The document describes a study that investigated a befriending program in Scotland from the perspective of the volunteer befrienders. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 befrienders, 5 males and 5 females aged 25-36. The researchers analyzed the interview transcripts using inductive content analysis. The findings showed that the befrienders believed they received personal benefits from participating in the program, such as appreciating other cultures and gaining insight into challenges faced by minority groups.

1. Practice marking
Laura Swash, March 2014 1

2.  The LOs are on p 27 of the guide.
 They are a mixture of Level 2 & Level 3
command terms.
 The Level 2 command term usually used is
“Explain” - give a detailed account including
reasons or causes.
 Learn the LOs associated with each qualitative
method (interviews, case studies and
observations). Your exam questions will be
based on applying these to the stimulus
material.
Laura Swash, March 2014 2

3. The stimulus material below is based on a research article.
 “Befriending” is a term for developing a friendly relationship between a volunteer and a
“befriendee”, i.e. a person who is given the opportunity to have a friend. The purpose of such a
relationship is to benefit a person at potential risk: for example adolescents from minority
groups.
 Befriending programmes have been found to benefit the befriendees by protecting them from
loneliness and social isolation. One such befriending programme in Scotland was concerned
with social inclusion of young people from minority backgrounds by establishing relationships
between them and members of the majority group.
 McVittie, Goodall and Barr (2009) conducted a qualitative study on the befriending programme
from Scotland mentioned above. The aim of their study was to investigate the outcome of
befriending from the perspective of befrienders. The outcome of the befriending scheme was
very much dependent on the motivation and involvement of the participants, i.e. the
befrienders.
 Therefore the researchers were particularly interested in their view of the scheme and the
befrienders’ relationships with the young people. The ten participants in this study were five
males and five females ranging in age from 25 to 36. The researchers collected data with
semi-structured interviews, which were audio recorded and transcribed with the participants’
consent. The researchers used inductive content analysis to analyse and interpret the
transcripts.
 The findings of the study showed that the befrienders suggested that they themselves received
several benefits from the befriending programme, for example appreciation of other cultures,
being welcomed in the families of the young people, and getting insight into the community-
based difficulties that minority cultures experience. Overall, the befrienders had a positive view
of the programme. Research on befriending programmes has found that befriendees normally
report positive experiences. This qualitative study now confirms that befrienders also benefit
from such programmes.
Laura Swash, March 2014 3

4.  1. Explain possible effects of participant
expectations on the findings of this study.
 2. Discuss the use of semi-structured
interviews in this study.
 3. Explain how researchers could use
inductive content analysis on the transcripts
of the semi-structured interviews in this
study.
 [10 marks each]
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5. Participant expectations can affect the findings of any study, thus
they can have affected the findings of this particular study, aiming to
“investigate the outcome of befriending from the perspective of
befrienders”.
By participant expectations, we mean ways in which participants, i.e.
the befrienders in this case, could have understood what was the aim
of the study and what the researchers expected them to do and could
have therefore altered their behaviour both positively and negatively
in order to behave in accordance with those desires.
In this case, as the research was conducted on a socially sensitive
issue, i.e. “social inclusion of young people from minority
backgrounds” effects of social desirability could have taken place
during the semi-structured interviews, i.e. the befrienders might
have wanted to come across as socially sensitive and helpful people
and for this reason claim to have “received several benefits”. (1)
In addition, it is likely that the befrienders had understood the aim of
the research, as in this case the researchers were interested in the
befrienders’ view of the situation. Therefore, they might have wanted
to behave in accordance with their desires and give appropriate
responses during the interviews. (2)
Moreover, it was stated that motivation and involvement of the
befrienders’ part was very important in terms of the outcome of the
research. It could have therefore been the case that participants
might have become too involved with their befriendee and this could
have affected their expectations as in that they were no longer
objective judges of the situation as they might have thought that the
researchers would have expected them to form a close relationship
with the befriendees and it may be the case that they may not have
done so under other circumstances. (3)
Therefore it is clear that participant expectations could have possible
affected the findings.
Definition of
participant
expectations
applied to the
study.
3 reasons for the
study possibly
generating
participant
expectations.
Explain requires “a
detailed account
including reasons
or causes” – this is
done.
BUT the question
says “effects” and
this has not been
answered. What
effects could these
participant
expectations have
on the study?
Laura Swash, March 2014 5

6. 4 to 7
The question is partially answered.
Knowledge and understanding is accurate but
limited. Either the command term* is not
effectively addressed or the response is not
sufficiently explicit in answering the question. The
response makes limited use of the stimulus
material.
7/10
_______________________________
*“Explain” - give a detailed account including
reasons or causes.
Laura Swash, March 2014 6

7. Semi-structured interviews are a way of gaining insight into another person’s
experiences and way of thinking and judging the world.
In this study semi-structured interviews could have helped researchers as they were
“interested in the befrienders’ view of the scheme and the befrienders’ relationship
with the young people”.
Therefore, through open and closed-ended questions and by checking that all
themes from the guidelist had been addressed by also leaving room for other issues
that might have araised. researchers could have gained insight into how the
befrienders viewed the situation. (1)
Also, this research method enabled for the researchers not to have total control over
the situation and researcher effects could have been minimised. (2)
Additionally, an audio recorder was used, which shows that befrienders must have
given their consent and that it enabled for a rapport to be more easily established as
the researchers would not need to be constantly taking notes and could therefore
maintain eye-contact and make the situation less artificial, as this is one of the
problems sometimes faced in such situations. (3)
In addition, ethical issues regarding this research method must have been followed
(at least up to the point that we can be aware of) as befrienders were asked to give
their consent in order for the data to be transcribed. (4)
Also, it can be assumed that researchers tried to control variables such as gender,
as equal numbers of men and women were found, and this would make the data
analysis more interesting, as gender differences could have been found. (5)
However, one problem concerning semi-structured interviews is that the data
obtained is enormous and makes data analysis for the researchers very time-
consuming.
In addition, it can be argued that if other studies find similar results with the ones
obtained through this study, e.g. befrienders received several benefits, then these
results from the semi-structured interview could be generalised to similar
populations, settings and theories that provide consistent results. (6)
Therefore, the use of the semi-structured interview in this qualitative study seems
to have benefited the researchers McVittie, Goodall and Barr and to have helped
them reach credible conclusions.
Shows knowledge of
semi-structured
interview method.
6 reasons given for the
use of SSIs and applied
to this study (4 & 6
could apply to any
method).
1 limitation noted
(others missed-
particularly susceptible
to participant
expectations,
unconscious signals can
be given by interviewed,
especially as in this
case interviewers
already aware of the
general success of the
scheme)
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8. 8 to 10
The question is answered in a focused and effective
manner and meets the demands of the command
term*. The answer is supported by appropriate and
accurate knowledge and understanding of qualitative
research methodology. The response demonstrates a
critical understanding of qualitative research
methodology applied to the stimulus material.
8/10
_______________________
*Discuss: Offer a considered and balanced review that
includes a range of arguments, factors or hypotheses.
Opinions or conclusions should be presented clearly
and supported by appropriate evidence.
Laura Swash, March 2014 8

9. The data obtained from this study through the use of semi-
structured interviews, could have been analysed by the use of
inductive content analysis.
This type of analysis refers to (IPA) inferential phenomenological
analysis, which means that the researchers try to reach conclusions
through the study based only on what the befrienders i.e participants
told them. This means that the results of the study reflected the
befrienders’ true experiences and views of the situation. This is what
qualitative research is about, and therefore the use of inductive
content analysis would make the results credible.
Inductive content analysis takes place through the following way: first
of all researchers should become very familiar with the transcripts
which were made by the participants’ consent and they should
therefore read and re-read them. (1)
Then they could identify any emergent themes that reflect essential
meanings of what the befrienders experienced. (2)
These emergent themes could then be structured by for example
creating clusters of themes that go together, e.g. all the examples of
benefits listed in the study such as “appreciation of other cultures”
etc. could have been listed as a cluster of themes labelled as several
benefits. (3)
Then researchers could construct a summary table of all the themes
together with quotations that summarise the meanings of the
themes. This should be carried out in a way that would make the
data analysis comprehensible by all befrienders. (4)
Befrienders could also be asked if the results reflect their true view of
the situation and if they wished to withdraw any information. (5)
Data analysis should be terminated only when the researchers were
unable to find any new information, i.e. until the data is saturated. (6)
Defines
inductive
content analysis
and also
credibility.
Identifies 6
stages of ICA
and relates them
to the study.
Laura Swash, March 2014 9

10. 8 to 10
The question is answered in a focused and
effective manner and meets the demands of the
command term*. The answer is supported by
appropriate and accurate knowledge and
understanding of qualitative research
methodology. The response demonstrates a critical
understanding of qualitative research methodology
applied to the stimulus material.
10/10
___________________________
 *Explain - give a detailed account including
reasons or causes.
Laura Swash, March 2014 10