Interviews

Self Report Methods: Interviews

There are three main types of interviews which vary according to their level of structure:

Structured

Semi-Structured

Unstructured

Structured interviews
Asks questions which are decided in advance They do not deviate from these prepared questions meaning each P is given the same set of Questions

Semi-structured
A semi-structured interview uses prepared questions but will occasionally ask additional unprepared questions allowing the interviewee to expand upon answers when relevant. Examples would include employment interviews and chat show interviews, for example Michael Parkinson and Jonathan Ross.

Unstructured
An unstructured interview would contain no planned questions. It may contain a topic area for discussion Examples would include counselling session and Baddiel and Skinners live and unplanned show.

Self Report Methods: Questionnaires + Interviews

Produce summary sheets for Interviews and Questionnaires: Include
Description of Interviews/questionnaires Considerations when designing Interviews/questionnaires Ways that Questionnaires and Interviews might lack reliability and validity and suggestions about how the reliability and validity might be improved. Evaluations of Interviews/questionnaires Any relevant ethical issues related to Interviews/questionnaires

Use the Psychology Reviews (and possibly textbooks) in the library to find an example of a piece of psychological research using an interview. Reference the Psy Review (or textbook) you use.

Interviews Activity: Semi-structured

In pairs select a topic area Create 6 prepared Qs about this topic Team up with another pair Pair 1 One person will conduct the interview, whilst the other person will observe the behaviour of the interviewer Pair 2 One person will undertake the interview, whilst the other person observes the behaviour of the interviewee Follow this process with 3 different pairs so that you have 3 set of data.

Interviews + Questionnaires
In your pairs discuss whether your interviews were comprised in any way in terms of :
Reliability? Validity?

Case Studies
In pairs
Discuss/compare your case studies What IS a case study? What kind of data are case studies likely to produce? How do the concepts of Reliability and validity relate to case studies? What might be the advantages and disadvantages of using a case study method in Psychology?

Information sheets
Add information on Reliability and validity to your Interviews and Questionnaires posters/info sheets.

Produce an information sheet on case studies: Include information on

Characteristics, advantages and disadvantages.