Taking part in paired NCT research with your partner
As much as we would love to brag about the well-known clients we work with and the exciting products and services you can get paid to test, we often have to remain rather tight-lipped on the subject. Why? Research and testing is usually part of a much bigger picture, and can involve testing innovative products that don’t yet exist or services that are brand new (and top secret, so our clients can keep their competitive edge!). So we’re thrilled that we can tell you all about paired research sessions we had with new parents on behalf of the NCT (National Childbirth Trust), the UK’s leading charity for parents. The NCT wanted to speak to new or soon-to-be parents together in a joint session, to find out more about how they can improve their service and hear their opinions on antenatal classes.
About paired research with your partner
Our clients do sometimes ask to see couples together, as well as family members or friends, to discuss a given topic. It’s really interesting for our clients to hear two different points of view on the same topic or experience, and it enables the researcher to see the whole picture, rather than a one-sided opinion.
For example, some couples play different roles in the relationship and so one may know more about the financial side of things (e.g. bills or decision-making), while their other-half may know more about the day-to-day use of a product or service. There’s also an element of added support when attending a research session with a partner or friend, and it makes it even more fun when you can get paid to talk about your opinions together – you may even find out things you didn’t know.
Paired research for the NCT
The National Childbirth Trust understood that the perspectives could be very different when asking new parents the same question, and so hearing from both sides was vital for the research.
We spoke to two people that took part in the NCT study, Emma and Jessica, to hear their thoughts on the session with their partners – both were expectant / new mothers at the time of the research, and had no personal experience of NCT classes, although Emma says:
“My only knowledge was from my mum, who’d been part of an NCT group when I was born in 1980. She’d always talked about it and is still in touch with the women she met, so I was excited to get involved when I was pregnant.”
How did you find the research session?
Emma: “I really enjoyed the session! Two really lovely women came to our flat after work, which made it super easy as I was very pregnant. My husband and I were filmed [during the session], but we were made to feel very at ease. We were asked what support we felt we needed as soon-to-be parents, our perceptions of the NCT and its branding, as well as what we thought it could support us with.”
Jessica: “The session was relaxed and interesting. It involved some discussion of pre and post-birth and an activity involving different sessions we would use/not use, pay for, etc. The people doing the interview were friendly and easy to talk to, so it made conversation flow quite easily.”
How did you find taking part in research with your partner?
Emma: “I found it quite cathartic talking about our expectations and anxieties together, and learnt some stuff about how my husband felt that I wasn’t aware of. I’d love to get hold of the footage; I’m sure I’d laugh now if I heard what I said, as I really had no idea what to expect and found the first six months of parenthood insanely hard.”
Jessica: “It was different and positive, because it meant that during the discussion we could both add to each other’s comments and give more detail. Also, at instances when we had differing opinions, we could discuss this further and explain exactly the individual reasoning for this in comparison to another ‘real life’ experience or opinion.”
What did you enjoy most about the session?
Emma: “The money was why we did it, but I actually most enjoyed the chance to talk about the life changing event of becoming parents together. It was cathartic as, strangely, we hadn’t touched on some of the points that the researchers raised.”
Jessica: “I mostly enjoyed discussing a topic that I am very passionate about and feeling as though others will be able to gain from my experiences.”
After hearing about Emma and Jessica’s experience of paired research, are you interested in taking part in sessions with your other half too? Keep an eye on your inbox for our emails with these opportunities, to earn double the incentive and give feedback with your partner in tow – if you’re anything like Emma or Jessica, you may even learn a thing or two about each other! It can be a great experience to hear more about your partner’s point of view and help other couples that find themselves in your shoes in the future.
