Information is obtained in the interview of child study method :

Question

Accepted Answer

The correct option is 1:
Verbally and in writing

The interview method is a fundamental descriptive tool in child study and developmental psychology used to gather rich, subjective data directly from the child or a reliable informant, such as a parent or teacher. The essence of the interview involves a direct conversation where questions are posed and answers are received; therefore, information is primarily obtained *verbally*—through the child's spoken responses or the oral narratives and recollections of the adult informant. Crucially, for the interview data to be useful for analysis, interpretation, and record-keeping, the interviewer must systematically document these verbal exchanges. This is done *in writing* by taking detailed notes, recording direct quotes, using audio or video recordings that are later transcribed, or filling out a structured questionnaire/checklist form. Thus, the effective collection of information in an interview is a necessary combination of spoken content and its essential, concurrent or subsequent written record.

The incorrect option is 2:
By creating control groups and experimental groups

The concept of "creating control groups and experimental groups" is the foundational component of *experimental* research design, not the interview method. Experimental studies are used to establish cause-and-effect relationships by manipulating a variable in one group (the experimental group) and comparing the outcome to a group that received no manipulation (the control group). The interview, conversely, is a descriptive or correlational research tool that aims to gather self-report data or in-depth personal information. It does not inherently involve the manipulation of variables or the comparative grouping of participants, making this option an incorrect description of the data collection process within the interview itself.

The incorrect option is 3:
By formal inspection

"Formal inspection" generally suggests a systematic, often visual or physical, examination of an object, document, or behavior against a fixed checklist or standard. While observation is a valid child study method, and school records might be formally inspected, the term does not accurately capture the interactive and communicative nature of an interview. An interview is a dynamic, conversational interaction where information is elicited through dialogue, rapport, and verbal questioning. Reducing the technique to mere "inspection" ignores the core verbal and psychological components that define a successful data-gathering interview.

The incorrect option is 4:
Reading the unconscious mind

This phrase is associated with highly specific, non-standard methods from the psychoanalytic tradition of psychology, famously established by Sigmund Freud. Techniques aimed at the unconscious mind include things like dream analysis, free association, or the use of projective tests (like the Rorschach inkblot test). Standard child study interviews, even when conducted in a clinical setting, primarily operate at the conscious level, seeking information that the child or caregiver is explicitly aware of and is willing to report. Therefore, a standard interview is not designed or intended to "read the unconscious mind" but rather to systematically record conscious, overt information.