Dyadic Interviews versus In-Depth Individual Interviews in Exploring Food Choices of Norwegian Older Adults: A Comparison of Two Qualitative Methods

Abstract

The term “dyadic interview” refers to interviewing two participants together. Although there has been an increase in the use of dyadic interviews as a data collection method in qualitative studies, the literature on the use of this method with older adults is limited. This study was designed to explore the suitability of dyadic interviews as a method of data collection among older adults living at home. The study involved a direct comparison of the data obtained from dyadic interviews and in-depth individual interviews concerning older adults’ food choices. The study sample consisted of eight dyads for the dyadic interviews and six participants for the in-depth individual interviews. The dyads were composed of pairs who share a pre-existing relationship as well as pairs of strangers. We also discussed the role of participant selection and pairing in dyadic interviewing and how the interactions between the dyads may affect the result. Our results indicated that dyadic interviews can be used as an important data collection tool for home-living older adults, particularly when exploring a topic that often involves a dyadic decision. Our findings can be useful for researchers to make a more informed choice when choosing qualitative data collection methods, particularly when interviewing older people.

“Not doing it justice”: Perspectives of Recent Family Medicine Graduates on Mental Health and Addictions Training in Residency

“…As our research question seeks to understand whether the University of Toronto FM residency curricula adequately prepare FP graduates to deliver MH care by exploring graduate's residency experience and perception, dyadic interviews were chosen to allow both participants not only time to reflect and present their individual perspectives, but their shared, overlapping, and contrasting experiences. 31 – 33 As such, dyadic interviews in conjunction with one-on-one interviews (ie, individual) were chosen for the following reasons: first, dyadic interviews were used to enable participants additional time to process information, and to stimulate experiential memories. Second, dyadic interviews enable the expansion of the topic of research beyond what might be possible with individual interviews.…”

“…Third, unlike focus groups where there may be an overcrowding of voices and some individuals may be silenced, dyadic interviews limit this risk. 31 – 33 Conversely, individual one-on-one interviews were used to allow participants to share their experiences and individual perspectives which may have been withheld in a public or shared context. 34 , 35 Prior to interviews, participants completed a demographic survey (see Table 1 , n = 7, response rate 88%) and provided consent as approved by the University of Toronto Research Ethics Board (REB).…”

Elements of Food Service Design for Low-Carbon Tourism -Based on Tourist Behavior and Attitudes in China

“…We selected interview moderators in each city in close proximity to well-known tourist destinations. On the same holiday, four moderators randomly selected tourists on the street until each obtained 30 valid interview texts [63] (see Appendix A for specific participant information). After analyzing the interview data, we obtained 29 core users.…”

Elements of Food Service Design for Low-Carbon Tourism-Based on Dine-In Tourist Behavior and Attitudes in China

“…We selected interview moderators in each city in close proximity to well-known tourist destinations. On the same holiday, four moderators randomly selected tourists on the street until each obtained 30 valid interview texts [66] (see Appendix A for specific participant information). After analyzing the interview data, we obtained 29 core users.…”