Fiechtner, Ashleigh (2009) A Conversation Analysis of Questions in a Qualitative Research Interview. Honours thesis, University of Southern Queensland. (Unpublished)
Abstract
The aim of the current study was to examine question-answer pairs produced in qualitative research interviews. There were three research questions, the first addressed whether there was a relationship between the syntax of the question and its function in the qualitative research interview. The second, whether interactional processes in the discourse between the interviewer and the respondent contribute to the form and function of questions in the research interview. And third, how critical were the linguistic properties of questions for creating and maintaining mutual understanding between the interviewer and the respondent. Conversation Analysis was used to observe how question formats shaped the response formats in van den Berg, Wetherell, and Houtkoop-Steenstra’s (2003) New Zealand Interview 2 transcript. This interview was originally conducted during the 1980’s as part of Wetherell and Potter’s (1992) investigation into race and race relations in New Zealand. The participants involved in the interview were the interviewer Margaret Wetherell, and the respondent who was a middle-class male Pakeha New Zealander. The current study found a relationship between the syntax of questions and their function within the qualitative research interview; however the relationship was not considered to be direct as the syntax did not accurately predict response formats. The interactional processes in the discourse between the interviewer and the respondent were found to shape the response and contribute to the function of questions in qualitative research interviews. And finally, the linguistic properties of questions were not found to be critical for creating and maintaining mutual understanding between the interviewer and the respondent. Rather, the interactional properties employed during the response were critical for creating and maintaining mutual understanding because the participants drew on these resources when the linguistic properties of the question were unorthodox. The study was limited in that the original audio was not available for examination to verify that the transcribers had included all aspects of the conversation in the data transcript. Interview transcripts are subjective to a transcriber’s interpretation of what is relevant. It was suggested that this study be replicated on other transcripts in the original racism study to allow for a more comprehensive analysis of orthodox and unorthodox question formats and their corresponding response formats. It was recommended that psychologists be educated in CA methodology so that they can use this evidence-based tool to more effectively attend to all aspects of talk-in-interaction in research interviews and in therapy settings.
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| Item Type: | Thesis (Non-Research) (Honours) |
|---|---|
| Item Status: | Live Archive |
| Additional Information: | Current UniSQ staff and students can request access to this thesis. Please email research.repository@unisq.edu.au with a subject line of SEAR thesis request and provide: Name of the thesis requested and Your name and UniSQ email address |
| Faculty/School / Institute/Centre: | Historic - Faculty of Sciences - Department of Psychology (Up to 30 Jun 2013) |
| Supervisors: | Steven Christensen |
| Qualification: | Bachelor of Science (Honours) |
| Date Deposited: | 03 Nov 2025 06:39 |
| Last Modified: | 03 Nov 2025 06:39 |
| Fields of Research (2008): | 17 Psychology and Cognitive Sciences > 1799 Other Psychology and Cognitive Sciences > 179999 Psychology and Cognitive Sciences not elsewhere classified |
| Fields of Research (2020): | 52 PSYCHOLOGY > 5299 Other psychology > 529999 Other psychology not elsewhere classified |
| URI: | https://sear.unisq.edu.au/id/eprint/52315 |
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