Interview vs. Surveys
Compared to surveys, what major limitation do interviews and focus groups have regarding sample size?
They cannot scale to many participants.
What type of interview uses only a list of topics and has little structure?
Free-form interviews.
What type of dynamic makes focus groups different from individual interviews?
Group interactivity and shared discussion.
What type of question encourages deeper responses?
Open ended questions
What is one thing surveys cannot uncover that interviews can?
The “why” behind responses.
What type of interview follows a fixed question list in a fixed order?
Fully structured interviews.
What is one challenge that can occur when participants dominate a focus group conversation?
Monopolization of discussion
Instead of asking for an exact number, what should you ask for to reduce participant pressure?
A range (e.g., age range).
Interviews allow researchers to ask follow-up questions when they notice what?
Interesting patterns in participant responses.
Which type of interview balances structure with flexibility and allows deviations in questioning?
Semi-structured interviews.
Why might focus groups get derailed more easily than interviews?
Because group members can take discussions off-topic.
“The number one priority for me is…” is an example of what question style?
Sentence completion.
What does combining interviews with another research method help researchers avoid?
Subjectivity and bias by validating data through multiple sources.
What is one drawback of free-form interviews?
They are harder to analyze due to uncontrolled question order.
What skill is essential for managing conflict or differing opinions within a focus group?
Skilled moderation.
When a participant answers vaguely, what should the interviewer ask?
“What do you think?” or “Tell me more.”
Unlike surveys, interviews allow researchers to explore what type of knowledge that participants may not verbally express?
Implicit knowledge.
What is one drawback of fully structured interviews that impacts discovery of new insights?
They restrict deviation from the script, limiting exploration.
Focus groups do not provide independent, unbiased views as easily as interviews. Why is that?
Social influence from group dynamics affects responses.
Name one probing method used to uncover automatic or unspoken user behaviors.
Tech tour, think-aloud, or contextual inquiry.