Interview Types and Evaluation in Sociological Research

This comprehensive page explores different types of interviews and their evaluation in sociological research, focusing on structured and unstructured approaches.

Definition: Structured interviews involve pre-planned questions in a set order, primarily using closed questions to gather quantitative data.

Highlight: Unstructured interviews are characterized by their informal nature, allowing for rapport building and flexible questioning.

The text examines validity concerns in interviewing:

Example: Status differences can affect honesty - larger status gaps typically result in less truthful responses.

Vocabulary: Social desirability bias refers to respondents' tendency to provide answers they believe will please the interviewer.

The PET evaluation framework analyzes interviews through three lenses:

Practical considerations:

• Rapport building in unstructured interviews
• Time and resource requirements
• Sample size limitations

Ethical aspects:

Quote: "Mead's study of adolescents in Samoa revealed how participants deliberately misled her, highlighting the importance of cultural understanding."

Theoretical implications:

• Interpretivist preference for unstructured approaches
• Positivist preference for structured methods
• Validity and reliability considerations

Methods for improving validity include:

• Kinsey's quick-fire questioning technique
• Becker's "playing dumb" approach
• Nazroo's ethnic matching of interviewer and interviewee

Highlight: Willis's research on 'the lads' in 1970s schooling demonstrates the effective use of semi-structured interviews with up to 12 participants.