Interviews (DP IB Psychology): Revision Note

Structured interviews

• An interview is a type of  self-report which involves a participant answering a range of questions put to them by a researcher

  • It is a one-to-one process (though it can happen over a phone, online or via other remote channels)

• Interviews are designed to collect the thoughts, feelings, attitudes and opinions of the participant

• Interviews may be chosen as the appropriate research method

  • When the researcher wishes to understand how people feel about issues such as immigration, social media, the cost of living

  • As part of a larger case study into the unique experience/condition of one participant (or a small group) 

Structured interviews

• In a structured interview

  • the researcher uses a series of pre-prepared closed or open questions (or a combination of both)

  • the participant's responses are written down by the researcher (or recorded using audio/visual equipment)

  • the researcher does not veer from the ‘script’ which is why this type of interview is known as a structured interview

  • quantitative data is collected, e.g.

    • the number of ‘yes’ responses to a specific question

  • qualitative data in the form of ‘follow-up’ questions can also be collated, e.g.,

    • Can you explain why you feel like that?

Evaluation of structured interviews

Strengths

• The use of standardised questions means that the interview can be replicated and used by different researchers

  • This minimises the researcher effect as all researchers have to 'stick to the script', as it were rather than pursuing responses they find interesting

• Structured interviews may generate more quantitative data than unstructured interviews

  • This means that the results can be statistically analysed

  • This in turn increases the reliability of the findings

Limitations

• A predetermined set of questions may be restrictive

  • The participant may say something which should be explored further but the format of the structured interview does not allow this

  • This limits the usefulness of the method

Semi-structured interviews

• A semi-structured interview is as follows:

  • The researcher uses some pre-prepared questions but they come to the interview with something of an open mind as well

  • The participant’s responses are written down (or recorded using audio/visual equipment)

  • The researcher can veer from the ‘script’ if the participant:

    • Says something interesting or unexpected

    • Is finding it difficult to discuss a topic

    • Is not being very forthcoming and needs extra encouragement

• Semi-structured interviews can produce both quantitative data and qualitative data, as they are a mixture of both structured and unstructured interview styles

Evaluation of semi-structured interviews

Strengths

• This type of interview combines the best of both worlds

  • The interview is given structure via the pre-prepared questions so that is kept on track

  • The unstructured aspect can help participants to express themselves any way they wish, sometimes without any constraints, which is high in validity

• The structured aspect of these interviews may help participants who feel nervous or tongue-tied initially

Limitations

• This type of interview could result in 'messy' data

  • The structured responses may be at odds with what the participant has provided in the unstructured sections

  • The dual nature of the form may make analysis of the results difficult

• The flexible nature of this type of interview means that researchers may unwittingly ask leading questions which would invalidate the participant's true response

Unstructured interviews

Unstructured interviews

• In an  unstructured interview

  • The researcher comes to the interview with no pre-prepared set of questions

    • They keep an open mind as to how the interview will proceed

  • The researcher writes down (or records using audio/visual equipment) the participant’s responses

  • The interview is treated as a conversation, giving the participants as much freedom as they wish in their responses

• Unstructured interviews will generally start with the researcher asking an open question or posing an idea and then allowing the participant to give a free response

  • What do you think about the punishments for criminals?

  • Tell me about a time when you felt anxious about an exam

  • Social media dominates some people’s lives. What do think about that?

• Unstructured interviews produce qualitative data only

• Unstructured interviews are also known as narrative interviews, as the interview is more like the participant telling a story

Evaluation of unstructured interviews

Strengths

• Unstructured interviews are high in ecological validity

  • Participants have complete freedom to respond in any way they choose

  • The interview is tailored towards them as an individual

  • Thoughts, feelings, fears, hopes and emotions can all be openly expressed by the participant with no manipulation from the researcher

• The researcher has the flexibility to pursue any interesting topics that emerge during the interview

  • The topic can be discussed from several different perspectives

  • The original topic can even be abandoned if the participant takes the interview into new and interesting territory

  • This flexibility is a strength, as it may open up new insight into what is being researched

Limitations

• The very free-flowing and unpredictable nature of unstructured interviews means that the entire process may become derailed

  • The participant may wish to go into depth and detail on topics which are irrelevant to the research

  • The participant may change tack frequently, mixing up timelines, confusing details, getting 'lost' in their narrative

  • This limits the reliability of unstructured interviews

• The researcher may lose their objectivity due to the intimate nature of unstructured interviews, particularly if more than one interview session is required

  • They begin to feel too close to the participant

  • They may begin to identify with the participant

  • Participants may succumb to social desirability bias

  • This would mean that the validity of the interview was compromised

Focus groups

• Focus groups are used when the views, opinions and attitudes of a small group of people are sought by a researcher

• They tend to use between around 6-12 participants

  • Any smaller than this would not generate enough usable data

  • Any larger than this would generate too much, possibly conflicting or difficult-to-collect data

• A moderator helps the group to get started on their discussion of a topic

  • They guide the participants in their discussion and help to keep the focus of the discussion on the topic

• A focus group is a good way of collecting the shared experiences of a group who are best placed to have real insight as to what is being investigated

• A focus group may be used to observe how people interact

  • E.g., the ways in which group dynamics influence opinions and behaviour

Evaluation of focus groups

Strengths

• Focus groups can explore nuanced perspectives from a range of people that individual interviews or surveys might miss

• Focus groups are time-efficient

  • Gathering data from multiple participants at the same time means that a large amount of qualitative data can be obtained in a single session

Limitations

• The researcher must ensure that they manage the stronger personalities in the group (dominant respondent bias (opens in a new tab))

  • This occurs when one or two individual dominate the proceedings, possibly influencing the opinions and responses of the other participants

• There is a tendency for people in groups to converge in terms of their opinions and attitudes (a type of conformity known as groupthink)

  • If this occurs in a focus group, it lowers the validity of the findings