Interviews
- A qualitative research method that includes directly asking participants questions about a certain topic.
- The goal is to understand thought processes that may underlie a certain behaviour, as well as explore behaviour that may be difficult to quantify.
- Structured interviews involve questions that are pre-written and are asked systematically.
- Semi-structured interviews involve topics that are discussed, but questions are not asked in a certain way.
Strengths and Limitations of Interviews
Note
Strengths
- Rich, detailed information
- Involvement of tone and body language to gather more informed data.
- Can follow up on answers (in the case of semi-structured).
Note
Limitations
- Incredibly time consuming to transcribe and analyze.
- Social desirability bias may play a role.
- Difficult to gather a large sample.
Considerations for Interviews
- Questions should be easy for the participant to understand.
- Consider whether open ended or closed ended questions should be used.
- Avoid leading questions, that may influence responses.
- Avoid loaded questions, that may be difficult to answer.
- Avoid double-barrelled questions.
- Avoid asking too many questions.
Example
Leading Question
- Don't you think apple juice is better than orange juice?
Loaded Question
- Have you stopped mistreating your pet?
Double-Barrelled Question
- Do you think President Obama was good for foreign policy and the economy?
Ethical Considerations
- Ensure participants are debriefed properly.
- Ensure participants responses are securely stored.
- Ensure participants are not unnecessarily distressed by questions.
Possible Practical Examples
- What are the effects of social media on self-esteem?
- What are coping mechanisms used throughout my school to cope with exams?
- What is the role of stress in academic performance?
