of opportunity to respond.
2.4.3 Interrupting and criticizing the respondent: The interviewer appeared to interrupt the respondent
multiple times and even criticized her responses. The interview was more akin to a cross-
examination, with questions being fired repeatedly, which eventually rendered the respondent
uncomfortable.

2.5 Ending of the Interview

A concluding remark may provide an opportunity for survey respondents to reflect, provide further insights,
and unwind. Closing questions are beneficial because they give respondents more flexibility and invite them
to discuss anything additional or question about the investigation. Closing questions also can signal the
finish of the interview (Castillo-Montoya, 2016). By including a final debriefing stage, participants may be
able to analyze their emotions and contribute additional information (Brinkmann and Kvale, 2015). The
interviewer may summarize the key points and invite participants to discuss and provide comments during
the debriefing. However, the interviewer did not follow through; she simply thanked the participant and
concluded the interview.

Section II

Report on an effective interview

1. Introduction of the research topic: The interviewer greeted the respondent with a friendly
greeting, introduced herself, and explained the interview's goal before getting the participant's
consent. By keeping her rate of speech slow and attempting to create a rapport with the subject, the
interviewer was able to put the respondent at ease.

2. Communicative speed of the interviewer: Throughout the conversation, the interviewer

maintained a steady pace of communication with appropriate pauses. Her speed of
communication was not only professional, but it also helped to engage the participant in the
discussion.

3. Critical Analysis of the Behavior: The interviewer's demeanour was excellent throughout the
discussion since she demonstrated empathy and close attention to the subject. The participant was
able to open up and respond more candidly as a result of this.
 3.1 Body language: The interviewer's attentiveness can be seen by the fact that she has kept eye
contact with the participant. Her facial expressions, hand movements, and overall attitude all
contributed to a pleasant interview conclusion.
3.2 Rapport building: The interviewer maintained a kind approach throughout the conversation.
There were adequate pauses between her statements, as well as follow-up questions if necessary.
The interviewee was made to feel comfortable and at ease by her constant acknowledgment of
the responses. To sum up, the interviewer and participant had a wonderful rapport that was
evident throughout the conversation.
3.3 Listening Skills: It was clear that the interviewer had excellent listening skills. She greeted the
participant with a nod of her head and kept her gaze fixed on him or her. In order to obtain
further information, the interviewer asked follow-up questions.
3.4 Respect: Throughout the conversation, the interviewer maintained a respectful and
conscientious attitude. She gave the respondent adequate time to finish her statement, and
whenever the respondent tried to speak, she paused and listened to her.

4. Detailed Evaluation of the Question asking Skills

4.1 Objective questions: The interviewer's questions were not objective. The interviewer expressed
a desire to learn more about the participant's experiences. She probed for further information by
asking follow-up questions.
4.2 Leading Questions: The talk was devoid of leading questions. The interviewer assisted the
participant in feeling more comfortable sharing her opinions.
4.3 Criticism on the respondent: Throughout the conversation, there was, without a doubt, no
criticism. The interviewer commended the respondent in the middle of the conversation, which
was quite nice.
5. Ending of the interview: The interview was concluded by the interviewer asking appropriate
closing questions. She summarized the interview and solicited feedback and recommendations. She
greeted and thanked the participant professionally.

Section III
Detailed Evaluation of Participant Observation
3.1 Introduction to participant observation: Participant observation is commonly utilized in anthropology,
sociology, communication studies, and social psychology. Its goal is to get to know a group of people (like a
religious, occupational, or subcultural group) and their practices by spending a lot of time with them in their
natural habitat. Marshall and Rossman (1989) described participant observation as "the systematic description
of events, behaviors, and artifacts in the social setting chosen for study. There are two types of participant
observation one is active participant observation and covert participant observation.

3.2 Covert participant observation: Covert or secret, participant observation refers to study scenarios in
which the observer's true identity as a social researcher stays hidden and undisclosed to individuals with whom
he or she comes into contact. The researcher appears to be a respondent but is actually something else. Caudill's
study of a psychiatric institution is a classic example of such research (Caudill et al., 1952).

3.3 Merits of Covert participant observation: The advantages of covert participant observation are
 It becomes significantly simpler for researcher to obtain access to restricted communities as they do not
have to ask for permission.
 Research participants will have little to no impact on their behaviour if they don’t know that research is
happening.

3.4 Demerits of Covert participant observation: Covert participant observation has a slew of drawbacks. The
following is a list of some of them.

 When working undercover, it's practically impossible to jot down notes for a researcher.
 When conducting a covert investigation, a researcher must imitate the behavior of the locals without
raising suspicion. In such case it becomes hard for survey.
 It is imperative that the covert researcher keep his or her identity a secret and record all of the findings.
 Because it includes deceit, covert research does not allow participants to offer informed consent. Such
data collection raises ethical concerns.

3.5 Examples:

 Observing individuals in public locations, such as shopping and buying habits of customers, might help
researchers better understand their behavior and communications.
 It is possible to use covert participant observation in investigations of medical or psychiatric support
groups as well as extremist or hate group chat rooms.

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Mind Maps

Option 3: Focus group on Gender Equality in workplace

Factors influencing Gambling Behaviour

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