Self-Report Measures

Self-Report Measures are any methods of data collection that rely on the participant to report his or her own behaviors, thoughts, or feelings. The advantage of this method is that the researcher can obtain information that is not easily observable, but the disadvantage is that participants’ report may not be accurate or reliable.

For example, if we asked students to report how many hours per week they used Facebook, students may under-report the time due to embarrassment or not realizing how much time they spend on the site. However, independent observation of Facebook use would be difficult and costly to implement.