Repeat receipts: a device for generating visible data in market research focus groups

Market research focus groups generate three types of data: first, representatives of commissioning companies or organizations watch the group from behind a one-way mirror; second, they receive a video of the group discussion; third, they are given a report of the focus group. This article analyses how the required data are interactionally produced to be visible for the people behind the one-way screen, for the video and for the report. It describes the phenomenon of repeat receipts as a central device for producing visible data. Repeat receipts are sequences where the moderator repeats participants’ contributions, typically with intonational cues that mark completion. Repeat receipts have several functions. They can (a) highlight central market-research relevant terms from participants’ responses; (b) strip off rhetorical relations by repeating utterances in a decontextualized manner; (c) summarize contributions in repeating contributions of different authors as if of one voice; (d) cover conflict in repeating potentially contradictory contributions as discrete statements; (e) socialize responding by providing templates for the required contributions. Repeat receipts help shape the focus group interaction to generate visible data for the overhearing audience, the video and the report. The article ends with a comparison of repeats in market research focus groups, standardized surveys and news interviews

Spinal group activation patterns before (left column) and after (middle column) sensitization and contrast maps (right column).

<p>The transverse slices are in radiological orientation with the left side corresponding to the right body side and approximate the corresponding spinal cord segment for a rostral-caudal span from C4 to T1. They show spinal regions of signal intensity change before (left column) and after (middle column) sensitization with the heat/capsaicin model representing the significance (T-value) of each active voxel across the 16 subjects. The right column shows partial-least squares (PLS) results of contrast calculations on a voxel-by-voxel basis. The color bar in <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0112325#pone-0112325-g003" target="_blank">figure 3</a> indicates the corresponding significance, i.e. T-value (left and middle column) or bootstrap-ratio (right column) for each color. <i>Left Column:</i> Activations in ipsilateral vGM of C4. Deactivations in bilateral deep dGM of C6 and C8 and contralateral deep dGM of C7. <i>Middle column:</i> Ipsilateral activations in superficial dGM of T1 and vGM of C4. Deactivations in ipsilateral superficial dGM of C7. <i>Right column:</i> Activations in ipsilateral superficial dGM (C7, C8) and in contralateral vGM (C7) and deep dGM (C8). Deactivations in ipsilateral vGM and contralateral dGM of C4.</p

Areas of sensitization and stimulation on the right lateral volar forearm.

<p>For orientation, the schematic drawing on the left shows a dermatome map of the right upper extremity (redrawn and modified from <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0112325#pone.0112325-Trepel1" target="_blank">[20]</a>). The area of testing (marked by the circle) is situated on the right lateral volar forearm in the C6 dermatome. <i>Area A:</i> Site of sensitization with the heat/capsaicin model (3×3 cm square area 3 cm distal to the elbow in the C6 dermatome). <i>Area B:</i> Site of mechanical stimulation corresponding to the area of secondary mechanical hyperalgesia (2×5 cm area distal to area A).</p

Psychophysical data.

<p>(A) Mean ratings of pain intensity (dashed line) and temperature perception (solid line) during capsaicin application. Capsaicin was applied at time 0. Mean ± standard error of the mean (SEM). (B) Mean pain ratings for the mechanical stimulus before and after application of capsaicin. Capsaicin induced secondary mechanical hyperalgesia. Mean ± SEM. *: p<0.05.</p

Sagittal slices of group activation patterns and contrast maps.

<p>Columns 1 to 4 show areas of activity across brain stem and cervical spinal cord before (1^st and 2^nd column) and after (3^rd and 4^th column) sensitization with the heat capsaicin model representing the significance (T-value) of each active voxel across the 16 subjects. Columns 5 and 6 show partial-least squares (PLS) results of contrast calculations on a voxel-by-voxel basis. The left column of each 2 columns (e.g. 1^st, 3^rd and 5^th) corresponds to the ipsilateral side of the stimulus, the right column to the contralateral side. The color bar on the right indicates the corresponding significance, i.e. T-value (columns 1–4) or bootstrap-ratio (columns 5–6) for each color.</p

Areas of increased GM concentration in heterosexual women compared to homosexual women.

<p>Regional differences in GM concentration are characterized by the cluster extent, stereotactic MNI coordinates and T-value of the voxel showing the peak difference. P-values were corrected by the False Discovery Rate. R = right; L = left.</p

Mean GM, WM, and CSF volumes (ml) of heterosexual and homosexual men and women.

<p>Mean volume values as delivered by SPM segmentation algorithm.</p><p>GM = grey matter, WM = white matter, CSF = cerebrospinal fluid.</p

Heterosexual men and homosexual women compared to heterosexual women.

<p>Areas of decreased GM concentration in heterosexual men are shown in blue and areas of decreased GM concentration in homosexual women are shown in yellow (p<0.05; FDR corrected, sagittal section at x = −29). Reduced GM concentration of homosexual women (relative to heterosexual women) is located within a sex dimorphic brain area.</p

Areas of increased GM concentration in heterosexual women compared to homosexual women.

<p>Coronal sections from y = 8 to y = −6 (p<0.05; FDR corrected). Left brain side is to the left.</p