Pre-Study Interview Script – Team Moose

Introduction:

1. Introduce ourselves:
   • “My name is [X], and I’m conducting research to better understand how people manage staying in touch with family and friends who live far away. Thanks so much for taking the time to chat today. This will be a super chill conversation – no pressure at all. There are no right or wrong answers. Please feel free to share your experiences and thoughts freely. Also, we want to emphasize that we are not testing you, we are testing our idea! We want this to be super low stress. No worries if you don’t want to answer some questions.”
2. Purpose:
   • “The purpose of this project is to explore how individuals approach maintaining relationships with loved ones who aren’t close by, the challenges they face, and strategies they use. As soon-to-be new grads, and current grad students with not a lot of free time on our plates, this is an area we have struggled with. We’d love to get your take on it!”
3. Ensure Confidentiality:
   • “Your responses will be kept confidential and used for research purposes only. Do you have any questions before we begin?”

Intro Questions:

1. Can you tell me a little about yourself?
2. How often do you currently communicate with family or friends back home?
3. How do you typically keep in touch (answers here could be calls, texting, instagram DM, etc)?

Exploring the Behavior/Habit:

1. Current Perceptions:
   • How important is it for you to keep in touch with family and friends who live far away? Why?
   • What are your main motivations for staying in touch? 
   • Are there specific relationships you prioritize more?
2. Current Practices:
   • Can you describe your current approach to maintaining distance relationships?
   • What do you find most challenging about staying connected with loved ones who aren’t nearby?
   • Can you tell me about a negative experience you had interacting with a friend or family member who lives far away?
   • Can you tell me about a positive experience you had interacting with a friend or family member who lives far away?
3. Attempts to Improve:
   • Have you ever tried to be more intentional about keeping in touch with friends or family?
     • What did you do?
     • How long did the change last?
     • How did it feel to try to change your habits around communication?
     • What were some negative experiences? Positive experiences?
   • Were there any external factors or personal tendencies that made it difficult to maintain the behavior change?
4. Challenges to Change:
   • What are the main reasons you find it hard to keep in touch with others?
   • Do you notice any patterns that contribute to not reaching out more often? (potential answers could be like: busy schedule, time difference, growing apart naturally, etc)

Wrapping up:

• • “Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts with us today. Please reach out if you have any questions and we’ll be in touch!”