by Zoya Garg, Henry Greenman, Emily Hsu, Isabelle Levent, Athena Shiravi
[INTRO AND NORMS]
Hi [name], and welcome to our session today. Thank you for your time and interest in this study — if at any point you’d like a break or want to end it, don’t hesitate to let us know.
[OVERVIEW]
As a brief background, we’re here today to explore habits and behaviors related to sun exposure to inform our understanding of how people integrate sunlight into their daily routines and how it affects their physical, emotional, and mental well-being. Through this interview, we hope to understand your current attitudes, experiences, and challenges with sun exposure. It should take about 30 minutes, and your responses will help shape the study. We estimate that this will take about 30 minutes of your time, and your responses will really help move us forward in shaping our study.
[CONFIDENTIALITY AND CONSENT]
Before we begin, we’d like you to know that your participation is voluntary and you can skip any questions or stop this interview at any time. All your responses will remain confidential and used exclusively for research purposes.
[CONFIRM CONSENT]
Does that sound good? Can I answer any questions so far?
—————- IF OKAY, MOVE TO NEXT PART——————–
[WARM UP]
To begin, I’d love to learn what a typical day looks like for you. How do you spend your mornings?
[FIGURE OUT HOW MUCH SUNLIGHT CURRENTLY]
How do you spend the rest of your day?
And on that typical day, how much time would you spend in the sun/natural light?
When do you get the most sunlight in your day?
And how do you feel about the current amount of sunlight you get?
[WHAT LEVERS CAUSE SUNLIGHT TO CHANGE]
Think of the days you’ve gotten more sunlight — was anything different?/What motivates you to get more sunlight?
On days when you get more sunlight than what you’re used to, how do you feel?
How would you describe your energy levels and productivity on these days?
Think about the days you’ve gotten less sunlight — was anything different then?
Have you experienced any obstacles in getting sunlight?
On days when you get less sunlight than what you’re used to, how do you feel?
How would you describe your energy levels and productivity on these days?
[HAVE THEY EVER TRIED TO CHANGE THEIR BEHAVIOR]
Have you ever tried to increase your sunlight exposure before?
If so, what methods did you use?
What worked well for you?
What didn’t work?
Why do you think that was?
Did you notice any improvements or drawbacks to your mood/energy levels from those attempts?
Do you use any tools, strategies, or routines to help you increase your sun exposure (e.g., apps, alarms, daylight lamps)?
How effective have these been?
What could make them better?
[HOW THEY FEEL ABOUT THEIR HABITS]
When you think about getting more sunlight, what changes come to mind?
Are there any specific conditions (e.g., weather, schedule, environment) that either positively or negatively impact your sun exposure?
[WRAP UP]
Are there any questions or concerns I can help you with today?
Is there anything else you’d like to share with us about your relationship with sunlight or this broader topic?
Thank you so much for your time and for sharing your experiences. Your insights are invaluable to our study. As of now, this step of the study is complete and you will hear from us shortly!
