The term "Interviewer Effect" refers to the phenomenon where the behavior of an interviewer can impact the responses of a respondent during an interview. The spelling of "Interviewer Effect" can be broken down using the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA). The first syllable "In-" is pronounced as /ɪn/, the second syllable "ter-" as /tɜːr/, and the third syllable "-view- " as /vjuː/. The final syllable "-er" is pronounced as /ər/. Therefore, the IPA transcription of "Interviewer Effect" is /ɪnˈtɜːr.vjuː.ər.ɪˈfekt/.
Interviewer effect refers to the influence that the interviewer has on the outcome of an interview or survey. It refers to the impact that the interviewer's characteristics, behaviors, or biases may have on the responses provided by the interviewee or respondent.
When conducting interviews or surveys, the researcher or interviewer's demeanor, body language, tone of voice, or even personal biases can inadvertently influence how the interviewee or respondent answers the questions. This effect may lead to response bias, where the interviewee or respondent alters their responses to align with the perceived expectations or preferences of the interviewer.
The interviewer effect can also be influenced by the personal characteristics of the interviewer, such as their gender, race, age, or perceived authority. For example, interviewees may be more likely to provide socially desirable responses or curtail their true opinions depending on the sociocultural context or the interviewer's perceived characteristics.
To mitigate the interviewer effect, researchers often employ standardized interview protocols, interviewer training, or utilize anonymous survey methods to ensure that the interviewer's characteristics or biases do not significantly influence the responses. These efforts aim to minimize response bias and enhance the validity and reliability of the collected data.
Recognizing and understanding the impact of the interviewer effect is crucial for researchers and interviewers when conducting interviews or surveys. By being aware of their own potential influence and striving for objectivity, interviewers can enhance the accuracy and reliability of the data collected.
The word "interviewer effect" does not have a specific etymology of its own, as it is a compound word formed from the words "interviewer" and "effect". However, it can be helpful to understand the etymology of these individual words.
1. Interviewer: The word "interviewer" originated in the late 19th century and is derived from the verb "interview", which in turn comes from the Latin words "inter" meaning "between" and "videre" meaning "to see". An interview is a process of asking questions and obtaining information from someone.
2. Effect: The word "effect" has its roots in the Latin word "effectus", which means "result", "accomplishment", or "completion". Over time, it became associated with the idea of "bringing about a change" and is commonly used to refer to the consequences or outcome of an action.