Which of the following is a disadvantage of using structured interviews?
a) Consistency across candidates
b) Reduce subjectivity
c) Lower potential for bias
d) Lack of ability to pursue follow-up questions as they develop
Correct Answer: d) Lack of ability to pursue follow-up questions as they develop
Answer Explanation:
Lack of ability to pursue follow-up questions as they develop is a disadvantage of using structured interviews.
In a structured interview, the interviewer asks a standard set of questions to each participant in a standardized format to collect data from various fields, such as psychology, sociology, and market research. Although structured interviews offer several advantages, including reliability and comparability, they also have several disadvantages.
The first problem with structured interviews is that they are less flexible than other methods. With a set of questions, structured interviews may not capture unexpected or nuanced responses that may be useful to understanding a phenomenon because of a fixed set of questions.
In a psychological study, structured interviews can limit participants’ ability to elaborate on their feelings, thoughts, or experiences beyond predefined questions, thereby limiting the data collection’s depth and complexity.
Structured interviews may also be subjected to social desirability bias. Participants may feel pressured to provide answers that are socially acceptable rather than honest or accurate, especially when answering sensitive questions. Especially when investigating sensitive issues like sexual behavior or drug use, this can be problematic.
Rather than stating their true beliefs or experiences, participants may modify their responses based on what they expect the interviewer to hear. It can result in inaccurate or misleading information, especially in research areas with significant policy, economic, and social implications. In addition, structured interviews can be time-consuming and costly.
The creation of standardized questions can take a lot of time and resources. Training interviewers and managing data collection can also be expensive, particularly for large-scale studies. Furthermore, structured interviews can take a long time to administer and may not be suitable for large-scale studies or surveys, which require a quick turnaround time.
Particularly in resource-limited settings or when researchers are working with a tight deadline, this can limit the scope and feasibility of research. It is important to note that structured interviews may not be suitable for all populations and contexts. Individuals with low literacy or cognitive ability may have difficulty understanding the questions or providing coherent answers.
Participating in structured interviews may also be challenging for people with mental or physical health conditions. Furthermore, participants with different cultural backgrounds may perceive the questions differently or interpret them differently, resulting in cross-cultural measurement problems. Particularly when investigating populations or contexts with significant diversity, this may limit the generalizability of research results.
A structured interview can also be affected by interviewer effects. Participant responses may be influenced by the interviewer’s personality, gender, and race. Studies that emphasize the researcher’s identity, such as prejudice or discrimination, can be particularly problematic in this regard. Participants may also be inadvertently influenced by interviewers’ expectations or biases, leading to a response bias.
As a result, data can be less reliable and valid, potentially resulting in inaccurate or misleading findings.
In conclusion, while structured interviews offer several advantages, such as reliability and comparability, they also have several disadvantages. The disadvantages of structured interviews include their lack of flexibility, the tendency to suffer from social desirability bias, their time-consuming and expensive nature, their inability to capture the complexity of some phenomena, and their interviewer effects.
Therefore, researchers should carefully consider the limitations of structured interviews when designing research studies, and choose the most appropriate data collection method for their research questions. In order to gain a more comprehensive and nuanced understanding of the phenomenon under investigation, researchers may use other methods besides structured interviews, like focus groups, observation, or open-ended surveys.
Since unstructured interviews offer more flexibility and open-ended questions, it is also possible to capture more detailed and diverse responses. In order for structured interviews to be effective, reliable, and valid, researchers must be aware of their limitations to ensure that the data collected will be accurate and meaningful.
MBA,BBA.
I am Smirti Bam, an enthusiastic edu blogger with a passion for sharing insights into the dynamic world of business and management through this website.
I hold a MBA degree from Presidential Business School, Kathmandu, and a BBA degree with a specialization in Finance from Apex College,
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