Self reports: Surveys

A likert scale question is a type of closed question which asks participants to...

• Mark how they feel or what they think about an issue by indicating their position between two polar opposites such as secure at one end of the scale and insecure at the other end.

• Indicate the extent to which they agree which a statement by circling or ticking a box where the options range from strongly disagree to strongly agree

• give a detailed answer in their own words

• order a series of items in terms, of how important they are to them

A semantic differential is a type of closed question which assesses attitudes, opinions an feelings by asking participants to...

• Mark how they feel or what they think about an issue by indicating their position between two polar opposites such as secure at one end of the scale and insecure at the other end.

• Indicate the extent to which they agree which a statement by circling or ticking a box where the options range from strongly disagree to strongly agree

• give a detailed answer in their own words

• order a series of items in terms, of how important they are to them

The use of standardised instructions is important as this improves the...

• subjectivity of the results

• reliability of the results

• external validity of the results

• analysis of the results

Ethical considerations relating to questionnaires include

• ensuring that participants do not have to waste their time asking irrelevant questions

• ensuring that the participants understands that they have the right to withdraw and know how to contact the researcher in case they change their mind

• ensuring that data is stored securely, that participants confidentiality is maintained and that data is not used for any purpose other than the current research

• all of these options

It is important that questionnaires are not too long as this could jeopardise...

• the validity of the responses given

• the reliability of the responses given

• the objectivity of the responses given

• the ethics of the study

A frequent problem with closed questions is that researchers do not consider the full range of answers that a participant may wish to give meaning Pps are forced to give answers which do not reflect their experiences. This limits the ...

• the validity of the study

• the reliability of the study

• the objectivity of the study

• the ethics of the study

Questionnaires can be subject to demand characteristics. This is because...

• It is hard to design questions which do not give away what the study is about

• it is not ethical to ‘hide’ critical questions away amidst lots of irrelevant items

• participants are always told the exact aim and hypothesis in questionnaire studies

• the researcher is usually with the participant when they fill the questionnaire in

Questionnaire are deemed to have fairly high reliability because...

• they ask a wide range of questions which allow the researcher to access a lot of information

• they can be given to a large number of people

• they can be administered under controlled conditions and following a standardised format which means that they can be replicated

• participants are often allowed the opportunity to express their thoughts, feeling and opinions in their own words and this provides rich and detailed information.

The validity of questionnaires including fixed responses (closed) questions may be dubious unless...

• a large number of questionnaires are issued

• the researcher conducts a pilot study first and asks for feedback on the range of alternative answers provided

• the researcher conducts a focus group first where potential participants can discuss the general research aims and give their ideas about how the questions and answers should be phrased

• the results can be replicated

Qualitative data is analysed by...

• examining the participants responses very carefully and searching for themes and relationships between the themes.

• calculating percentages, measures of central tendency and measures of dispersion

• drawing flow charts and other diagrams

• constructing tables and graphs