| Date | November 2018 | Marks available | 10 | Reference code | 18N.Paper 3.HL.TZ0.3 |
| Level | HL only | Paper | Paper 3 | Time zone | TZ0 |
| Command term | Discuss | Question number | 3 | Adapted from | N/A |
Question
The stimulus material below is based on a research article that addresses the possible physical, social and psychological benefits of dog ownership for the elderly in the UK.
As the number of elderly people is expected to rise in the near future, it is important to ensure that they stay healthy as they get older. One way in which this can be done is through exercise. According to the researchers of this study, dog ownership may be a good way of encouraging the elderly to walk and stay fit.
The aim of this qualitative study was to investigate how elderly dog owners believe their physical and mental health is affected by having a dog. A purposive sampling technique was used to recruit 24 dog owners from popular dog-walking sites in the south of England. Seventy-five percent of the participants were female and the mean age was 60. They all signed informed consent before joining the study.
The researchers conducted four focus group interviews, each with six different participants. The facilitator used an interview protocol with some prepared questions to encourage discussions. Examples of these questions are: “What does your dog mean to you?” and “What are you looking for in a walk?” Each interview lasted around 1.5 hours and did not end until participants agreed that all important topics had been discussed. The interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim to prepare for inductive content analysis (thematic analysis).
The analysis of the transcripts revealed three higher-order themes related to participants’ beliefs of dog ownership:
- Physical benefits: participants saw walking the dog as good for their health. They were motivated to walk, even when in ill health, or when the weather was bad and they did not really feel like it.
- Psychological benefits: participants found that the dog gave them comfort and companionship. Some said the dog helped them when they felt depressed or lonely – especially after the death of a partner.
- Social benefits: participants found that socializing with other dog walkers helped participants feel that they were part of a group.
The researchers concluded that owning a dog may increase physical and psychological health for the elderly and therefore lead to them having a better quality of life. However, more research is needed, as this is a new research area.
[Source: Based on Knight, S. and Edwards, V. (2008) In the Company of Wolves: The Physical, Social,
and Psychological Benefits of Dog Ownership. Journal of Aging and Health, 20, 437–455]
Discuss the use of focus group interviews in this study.
Markscheme
Refer to the paper 3 markbands when awarding marks.
The command term “discuss” requires candidates to offer a considered review of factors relevant for the use of focus group interviews in this study.
Responses that use the term “experiment” as a generic term for “study” should not be penalized.
A focus group interview is a discussion guided by a facilitator. The group discussion is carefully planned to create a positive environment in which participants are free to talk openly. In this way, they are encouraged to express their attitudes on the topic under investigation. Focus group interviews are often used in research studies where the aim is to explore a specific problem in more depth and to guide future action. This is also the case in this study, which is focused on a specific age group and a new research area into potential health benefits for the elderly of owning a dog. Participants interact with each other during the focus group interview as they would in real life and this contributes to rich data.
Discussion points could include but are not limited to:
- The focus group allows for a flexible approach to the topic under investigation. The researcher can prepare a list of topics and questions to ask in advance and use them as a guide but they can be adjusted if necessary. In this study, some participants revealed that their dog was a source of comfort when they lost their partner. This topic was probably not planned by the researcher but could be further explored now that it was mentioned during the group discussion.
- In focus groups, participants can use their own language and they can discuss and respond to each other's statements. This gives a special dynamic to the interview and generates rich data. Normally, a focus group interview is considered to be higher in ecological validity because of its conversational nature. In the context of this study, members of the focus group could perhaps stimulate new thoughts on potential benefits of dog ownership that would not have occurred otherwise.
- Candidates may compare the focus group interview to alternative interview methods. For example, the focus group interview gave the researchers an opportunity to explore a number of opinions at the same time. This could save time compared to conducting individual interviews.
- Conformity might occur in a focus group interview as well as social desirability effects but a skilled facilitator will be attentive to this.
- Confidentiality/anonymity is very difficult if not impossible to obtain when a focus group interview is chosen but it can be justified if the topic under investigation is not particularly sensitive as in this study.
