shobha prasad - festival of newmr - 2010

Shobha Prasad, Drsh- Strategic Research Services, India Part 1: Session 2, Convenor Greg Coops, Chair Pravin Shekar, schedule = 3:18am to 3:44am (GMT/London)

STRATEGIC RESEARCH SERVICES PVT. LTD.

© Drsh' Strategic Research Services Pvt. Ltd, December, 2010


“For me, the sound is only half of music -‐ the space between the notes

is also vitally important…”

-‐ SOng

Listening to the sounds of silence The Fes'val of NewMR


COMMUNICATION TAKES PLACE THROUGH AN INTERPLAY OF SOUND & SILENCE

Silence punctuates and enhances arOculaOons Silence can accentuate and add emphasis to communicaOon

Silence can subsOtute words

“Silence is not nothing. It is not the null set”



Listening to the sounds of silence The Festival of NewMR

In markeOng research, we barely take cognizance of silence…

…we focus on the “ARTICULATED RESPONSE”




WE EQUATE SILENCE WITH FAILURE

»  FAILURE OF RESEARCHER TO ELICIT “RESPONSE”

»  FAILURE TO OBTAIN “DATA”

»  FAILURE TO PROVIDE “FINDINGS”




Most research techniques are geared to helping respondents

VERBALISE their thoughts

Most of our analysis methods are geared to analysing

ARTICULATED responses

ARE WE MISSING SOMETHING HERE?



Sure… we may be missing something…

»  But how do you interpret and analyse silence?



This paper…


WHAT IS SILENCE?



WESTERN CULTURES ATTACH MORE NEGATIVE SIGNIFICANCE TO SILENCE

Dignity, polite and well-‐mannered

Respect

Avoid confrontation

Hostility, anger

Shyness, Ignorance

Displeasure/ disapproval

Giving up, disappointment

Discomfort, unenthusiastic

INTERPRETATIONS OF SILENCE: BRITAIN

POSITIVE INTERPRETATIONS NEGATIVE INTERPRETATIONS

Source: Communicative Functions and Meanings of Silence: An Analysis Of Cross-Cultural Views: DR. WONG NGAN LING, Professor of Language and Linguistics at the University Of Malaya, Nagoya Repository, March 2003

Grief



ASIAN CULTURES ATTACH MORE POSITIVE SIGNIFICANCE TO SILENCE

Becoming tuned to someone else’s

ideas

To give time to think, to change his

mind

Consent/agreement

When highly offended

Anger, objection

When my point of view is against the general

opinion

INTERPRETATIONS OF SILENCE: JAPAN

POSITIVE INTERPRETATIONS

NEGATIVE INTERPRETATIONS

Source: Communicative Functions and Meanings of Silence: An Analysis Of Cross-Cultural Views: DR. WONG NGAN LING, Professor of Language and Linguistics at the University Of Malaya, Nagoya Repository, March 2003

To show that I want to be nominated

to speak

To give a “good impression”



We analysed silences i

n … over

200 Focus Groups and

100 In

Depth Interviews in I

ndia…

…across categories of hair oil, frozen

foods, two wheelers, refrigerators ,

cigarettes, bidis, Uinancial products…

…over the last 3 years




WE ENCOUNTERED 3 BROAD TYPES OF SILENCE

CULTURAL/ SOCIAL SILENCES

PERSONAL SILENCES

TRANSACTIONAL SILENCES


Silence arising from social hierarchies..

Silence between social classes, castes Silence before elders Silence between genders

Not wanOng to disagree/ break ranks, upset harmony

CULTURAL / SOCIAL SILENCES



Silence arising from

TRANSACTING between 2 or more people

…deciding when to talk, what to say, when to come forward, when to hold back

Or CONTEMPLATION ….evaluaOng, collecOng thoughts

TRANSACTIO

NAL

SILENCES



Silence reflecOng emoOons such as boredom, anger,

delight, thoughculness…

PERSONAL SILENCES



PERSONAL/ TRANSACTIONAL SILENCES WERE OF DIFFERENT

TYPES… Positive silences

Negative silences




PERSONAL SILENCE & UNDERARTICULATION: “People talking without speaking”

»  The understatement: subtle form of silence

»  Politeness / fear of hurOng feelings caused withheld thoughts



STEP 1:

RECOGNISE THE SILENCE

STEP 2:

DEVELOP STRATEGY TO DEAL WITH SILENCE



STEP 1: RECOGNIZE THE SILENCE

SIGNS: ENGAGED BODY LANGUAGE, LISTENING, NODDING, APPEARS TO BE IN THOUGHT,

DISTRACTED

SIGNS: UNABLE TO MAKE EYE CONTACT WITH

OTHERS/ INTERVIEWER

SIGNS: DISENGAGED BODY LANGUAGE,

FIDGETING, LIMP

PASSIVE SILENCE

ACTIVE SILENCE

Empty, drained, unproductive

Withheld emotions & thoughts



Step 2: Strategies for Silence

Strategy : “Mine the silence”

Strategy: Avoid silence through more sensiOve research design

Strategy: Re-‐engage / let coast

PASSIVE SILENCE

ACTIVE SILENCE

Empty, drained, unproductive

Withheld emotions & thoughts



»  PosiOve aftude to silence-‐ silence has content

»  Give respondent(s) a chance to break the silence themselves while maintaining posiOve/open body language

»  Probe silence: Use quesOons: “what was on your mind?” or “what were you thinking”



ANALYZING SILENCE

FORMALISED

“TRANSCRIPTION” OF

SILENCE

SILENCE NEEDS TO BE RECORDED AND TREATED LIKE VERBALISED RESPONSE IN ANALYSIS

SILENCE CANNOT BE ANALYSED IN ISOLATION-‐ NEED TO CONTEXTUALISE AGAINST BODY LANGUAGE, OTHER VERBALISATIONS



We conducted 8 Focus Groups in Mumbai to explore use of silence as a technique

Ostensibly to

check response

to a TVC for

iPill, an oral

contracepOve

…amongst housewives, working men and teenaged boys & girls


THE PROCESS FOLLOWED

EXPOSURE OF THE TVC

SPONTANEOUS REACTIONS ALLOWED SILENCES TO CONTINUE EVEN AFTER FIRST “BURST” DIED DOWN

REGULAR WARM UP

USE OF MINING QUESTIONS – “WHAT WAS ON YOUR MIND” -‐ TO PROBE CONTENT OF SILENCES

MINIMAL PROBES FROM MODERATOR-‐ MORE TO ASK FOR EXPLANATIONS FOR SOME COMMENTS

MADE



POSITIVE LEARNINGS: RICH OUTPUT




NEGATIVE FALL OUTS…

»  The respondents felt slightly rudderless

»  Vaguely dissaOsfied feeling-‐ have I given the ‘right answers?’

»  Occasional loss of “energy” in the session

»  Some loss of control for the researcher -‐ the group was now self willed

»  Silence did not work with young male collegians who treated it as a “staring match”


Conclusions


»  Silence is an essential ingredient that helps holistic understanding

»  Sensitisation to silence implies development of patience and the ability to listen holistically.

»  With better listening there is sensitivity to the “echoes of silence” used to enhance the communication.




»  Need for training of researchers not just to ask but also to listen well-‐ incorporaOng an understanding and use of silence.

»  Silence can also be developed into an effective elicitation technique for obtaining additional information


… LISTEN TO THE SOUNDS OF SILENCE

THANK YOU



Q & A

Shobha Prasad and Pravin Shekar

STRATEGIC RESEARCH SERVICES PVT. LTD.

shobha prasad - festival of newmr - 2010

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