International Encyclopedia of Communication Online

Extract

The term “interview” allows for several definitions. In this entry, all forms of the socio-scientific interview – also called →  Survey – are dealt with. The interview – along with content analysis and observation – is one of the three basic empirical instruments of data collection. It is defined as a planned and systematic situation in which knowledge is gained by human subjects. The aim is to generate individual answers, which in their entirety lead to the clarification of a (scientific) question. This method has been in use since the end of the eighteenth century. Significant impulses for its establishment and development in the field of mass communication were set by several mainly sociological studies. These were conducted in both scientific (by a group around →  Paul F. Lazarsfeld ) and applied (by George Gallup; →  Election Surveys ) contexts. Socio-scientific interviews are conducted to elicit subjective evaluations, judgments, attitudes or interpretations of an issue. Interviews are also conducted to measure both cognitive contents and behavior that cannot be observed. In mass communication, interviews are central to measuring the process, evaluating, and studying the effects of mass media use (→  Media Effects ), as well as to examine the state and trend of →  public opinion . The interview's basic idea is to give respondents the opportunity to express their personal ... log in or subscribe to read full text