Evaluate+semi-structured,+focus+group+and+narrative+interviews.

1. Read the following text 2. Read pages 354-360 from your textbook and write the definition for a) semi-structured interview b) Focus Group c) Narrative Interviews 3. Choose two of this types of interviews and write how you would do each type of interview when researching about the benefits of a new type of group therapy for PTSD (any new treatment)


 * a)Semi structured interview:** The most widely used method of data collection in qualitative research and it involves the preparation of an interview guide that lists themes that should be explored during the interview, this allows the same information to be retrieved from all participants in the study.

It uses: Open ended questions. Which allows the participant to answer more freely. Closed ended questions --- Focuses the participants.

It is a form of qualitative research in which a group of people are asked about their perceptions, opinions, beliefs, and attitudes towards a product, service, concept, advertisement, idea, or packaging. The idea behind a focus group is that group processes can help people to explore and clarify their views in ways that would be difficult to achieve in one-to-one interviews.
 * b)Focus Group:**

A focus group is usually composed by 6 to 10 people (If more it would be difficult for all of them to participate actively) and they usually have a common characteristic which is relevant to the topic of the investigation, which is why purpositive sampling is often used.


 * c)Narrative interviews:**

The narrative approach to psychology is based on the idea that human beings are storytellers and that the task of the researcher is to explore the different stories being told. The purpose of narrative interviewing is to see how people impose a kind of order in their experiences so as to make sense of the events in their lives. The narratives are, after all, a representation of a person´s life and this mix of life and representations can help to create identities and construct meanings in individual lives.

Narrative interviewing can also help in understanding how individual lives relate to the historical and cultural context in which people live.
 * The life story is the most extended narrative interview.
 * Another type focuses on individual experiences in specific situations.

The researcher will always want to integrate the personal experience with the personal one.


 * 3. Treatment.**

This would not only allow me as a researcher to understand the parts of the therapy that seem non useful for the patients (which in depth explanations and integrate things that could lead to a rapid coping lifestyle.
 * Semi-structured interview-** I would use it to explicitly but still in an open way, ask the ones in therapy how they feel about it. This by having the majority of the questions focused on their process throughout therapy sessions. Moreover, this kind of interview permits the personal experiences of their trauma (that can be shared by many) to be understood, this way, there can be a specifically focused session, for example.


 * Focus Group-** I would use the focus group system as a round table of discussion for 10 participants. In there I would ask everyone how they have felt about therapy, how they feel about their group and if they think the group has had an effect on the effectiveness of therapy. as a way in which the patients can express their ideas freely and feeling able to participate (as they can find supporters and have a lesser need to please the researcher). Moreover, as a group they can further elaborate in the process as a group rather than as individuals, and with that, as a therapist, it is easier to understand what step to take next (support them more as a group or as individuals for example)

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 * Compare the types of interview, at a glance ||
 * ** Type of Interview ** || ** Advantages ** || ** Disadvantages ** ||
 * [|Structured Interview] || * [|Standardisation] of all questions can give quantifiable data.
 * [|Replication].
 * Data is more [|reliable] as the issue is being investigated in a consistent way.
 * Allows [|generalisation] of results/conclusions to the[|population] from which the [|sample] was drawn. || * Restrictive questioning leads to restrictive answers.
 * Insensitive to participants' need to express themselves.
 * [|Validity] of questions asked. Are they the right ones? ||
 * [|Semi-structured Interview] || * Standardisation of most questions gives [|quantifiable data].
 * According to Willig (2001) Many theoretical approaches can be used.
 * Replication.
 * Data is therefore reasonably reliable.
 * Ability to ask some spontaneous questions is sensitive to participants need to express themselves. Because it is semi-structured and conversational, it encourages communication
 * On socially sensitive issues it is better for acquiring data because the researcher can ask the interviewee to elaborate on answers.
 * Less biased by the researcher´s preconceptions
 * has advantages of open ended approaches, as well as the advantages of the structural approach
 * The interview guide sets out the themes to explore, but does not allow pursuing themes that have not been prepared in advance. || * Its use of an occasional spontaneous question makes these answers difficult to quantify and analyse.
 * Spontaneous questions asked of some and not of others can be seen as unfair, especially in personnel selection.
 * Flexibility of questions and wording during the interview can lead to researcher bias, as they can exercise special attention on certain questions accordingly to each participant.
 * Information for this kind of research does not necessarily require face to face communication, which means it requires supplements to increase reliability.
 * The focus on individual processes is somewhat artificial and could raise issues on ecological validity.
 * Data analysis is very time consuming. ||
 * [|Clinical Interview] || * Flexible, responsive and sensitive to participants.
 * Preparation of core questions should ensure validity.
 * Core questions and responses should be reliable and analysed easily. || * Difficult to replicate.
 * As a result an inability to generalise your findings to a wider [|population].
 * Possible [|interviewer bias] in their use of leading spontaneous questions. ||
 * [|Unstructured Interview] || * Flexible, responsive and sensitive to participants.
 * Relaxed and natural for those taking part.
 * Highly detailed and ecologically valid [|qualitative data]. || * Difficult to replicate.
 * As a result, an inability to generalise your findings to a wider population.
 * Possible interviewer bias in 'selective' use of leading, and spontaneous questions. ||