Interviewing is a complicated process consisting of numerous psychological and physical nuances. A wide variety of factors can affect how an interview is carried out. The more attentive the interviewer is, the more likely they are to have a successful and fruitful conversation without alienating the respondent. Evaluation of the video by Joanna Chrzanowska (2014) will showcase the interviewer’s strengths and weaknesses while talking with a respondent.
The first strong point is the use of structure – the interviewer follows a strict pre-written list of questions. As Maxfield and Babbie (2015) argue in Chapter 10, structured interviews allow researchers to obtain quantifiable answers. By controlling the conversation flow, the interviewer reduces the risk of unexpected responses by the interviewee. The second strong point is that the interviewer asks the respondent whether they feel comfortable answering questions regarding the latter’s recent training (Joanna Chrzanowska, 2014, 0:15). In Chapter 9, Maxfield and Babbie (2015) point out the importance of the interviewee being relaxed when questions pertain to the details of their private thoughts. The third strong point is that the interviewer avoids open-ended questions – it prevents the respondent from giving abstract answers that have no value.
The first mistake by the interviewer is the overly aggressive demeanor. The interviewer’s tone and structure of the conversation clearly convey the desire to obtain answers even though the manner is disrespectful towards the respondent. At 3:45, it is evident that the interviewee is clearly unnerved by the onslaught of questions, while the interviewer does not notice their emotional reaction (Joanna Chrzanowska, 2014, 3:45). An effective way to correct this mistake is to adopt a friendly style of communication that would convince the respondent that the interviewer is genuinely interested in the interaction with them (Maxfield & Babbie, 2015). This change in communication will make the overall experience more enjoyable for the interviewee.
The second mistake is inappropriate nonverbal communication by the interviewer. First, the space between the interlocutors is too narrow, which adds pressure on the respondent, since their personal space is violated. Second, the interviewer uses excessive gestures while talking, which distracts the respondent. Third, the interviewer’s body language does not indicate that they are interested in listening to the respondent, which is evident in the lack of eye contact. Correcting this mistake would require the interviewer to restrict their non-verbal gestures, establish consistent eye contact and move further away from the respondent, thus providing them enough space to feel comfortable.
The third mistake is that the interviewer is easily distracted from the conversation. It is evident when she checks the clock and looks at her phone while the respondent answers her question (Joanna Chrzanowska, 2014, 4:42). On two occasions, at 1:55 and 4:55, the interviewer has to ask the interviewee to repeat the answer due to the former’s losing track of the conversation (Joanna Chrzanowska, 2014). An appropriate correction would be paying attention to the interview while keeping the questions and answers shorter.
Overall, the interview shown in the video is an example of overly biased and one-sided communication by the interviewer. She is too aggressive in her pursuit of answers, ignorant of her highly expressive body language, and easily distracted by small activities. Although there are some strong points, such as using a structure, closed questions, and asking the respondents how they feel, the overall interview is poorly conducted and can be fixed with simple corrections.
References
Joanna Chrzanowska. (2014). Demo qualitative interview with mistakes (full captions)[Video]. YouTube. Web.
Maxfield, G., & Babbie, E. R. (2015). Research methods for criminal justice and criminology. Cengage Learning.