Informal Interview Essay

In the world of novels, often the view afforded to the observer is one of omniscience.
This is not so in reality. What the observers knows in reality is only what is visible or in the mind of the observers themselves, a limited data set as we cannot see everything around us. Let us say that we wish to know why a convicted murder has chosen the victims that they have. In a novel we might be given a soliloquy, experiencing the process as the murderer does. We cannot do so in reality. Emotions, thoughts, intents, and the way another human being organizes and attaches meaning to the wider world are inconceivable to the individual who is not experiencing them
(Patton, 1990). These ways of knowing are especially important concepts for psychology. In

Each type involves different conceptualizations, instrumentations, and preparations and each type involves somewhat different purposes (Patton,
1990).
If, for instance, the evaluator wishes to be allowed access to a wide variety of information, the informal conversational interview may be the correct route. With the informal conversational interview, information flows in the manner of natural conversation and as such allows a great deal of flexibility as the topic moves in whatever direction appears appropriate
(Patton, 1990). Questions in this style will often form naturally from the immediate context of the interview session and this has a great many strengths to it. In partnership with participant observation, it can often allow for an understanding of individual reactions to what is happening around them (Patton, 1990). As the interviewee may not even be aware that they are being interviewed there is also a greater chance of attaining a reaction that is true to the individual. The individuality of the conversational interview style is that it allows for the evaluator