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

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)

“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

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)

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
Fes'val
of
NewMR

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)

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”

Listening
to
the
sounds
of
silence

The
Fes'val
of
NewMR

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)

Listening
to
the
sounds
of
silence

The
Festival
of
NewMR

WE

EQUATE
SILENCE

WITH
FAILURE

»  FAILURE
OF
RESEARCHER
TO

ELICIT
“RESPONSE”

»  FAILURE
TO
OBTAIN
“DATA”

»  FAILURE
TO
PROVIDE

“FINDINGS”

Listening
to
the
sounds
of
silence

The
Festival
of
NewMR

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)

Listening
to
the
sounds
of
silence

The
Festival
of
NewMR

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?

Listening
to
the
sounds
of
silence

The
Festival
of
NewMR

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)

Sure…
we
may
be

missing
something…

»  But
how
do
you
interpret
and
analyse

silence?

Listening
to
the
sounds
of
silence

The
Fes'val
of
NewMR

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)

This
paper…

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)

WHAT
IS
SILENCE?

Listening
to
the
sounds
of
silence

The
Festival
of
NewMR

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)

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

Listening
to
the
sounds
of
silence

The
Festival
of
NewMR

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)

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”

Listening
to
the
sounds
of
silence

The
Festival
of
NewMR

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)

We
analysed
silences
in
…
over

200
Focus
Groups
and
100
In

Depth
Interviews
in
India…

…across
categories
of
hair
oil,
frozen

foods,
two
wheelers,
refrigerators
,

cigarettes,
bidis,
Uinancial
products…

…over
the
last
3
years

Listening
to
the
sounds
of
silence

The
Festival
of
NewMR

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)

Listening
to
the
sounds
of
silence

The
Festival
of
NewMR

WE
ENCOUNTERED
3
BROAD
TYPES
OF
SILENCE

CULTURAL/

SOCIAL
SILENCES

PERSONAL

SILENCES

TRANSACTIONAL

SILENCES

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)

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

Listening
to
the
sounds
of
silence

The
Festival
of
NewMR

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)

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

TRANSACTIONAL

SILENCES

Listening
to
the
sounds
of
silence

The
Festival
of
NewMR

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)

Silence
reﬂecOng

emoOons
such
as

boredom,
anger,

delight,

thoughculness…

PERSONAL

SILENCES

Listening
to
the
sounds
of
silence

The
Festival
of
NewMR

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)

PERSONAL/
TRANSACTIONAL

SILENCES
WERE
OF
DIFFERENT

TYPES…

Positive
silences

Negative
silences

Listening
to
the
sounds
of
silence

The
Festival
of
NewMR

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)

Listening
to
the
sounds
of
silence

The
Festival
of
NewMR

PERSONAL
SILENCE
&
UNDERARTICULATION:

“People
talking
without
speaking”

»  The
understatement:
subtle
form

of
silence

» 
Politeness
/
fear
of
hurOng

feelings
caused
withheld
thoughts

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)

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)

Listening
to
the
sounds
of
silence

The
Festival
of
NewMR

STEP
1:

RECOGNISE
THE
SILENCE

STEP
2:

DEVELOP
STRATEGY
TO

DEAL
WITH
SILENCE

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)

Listening
to
the
sounds
of
silence

The
Festival
of
NewMR

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

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)

Listening
to
the
sounds
of
silence

The
Festival
of
NewMR

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

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)

Listening
to
the
sounds
of
silence

The
Festival
of
NewMR

»  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”

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)

Listening
to
the
sounds
of
silence

The
Festival
of
NewMR

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

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)

Listening
to
the
sounds
of
silence

The
Festival
of
NewMR

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

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)

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

Listening
to
the
sounds
of
silence

The
Festival
of
NewMR

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)

Listening
to
the
sounds
of
silence

The
Festival
of
NewMR

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)

POSITIVE
LEARNINGS:
RICH
OUTPUT

Listening
to
the
sounds
of
silence

The
Festival
of
NewMR

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)

Listening
to
the
sounds
of
silence

The
Festival
of
NewMR

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”

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)

Conclusions

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)

»  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.

Listening
to
the
sounds
of
silence

The
Festival
of
NewMR

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)

Listening
to
the
sounds
of
silence

The
Festival
of
NewMR

»  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

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)

…
LISTEN
TO
THE

SOUNDS
OF
SILENCE

THANK
YOU

Listening
to
the
sounds
of
silence

The
Festival
of
NewMR

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)

Q
&
A

Shobha
Prasad
and
Pravin
Shekar

STRATEGIC
RESEARCH
SERVICES
PVT.
LTD.

Shobha Prasad - Festival of NewMR - 2010

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Shobha Prasad - Festival of NewMR - 2010