Suchergebnisse

A report on a "bright idea' which failed miserably': utilizing the radio for a community broadcast in order to extend exp'al group results. The error committed was an over-estimation of the degree to which letters, phone calls,& radio & newspaper appeals would motivate individuals to act as jurors for the radio broadcast of a trial. The high costs encountered in the 1st 2 yrs of jury exp'tion at the U of Chicago Law Sch led to the belief that an economy could be effected by utilizing the less intensive audience response instrument of the radio, while, at the same time, increasing the size of the sample. A pilot broadcast of a trial was presented on both the AM & FM frequencies of a northside Chicago radio station. An explanatory cover letter with return-postage post-card verdict form was sent to 1,000 names selected from the Chicago telephone directory. 400 of those who received letters were also phoned & requested to listen. 15% of the 1,000 cards were returned with only 6% or 60 cards listing verdicts. To discount the possibility that the poor results were due to lack of newspaper support, the weather, suspicion on the part of the metropolitan audience of the motives of the researchers & the coincidence of the broadcast with a Jewish holiday, it was decided to run the test in Middletown, Ohio. A high degree of support & publicity for the project was given by the local newspapers, radio station & Junior Chamber of Commerce. The time of the broadcast was scheduled to avoid conflict with popular TV programs & broadcasts of major league baseball games. In light of the high degree of preparation & publicity involved, the 13% return of the post cards defined the experiment a failure; with the failure attributable to 2 causes: the excessiveness of the requirement (listening to an hour-length radio broadcast & returning a post card), & the possibility that disagreement between husband & wife over the verdict might result in their refusing to return the post card. M. O. Wagenfeld.