pink-book

• The locations where the pretest will
be conducted
To conduct theater testing, you must have a
large enough space to accommodate all of
your participants at the same time. You must
also ensure that you have several video
monitors so that all participants can
adequately view the program. Space
constraints may be overcome by seeking out
low-cost facilities such as a school
auditorium or church hall. You may be able
to borrow the audiovisual equipment from
these facilities as well. You can also rent
space, such as a hotel ballroom, if you want
to test a large number of people. Hotels
often rent audiovisual equipment as well.
Reserve facilities and equipment well in
advance of your pretest.
Develop the Questionnaire
To gather useful information from the
pretest, you must carefully construct the
questionnaire. See the sidebar Components
Used in Most Questionnaires on the next
page for general guidelines. Once you have
written your questionnaire, be sure to test
and revise it before you use it with a large
number of respondents.
Recruit Respondents
Participants may be recruited through a
market research facility or through local
community organizations. In either case,
you will need to provide an incentive for
participants. If using a market research
facility, you will also incur recruiting
expenses. If you are working with a
community organization, you may choose
to make a donation.
ESTIMATED COSTS OF THEATER TESTING, 2002*
Develop questionnaire
Produce questionnaire
Recruit
Rent audiovisual equipment
$ 460 – 2,760
$ 400 – 600
$ 0 – 5,750
$ 0 – 2,300
Conduct theater test
$ 0 – 920
Provide respondent incentives
Code/enter data/tabulate
Analyze and report results
$ 285 – 2,875
$ 920 – 3,680
$1,840 – 3,680
Total $3,905 – $22,565+
METHODS
* Estimates assume 50 participants. They exclude facility rental costs. The costs of large facilities
(e.g., hotel ballrooms) vary widely by geographic location. Check with local facilities for
approximate costs.
Making Health Communication Programs Work 149