1. Questionnaires and interviews
Lesson Objectives
To explain the use of questionnaires and interviews
To apply your knowledge of questionnaires and interviews
To evaluate the use of questionnaires and interviews

2. What do you think?
A group of students wishes to study mobile phone use in people aged Why might it be preferable to:
Conduct an interview rather thank a questionnaire?
Conduct a questionnaire rather than an interview?

3. Questionnaires
Set of written questions – designed to collect information
Can discover what people think or feel (no guessing work like observations)
Always pre-determined (structured)
Can provide either qualitative data or quantitative data

4. Writing good questions
1) Clarity = Do not use double negatives (are you against banning capital punishment. Also do not use double barrelled questions (do you suffer from sickness and headaches).
2) Bias = Do not use leading question which make one answer more attractive than the other.
3) Analysis = Questions need to be written so they are easy to analyse.
Open questions – hard to analyse – why?
Closed questions – easy to analyse – why?

5. Writing good questionnaires
Filler questions – include some irrelevant questions to distract the respondent from the main purpose of the questionnaire.
Sequence for the questions – Start with the easy questions
Sampling techniques – How to select the respondents.
Pilot study – test the questions on a small group of people

6. Designing questionnaires: LIKERT SCALES
Likert scales usually have 5 or 7 positions of opinion.
Make sure the option ‘intervals’ are symmetrical and logically spaced
Note that the mid point is an issue:
it could mean I’m undecided, I don’t understand or the respondent is not engaged with the study.

7. Designing questionnaires: Rating scales
How much do you enjoy watching horror films?
(please circle the number that
best applies to you)
Not at all Very much
2. How much do you enjoy watching sci-fi films?
(please place a cross on the line that reflects your opinion)
|……………………………………………….|
Ratings scales can be given with numbers to circle indicating strength of opinion, or a line to place a ‘x’ on; you can make it numerical later (how?)
Make sure both poles are clearly labelled

8. Designing questionnaires: Fixed choice option
Make sure your fixed choice questions have a good range of options, and an ‘other’ if unsure.
What fixed choice options would you create for this questions?
Create 6-10 options for each.
Tell the respondent what to do
i.e. how many to answer
or if they should rank them.
Why did you choose to study psychology?

9. QUESTIONS: PROBLEM SPOTTING
Question writing seems easy – it is not. It is rare to see a well-constructed questionnaire! If your questions are poor, your data will be invalid. Also, you should do the hard work; not your respondents – make it pleasant and easy for them. Don’t let your questions fall into any of these traps: *Double qns *SPaG errors *Loaded qns *Illogical order *Use of jargon *Lack of options *Ambiguous terms *Unclear instructions *Use of negatives & double negatives *Overlapping or non-equal categories

10. Lets have a go
Pair 1 – Attitudes towards home learning Pair 2 – Attitudes towards school uniform Pair 3 – Attitudes towards going to university Pair 4- Attitudes towards exercise Pair 5 – Attitudes towards drinking alcohol
Success Criteria
Include questions using the following aspects:
Would produce quantitative data
Would produce qualitative data
Open question
Closed question
Filler questions
Minimum of 6 questions
* Consider the advise for writing good questions and questionnaires

11. Pilot study
Now you have constructed your questionnaire, you are going to run a pilot study. You do not have the money and time to print off 100’s of questionnaires and distribute these to find out there is problems with your questionnaires.
Swap your questionnaire with another pair, use the success criteria to assess how good their questionnaire is.
Please note- questionnaires do not always have a mix of open and closed questions, this was just for an example…there is no set rule.

12. Evaluation
Once you have designed a questionnaire, you can use them for lots of people cheaply and quickly
Respondents may feel comfortable to reveal personal/confidential information
Sample can be biased due to who is willing to fill it out
Questionnaires using closed questions limit the responses – but easier to summarise
 Questionnaires with open questions can provide unexpected answers which can lead to further research – but harder to summarise
Can take a lot of time to design
Can only be filled out by those who can read and write
Reduces experimenter bias which can be found in interviews
No special training is needed to hand out questionairres

13. Pros and cons Strengths Limitations
 Cost effective: large amount of data quickly. Once you have designed a questionnaire, you can use them for lots of people cheaply and quickly
Participants might not be truthful- seen in a positive light
 Researcher doesn’t have to be present
Demand characteristic and social desirability
Answers are easier to analyse
Response bias- simply tick yes for all questions.
Comparison between groups can be made using graphs.
Sample can be biased due to who is willing to fill it out
 Interviewer bias
Can take a lot of time to design
Reduces experimenter bias which can be found in interviews
Can only be filled out by those who can read and write

14. Interviews

15. Structured interview
Has pre-determined questions – it is essentially a questionnaire that is delivered face to face or over the telephone. There is no deviation from the original questions.

16. Unstructured interview
New questions are developed during the course of the interview. The interviewer may begin with general aims and possibly a few pre-determined questions but subsequent questions develop on the basis of the answers that are given.

17. Semi- structured interview
Has elements of the other two types Has pre-determined questions Interviewee is encouraged to expand/elaborate

18. Design of interviews
Recording the interview – The interviewer may make notes although this may interfere with their listening skills. Alternatively interviews may be audio recorded or video recorded.

19. Design of interviews
The effect of the interviewer – The presence of an interviewer who is interested in the respondents answers may increase the amount of information provided, even in an unstructured interview.
Non-verbal communication – what non-verbal communication do you think would encourage or discourage respondents to speak?
Sitting with arms crossed, frowning with disapproval and disinterest
Nodding and leaning forward
Listening skills – Do not interrupt too much and when they do speak use encouraging comments.

20. Questioning skills in an unstructured interviews
It is important to be aware of the questions already asked and avoid repeating them.
Avoid probing too much and asking why too often.
Helpful to ask more focused questions bother for the person being interviewed and yourself when analysing the answers.

21. Pros and cons Structured interview Unstructed interview
 Can be easily repeated because the questions are standardised.
 More detailed information can be obtained
 Different people can be compared due to the standardised questions
 Requires interviewer with more skill because the interviewer has to develop more questions
Answers are easier to analyse due to being predictable
 Questions may lack objectivity due to the quick nature of creating the questions
 Compariability difficult if interviewer behaves differently or different interviewer
 More expensive due to the need for experienced interviewer
 Interviewer bias

22. Exam style question

23. How did you do?