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An unstructured interview is a type of qualitative interview that consists of a small number of general prompts or questions. This open-ended format gives participants the freedom to talk about what is important to them and guide the direction of the conversation. In psychological research, unstructured interviews are especially well-suited for sensitive topics because they allow the participants, rather than the researchers, to control the pace and depth of the disclosure.

Unstructured Interview

A semi-structured interview is a qualitative data collection method that falls between structured and unstructured formats. The researcher utilizes a few consistent, pre-planned questions but retains the flexibility to ask more detailed follow-up questions about new topics that emerge during the interaction. These interviews are typically lengthy and yield deeply detailed information, so they are usually conducted with relatively small sample sizes.

Semi-structured Interview

Per Lindqvist and colleagues' study on how families cope with the suicide of a teenager serves as a prime example of the strengths of qualitative research. By conducting unstructured interviews and listening to families discuss their lived experiences, the researchers were able to generate novel hypotheses—such as a potential relationship between the unexpectedness of the suicide and the family's need to understand why it occurred. Additionally, the qualitative approach revealed rich, unexpected details, such as families spontaneously showing interviewers the victim's bedroom, highlighting the importance of physical locations in the grieving process—a nuance that a structured quantitative study would likely have missed.

Example of Qualitative Research: Coping with Teenage Suicide

What is a defining characteristic of an unstructured interview in psychological research?

When researching sensitive topics, unstructured interviews are advantageous because they allow the researcher to carefully control the pace and depth of the conversation.

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