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Week 4

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South University

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PSY2061

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Introduction to Rapport and Surveys

Studies that use self-reporting measures for collecting data must have some strategies in place for

enhancing internal validity.

See the linked document for three key strategies to establishing rapport.

Establishing a Rapport with the Participants

Regardless of the focus on your research, you need to determine the best way to approach and

interact with the participants in the study. This is especially important and requires more work if

the participants are not your cohorts. For example, if there is a large cultural or ethnicity gap

between the participant and the investigator, something needs to be done to bridge the gap. In

such cases, the researcher should learn, as much as possible, about the community of interest

before starting a study. The idea is not to mimic the customs and manners of the participants, but

to understand them and increase positive communication with them.

At times, it may be helpful to take assistance from a member of the group to gain access to the

group and foster trust. For example, if a study is being conducted on how women cope after

sexual harassment in the workplace, it would be preferred if the mediator is a woman who has

experienced such a situation.

Questionnaires and Interviews

Designing Effective Questionnaires and Interviews

Questionnaires

When a study depends on acquiring data via self-reporting measures, an investigator should

always try to make the best fit between the types of questions asked, the person who is asking the

questions, and the person answering the questions. Making sure the fit is as appropriate as

possible increases a participant's sincerity and willingness. This in turn leads to greater internal

validity.

See the linked document to explore ways of designing an effective questionnaire.

You have learned that the wording of your questionnaire should be carefully considered so the

participants understand the questions and are willing to answer the questions in an honest

manner. Understanding your audience helps you write the questions in a clear and nonoffensive

manner.

Interviews

Research interviews are usually more flexible than questionnaires and have a more open format

that permits the investigator to ask follow-up questions when clarification is needed. There are

some challenges, however, to interviewing people who are from a different cohort.

See the linked document for information about interviewing participants from other cohort

groups.

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Testing-Style Balance in Assessments

Let's see how you can achieve a test-style balance during assessment.

Sample Battery of Tests for a Study

Regardless of whether you choose to use a questionnaire or interview format to collect self-

reports for your study, you must learn to achieve a testing-style balance during assessment. This

involves maintaining a balance between being formal and structured and being informal and

unstructured.

In many studies, participants brought in for testing are given a large battery of tests that can take

several hours.

See the table for a sample battery of tests from a typical study. The battery starts with the consent

form, and then the following list of tests are administered one by one until the end.

Prelimilary Information Paper-and-Pencil Tests

Consent Form Vocabulary

Background Questionnaire S-D Copying

Computer Tests Pattern Comparison

Sequence Learning Letter Comparison

Grammar Testing Number Matching

Digit Learning Pattern Matching

Code Learning Digit Copying

Fitness Assessment Multiple Trial FreeRecall Test

Blood Pressure Matrix ReasoningTest

Grip Strength Cube Assembly Test

Visual Acuity

Technicians or research assistants are often trained to administer a battery of tests, and they can

become quite efficient at testing. However, this efficiency may be too forbidding for participants,

and they may perceive the technician as too formal and automated. In a recent research study on

people suffering from a disease with great social stigma, one of the most efficient technicians

received a letter of complaint because she was overly efficient. The letter described her as cold,

robotic, and unfeeling.

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Introduction to Rapport and Surveys Studies that use self-reporting measures for collecting data must have some strategies in place for enhancing internal validity. See the linked document for three key strategies to establishing rapport. Establishing a Rapport with the Participants Regardless of the focus on your research, you need to determine the best way to approach and interact with the participants in the study. This is especially important and requires more work if the participants are not your cohorts. For example, if there is a large cultural or ethnicity gap between the participant and the investigator, something needs to be done to bridge the gap. In such cases, the researcher should learn, as much as possible, about the community of interest before starting a study. The idea is not to mimic the customs and manners of the participants, but to understand them and increase posit ...
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