Recognizing Respondents’ Humanity
A strategy employed by therapists and counselors — and, ideally, moderators — unconditional positive regard embraces an attitude of complete acceptance, support, and love. When we view someone through the lens of unconditional positive regard, we recognize that individual’s humanity and inherent worth. While you may not accept every action (or in the case of a moderator, every opinion) that individual engages in, you accept who that person is at their core. It’s not so much about liking the person, but more about respecting them and operating on the assumption that this individual is simply doing the best they can.
That night in the kitchen, when my dog joyfully jumped in as backup dancer, struck me as a perfect example of unconditional positive regard. There was no judgement in her eyes, just a total willingness to go along for the ride. That’s all fine and well for dogs who love us no matter what. But why should qual research moderators practice unconditional positive regard in their interactions with respondents during interviews and focus groups? Several reasons.
- Displaying an attitude of acceptance encourages respondents to openly express their thoughts, feelings, reactions, and opinions without fear of being judged, challenged, mocked, or belittled.
- Respondents who feel respected and accepted are more willing and likely to be honest with what they share and not hold anything back.
- They’re also less likely to be offended by perceived negative reactions or judgement from the moderator, establishing a bond of trust. When it’s clear you accept the respondent for who they are, they’re more inclined to like you as a person and not just as a moderator.
- Respondents who feel that their opinions and input are respected, valued, and honored are more likely to be active, constructive participants in the focus group or interview. They’ll be more engaged in the process, more invested in making sure the focus group or interview is fruitful, and more interested in the brand, product or service they’re being asked about.
Acceptance in Action
All of which leads to a deeper, richer layer of insight that gets to critical core truths. Here’s an example from my own experience interviewing respondents who live with type II diabetes. I asked one respondent whether she had made any changes to her diet since receiving her diagnosis. She proceeded to tell me that she had stopped drinking soda. I couldn’t help but notice the can of Orange Crush sitting on the table by her elbow.
My immediate instinct was to point out that the product she was drinking was pretty clearly soda with an insanely high sugar content. But I checked myself, stifled my urge to judge and challenge her, and approached the situation with an attitude of acceptance, respect, and care. In other words, unconditional positive regard. In asking a few gentle, non-judgmental follow-up questions, I found out that she considered Orange Crush to be juice, and not soda. So in her mind, she was engaging in healthy behavior rather than lying to me or being in denial.
This discovery turned out to be a key learning moment about how this respondent interpreted nutritional information, revealing an opportunity for the client (a pharma company) to do more work around patient education. If I had immediately challenged or judged her for drinking Orange Crush, chances are she would have shut down and this learning never would have revealed itself.
