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1 Jan 2026

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2 pages

Understanding Self-Report Design in Psychology Research

Erica

@erica4

Ever wondered how researchers actually get their data from people?... Show more

Research methods

Paper 2

SELF-REPORT DESIGN

Designing questionnaires

- Questionnaires can include open or closed questions
- Closed ques

Self-Report Design Basics

Questionnaires are one of the most common ways psychologists gather data, and they're more complex than you might think. You can use open questions (where people write their own answers) or closed questions (where you provide specific options). Each type gives you different kinds of information.

The real skill comes in choosing the right type of closed question for what you want to find out. Likert scales let people show how much they agree with a statement using numbers $like 1-5 from "strongly agree" to "strongly disagree"$ . Rating scales work similarly but measure intensity of feelings rather than agreement.

Fixed choice options are perfect when you want people to pick from a list - think Netflix asking why you watch certain shows. They're quick for participants and easy for you to analyse later.

Quick Tip: The type of question you choose completely changes the kind of data you get - so choose wisely!

Interview Design & Question Writing

Interviews give you much richer data than questionnaires because you can ask follow-up questions and pick up on non-verbal cues. Whether you're interviewing one person or a group, you'll need a solid list of questions prepared and a way to record everything (notes or audio recording).

Writing good questions is actually harder than it sounds. Avoid jargon - those technical terms that only experts understand. Your participants need to know exactly what you're asking about.

Leading questions are a massive trap to avoid. These basically guide people towards the answer you want rather than their honest opinion. Double-barrelled questions try to ask two things at once, which confuses participants. And double negatives? They'll just scramble people's brains.

Remember: Clear, simple questions = reliable data. Confusing questions = useless results!

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Psychology

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124

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1 Jan 2026

•

2 pages

Understanding Self-Report Design in Psychology Research

Erica

@erica4

Ever wondered how researchers actually get their data from people? Self-report methods like questionnaires and interviews are everywhere - from customer feedback forms to political polls. Understanding how to design these properly is crucial for getting reliable results in psychology... Show more

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Self-Report Design Basics

Fixed choice options are perfect when you want people to pick from a list - think Netflix asking why you watch certain shows. They're quick for participants and easy for you to analyse later.

Quick Tip: The type of question you choose completely changes the kind of data you get - so choose wisely!

Sign up to see the contentIt's free!

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Interview Design & Question Writing

Writing good questions is actually harder than it sounds. Avoid jargon - those technical terms that only experts understand. Your participants need to know exactly what you're asking about.

Remember: Clear, simple questions = reliable data. Confusing questions = useless results!