Interview Research: An Untapped Well
Academic Level at Time of Presentation
Senior
Major
Psychology
Minor
Gender and Diversity Studies & Musical Theatre
List all Project Mentors & Advisor(s)
Dr. Jana Hackathorn
Presentation Format
Oral Presentation
Abstract/Description
Within psychology, qualitative research is much less common than quantitative research, meaning it is largely ignored in undergraduate psychology programs (particularly in research methods and statistics courses). This presentation will give a brief overview of a qualitative study that is currently in progress, focusing on the benefits and obstacles of conducting semi-structured interviews and using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) to investigate social psychological phenomena. Specifically, this will be discussed through the lens of researching sensitive topics, such as sexual behavior. The presentation will cover when and why to use qualitative methodologies, how to choose a qualitative method of analysis, and considerations for conducting interviews (e.g. confidentiality vs. anonymity). The presenter may include personal lessons from their current qualitative research experience.
Fall Scholars Week 2026
Psychology: Projects In-Progress
Interview Research: An Untapped Well
Within psychology, qualitative research is much less common than quantitative research, meaning it is largely ignored in undergraduate psychology programs (particularly in research methods and statistics courses). This presentation will give a brief overview of a qualitative study that is currently in progress, focusing on the benefits and obstacles of conducting semi-structured interviews and using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) to investigate social psychological phenomena. Specifically, this will be discussed through the lens of researching sensitive topics, such as sexual behavior. The presentation will cover when and why to use qualitative methodologies, how to choose a qualitative method of analysis, and considerations for conducting interviews (e.g. confidentiality vs. anonymity). The presenter may include personal lessons from their current qualitative research experience.