Literature suggests Think Aloud is a powerful methodology for identifying and mapping thought processes for participants carrying out specific tasks. Most literature focuses on validation of questionnaires and problem-solving i.e. cognitive. I am curious about whether this methodology is revealing of emotions, defences etc but can't find related research. Hoping to use this to look at how healthcare professionals actually think about death and dying, rather than how they say they think about it.
Emotional factors in history learning via digital history narrative creation.
Jones, Amy Lynn. ProQuest Information & Learning, 2013. AAI3552001.
This study investigated the potentialities of student produced digital narratives in the context of a secondary history classroom. Using qualitative mixed methods, I employed think-aloud observations, interviews, nonparticipant observations and document collection with 14 high school freshmen as they completed digital history narratives, i.e., historical documentaries, as a requirement of their United States history course. The study found that components of digital history narrative creation evoked strong emotions in secondary high school students. Specifically, working with historical imagery and through a technological medium, study participants showed observable, activity-related achievement emotions; emotions that further resulted in increased motivation towards the successful completion of an original history product. The findings provide evidence that the use of technology and historical imagery possess potential to enhance the emotional quality of students' experience in the history classroom, and furthermore, that certain achievement emotions result in an increase in student motivation.
Hope this inspires you to go further.
I am puzzled by this relatively recent invention of the concept of 'think aloud'. I recently reviewed a paper for a journal which used this method. At the end of the reading, I got the impression that the authors were merely using actual verbatim interview data. To me the data gathered from 'think aloud' are the actual verbatim interview data which are transformed from the process of thoughts to concrete speech. I am intrigued to know what the data looks like in the method of 'think aloud' in observation? How can you observe someone doing the 'thinking aloud'? How can you differentiate the 'think aloud' data from the actual 'verbatim interview' talk? What tools do one use to record the 'think aloud' data? I think we need to review the use of this method critically. You cannot observe a person's thinking. It is an internal process. It becomes external only when the Person Who thinks it make it visible by speaking out! When a person says 'I am thinking a loud', to me that is still a verbatim talk! I am very sceptical of this method and I am not a fan, I am afraid. Sorry folks!
I have heard about this method for the first time. I think it can be different from verbatim interview data provided that nobody is present or at least none of the researchers are present. Demand characteristics such as time and situation, as well as social desirability factors probably distinguish interview verbatim from think aloud data. One often mumbles or whispers while thinking aloud. You need to find such individuals and train them to be loud enough and keep a recorder when they are thinking aloud.
I understand but I am not convinced. Why can't that whispering person just write down what they actually think in which case you will have documentary evidence in the form of a diary, rather than adopting the cumbersome process of training that person to say his thinking loud so it can be recorded? Well, I think that is too much ado for nothing, I am afraid. can't see the usefulness of this method. Why does the person have to say out loud what he/ she thinks just so you can call it a method of 'think aloud'?
Thinking aloud or whispering is different from writing a diary just like writing mechanics are different from speech. For instance in writing you would say "How are you?" and in speech you might say you alright? okay? or good day? writing is organised and careful thought; it might not reveal what you unconsciously utter or silently whisper to yourself. My mom for example often engages in a monologue, repeating things to herself, but when I intervene and ask her what she was saying, she forgets what she was saying or even says nothing. Moreover, she also changes some of the words while writing something she was thinking aloud. I surmise that thinking aloud provides more information than diary records or interviews; and it is even insightful for the person involved...its just like daydreaming aloud without any barriers; perhaps it is more like free association without the therapist. It might also reveal one's decision making processes.
hank you, but I am suggesting that you can ask the person to write down all his thoughts as he or she is actually thinking it, I can't see any difference between asking the person to write as he thinks and asking or training a person to speak up his thoughts so as to record his thinking as it happens. To me training a person to talk out loud his thinking is a bit artificial. However, neither method is satisfactory.
talking is fast, spontaneous & easy; writing is slow & difficult generally...it depends on what the participant is comfortable with...i.e. thinking aloud or writing
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