Interviews as Catalysts in a Community Setting
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Date
1978
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Journal ISSN
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Publisher
American Psychological Association
Abstract
This study examines the effects of interviews about community experience on the attitudes and behavior of adult residents in two newly developed condominium communities. Volunteers and a randomly selected experimental group were interviewed, and their responses to community experience questionnaires were analyzed shortly after the interviews and again six months later. Interviewed respondents reported more involvement in their communities and exhibited more activism in community affairs than non-interviewed controls. The study explores the dynamics of interviews as catalytic events and discusses the implications of these findings for future research involving interviews.
Description
This article investigates the potential effects of interviews on respondents' subsequent attitudes and behaviors, focusing on interviews as catalysts in a community setting. The study takes place in two condominium communities, comparing volunteer, experimental, and control groups of participants. It examines short-term and long-term impacts of interviews on respondents' social behavior and community involvement, presenting the notion of "rapport" and "arousal" effects. The study also suggests that such interviews may influence respondents' perceptions and behaviors in the longer term.
Keywords
Interviews, community setting, attitudes, behavior, community experience, social psychology, research methodology
Citation
Brown, L. D., & Tandon, R. (1978). Interviews as catalysts in a community setting. Journal of Applied Psychology, 63(5), 197-205.