Greenway, Courtney (2009) Response Tokens are Interesting: An Investigation into the use of Response Tokens in a Qualitative Research Interview. Honours thesis, University of Southern Queensland. (Unpublished)
Abstract
The aim of the current study was to investigate response tokens as they were used in the qualitative research interview. The first research question was concerned with whether different response tokens would follow the form, function, and placement, as outlined by Gardner (2001) and as such, whether they would shape the trajectory of the conversation. The second research question was concerned with whether response tokens categories would be a pervasive feature of the qualitative research interview. The third research question aimed to determine if response tokens would be used by a qualitative research interviewer to drive an interlocutory shift. The fourth research question was designed to investigate whether categories of response tokens would be used in a synergistic manner to enable a qualitative research interviewer to shift the topic. A conversation analytic approach was employed to investigate response tokens in the New Zealand Interview 2 transcript obtained from van den Berg, Wetherell, and Houtkoop-Steenstra (2003). This interview was originally undertaken by Wetherell in the mid-1980s, and the respondent was a middle-class, Pakeha male from New Zealand. Prior to its appearance in van den Berg et al., New Zealand Interview 2 was used for a discourse and racism study by Wetherell and Potter (1992). Firstly, the current study found that response tokens followed the form, function, and placement of the categories outlined by Gardner and as such, shaped the trajectory of the conversation. Secondly, the study found that response tokens were a pervasive feature of the qualitative research interview. Thirdly, the current study found that response token categories were used in a pattern to drive an interlocutory shift. Fourthly, the current study discerned that response token categories were also used to drive a topic shift. The major limitation of the current study was the lack of previous research with which to compare these findings. It is suggested that further research needs to be undertaken on response token categories to provide support for the unique work they perform in shaping the trajectory of conversations. The findings of the current study advocate for mixed method designs to be used in psychological research. As a final point, it is suggested that conversation analysis (CA) should be considered for inclusion in undergraduate and postgraduate psychology programmes.
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| Item Type: | Thesis (Non-Research) (Honours) |
|---|---|
| Item Status: | Live Archive |
| Additional Information: | Current UniSQ staff and students can request access to this thesis. Please email research.repository@unisq.edu.au with a subject line of SEAR thesis request and provide: Name of the thesis requested and Your name and UniSQ email address |
| Faculty/School / Institute/Centre: | Historic - Faculty of Sciences - Department of Psychology (Up to 30 Jun 2013) |
| Supervisors: | Steve Christensen |
| Qualification: | Bachelor of Science (Honours) |
| Date Deposited: | 12 Nov 2025 00:58 |
| Last Modified: | 12 Nov 2025 00:58 |
| Fields of Research (2008): | 17 Psychology and Cognitive Sciences > 1799 Other Psychology and Cognitive Sciences > 179999 Psychology and Cognitive Sciences not elsewhere classified |
| Fields of Research (2020): | 52 PSYCHOLOGY > 5299 Other psychology > 529999 Other psychology not elsewhere classified |
| URI: | https://sear.unisq.edu.au/id/eprint/52365 |
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