Melnikova, O.T.

Background. Today, there is a trend towards the introduction of online communication in the field of scientific research. The development of this trend in social psychology was accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic and by the requirements of social distancing. These conditions make it difficult to apply qualitative methods in in-person format. The use of online focus groups became relevant for researchers even before the outbreak of the pandemic. However, now the practical importance of studying online focus groups is only increasing.

Objectives. The aim of the study is to identify the features of group discussion in in-person and online focus groups.

Study Participants. 29 people (27.9% men, 72.41% women) from 18 to 25 years old (M = 21.1; SD = 1.95) participated in in-person focus groups, and 24 people (37.5% men, 62.5% women) from 18 to 26 years old (M = 22.8; SD = 2.15).

Methods. The study involves qualitative content analysis of 10 transcripts of focus groups conducted in face-to-face and online formats between 2019 and 2021.

Results. As a result of qualitative content analysis, categories that reflect the features of interaction between participants at each stage of the group discussion in online and in-person focus groups were identified. The features of group discussion in in-person and online focus groups are revealed.

Conclusions. (1) In in-person focus groups, self-orientation is observed only at the beginning of the discussion, while in online focus groups, it prevails throughout the discussion; (2) in in-person focus groups, participants’ focus on others is expressed in frequent interaction and in asking participants questions; in online groups it manifests itself in giving participants the opportunity to express their opinions and in paying attention to other opinions; (3) in online focus groups, unlike in-person focus groups, participants do not have a psychological community of group members; (4) the effect of group discussion in in-person focus groups is an attempt to reach a single “average” opinion on the issue under discussion, whereas in online focus groups, the aim is in deepening discussion of the topic.

Background. In the context of the development of modern society visual information is one of the ways of communication, which forms for social psychologists a research request to include visual modality in the analysis to identify the ways and content of interpretations of the facts of everyday reality, which are peculiar to people.

Objective. The present work presents the research potential of a multimodal approach to the analysis of representations of urban space. These representations are transformed as a result of transformations in the city itself and are reflected in the mental picture of its inhabitants. Thus, the main aim of the work is to reveal the advantages of a qualitative research strategy, where, through the use of verbal and visual modalities, it is possible to obtain meaningful textural data and describe the process of transformation of representations of Moscow, as well as to show the deep experiences that can accompany it. The empirical aim of the study is to describe the content of representations of Moscow and their transformation. The empirical object of the study is representations of Moscow. The empirical subject of the study is the transformation of representations about the urban space of Moscow.

Method. In order to fulfill aim, the research design was formed, where the photos were both: a means of reflecting of representations of the city and the stimulus material for the formation of narratives, which reflected and analyzed the dynamics of the residents' representations of their city.

The sample included two groups of respondents: 12 native residents of Moscow and 13 residents who moved to Moscow and lived for the last 5 years. The age of the subjects ranged from 24 to 30 years.

Results. Thanks to the implemented design of the study, where, due to photographs as a stimulus material, narratives turned out to be detailed in content and emotionally saturated with experiences, the presence of two lines of discourse in the representations of Moscow was revealed: Moscow-resting and Moscow-working. The mechanism of the personification of the city by residents is analyzed as an effect of the perception of urban space.

Conclusion. The use of a multimodal form of research made it possible, based on the analysis of photographs and narratives, to describe the content and transformations of representations of Moscow, as well as the outline of the perspective of the work performed.