I effectively had a mock viva yesterday, called the interim evaluation. I passed it and have been given the 'all clear' to arrange the viva when I eventually finish writing up, but the panel raised certain issues and I didn't take them very well. I'm ashamed to say I was a bit of a cocky gobshxte. I've essentially just made a questionnaire. I developed my own way of doing things to achieve this. They think it's sound and enough to get a PhD. Anyhoo, they think that I don't emphasise my questionnaire and it's benefits enough. They think that I kind of mix it up with my methodological design, making things unclear.
I tried to explain that all the inferences that I can draw about my questionnaire are dependent upon my methodological design, meaning that I can't divorce the two. So I can't talk about my questionnaire without talking about my methodological design. It's catch-22. They were very nice, but they felt otherwise. I need to be very clear about what my messages are - even though I have lots of them. I'm in a quandary because at my eventual viva, I've got an external whose a methodologist (a social scientist - the worst, most evil kind of scientists) and one who makes questionnaires like mine. I've got to make them bother happy. It's when I used to run a cafe. One likes tea, one likes coffee - I've got to serve both beverages.
So, yeah, bit down about it all to be honest. I did lose my temper (I'm a renaissance man, so not aggressively) because I was trying to reason and get these messages across. I just thought I'd share my experience with everyone. I'm not really looking for suggestions and answers because I don't think there are any. :-(

I think you need to view it as a learning experience, and take what you can from it, both in terms of things to do better, and things to avoid doing in future.

Was your supervisor on the panel? If not can you seek more advice from them on how to frame the methodological / questionnaire issue in your ultimate viva? And being too cocky isn't a good thing either: it's likely to rub an examiner up the wrong way, which you want to avoid.

Also when it comes to your final viva do try to keep your temper. I know you want to stand your ground, but you've got to be reasoned in your approach.

But, yes, it's a learning experience, so take what you can from it :p