FOCUS GROUPS: AN INTRODUCTION

Presented by Kathryn S. Mueller

METHODOLOGY

• SOURCES: • King, A. J. & Lonnquist, M. P. l992. of Action Learning from the

Literature: Fifty Years Research. U. of Minnesota, Center for Applied Research and Educational Improvement, Minneapolis, MN.

• Krueger, Richard A. and Jean A. King. 1998. Involving Community Members in Focus Groups. Thousand Oaks, Ca.: Sage Publication, Inc.

• Krueger, Richard A. l994. Focus Groups. Thousand Oaks, Ca: Sage Publications, Inc.

• Krueger, Richard A. & David L. Morgan. 1998. The Focus Group Kit. Thousand Oaks, Ca.: Sage Publications, Inc

• Morgan, David L. l998. The Focus Group Guidebook.Thousand Oaks, Ca.: Sage Publications, Inc.

Are Focus Groups for you? • Are You:• A socially-oriented person; i.e., a “people person”• A good listener?• Able to see patterns in what different people say?• One that enjoys getting out into the” real” community?• Able to think on your feet?• A good observer of human interactions: both verbal and non-verbal?• Able to record conversations and interactions?• Able to establish rapport with people?• Able to accept diversity of people, opinions, values?• Discreet in listening, hearing and sharing information?• Able to make people feel comfortable and trusting in sharing their thoughts?• Able to control your own verbal and non-verbal expressions?• Fascinated by new, old or controversial ideas emerging?• One who enjoys hearing stories?

What is a focus group?

• A type of qualitative research technique, involving group discussions or group interviews wherein a trained moderator guides the discussion of topics or ideas in order to generate meaningful information.

• A group of participants (typically 6 to 8 ) , who come from a similar background, brought together in a comfortable, permissive, real-life environment in order to promote mutual insight and elicit impressions, novel ideas and solutions to problems.

• A method of listening to people and learning from them.

What do we mean by “qualitative methods?”

• Research methods that use interpretive description (words) rather than statistics (numbers) to analyze underlying meanings and patterns of social relationships. Methods involve:

• - (1) exploration and discovery

– (2) context and depth (look behind people’s thoughts and experiences)

– (3) interpretation (providing an understanding of why things are the way they are)

Types of Focus Groups

• FULL GROUPS (6 to 10)

• MINIGROUPS (2 to 5)

• TELEPHONE GROUPS ( RARE)

EXAMPLES OF FOCUS GROUPS RESEARCH

• A LARGE CHRISTIAN DENOMINATION WANTED TO KNOW IF IT SHOULD ESTABLISH A NEW CONGREGATION IN AN INNER-CITY ZONE

• A PRIVATE HOSPITAL IN A METROPOLITAN AREA WANTED TO EXTEND ITS SERVICES IN CERTAIN SECTIONS OF THE CITY

• A LARGE NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION WANTED TO INCREASE ITS ACTIVITIES IN THE AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY.

• AN ISD WANTED KNOW WHY ITS HIGH-SCHOOL-BASED DRUG PREVENTION PROGRAM WAS MORE SUCCESSFUL AT SOME SITES THAN AT OTHER SITES..

• A GRADUATE STUDENT WANTED TO UNDERSTAND THE EXPERIENCES OF HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS WITH LOWER GRADE-POINT AVERAGES.

USES (CONTINUED)

• A CORPORATION WANTED TO ENSURE THE SUCCESS OF THE NEW EMPLOYEE CHILD CARE CENTER THAT IT WAS BUILDING.

• A COUNTY MEDICAL PROGRAM WANTED TO LEARN WHY SOME NEW PARENTS ATTENDED FREE CHILDBIRTH CLASSES WHILE OTHERS DID NOT.

• A LARGE CORPORATION WANTED TO TEST THE REACTION TO A NEW PRODUCT.

• A MAJOR UNIVERSITY WANTED TO USE THE BEST APPROACH T0 RAISING FUNDS FOR A NEW MUSEUM

COMPLEX-

A CAPSULE HISTORY OF FOCUS GROUPS

• CAN BE DIVIDED INTO THREE PERIODS:

– (1) SOCIAL SCIENCE ORIGINS: EARLIEST WORK CARRIED OUT PRIMARILY BY SOCIAL SCIENTISTS IN BOTH ACADEMIC AND APPLIED SETTINGS

– -RESEARCH BY SOCIOLOGISTS EMORY BOGARDUS AND WALTER THURSTONE IN THE 1920S

– -ROBERT K. MERTON AND PAUL LAZARSFELD IN DEPT OF SOCIOLOGY AT COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY

– *collaboration just before WWII

– *contributed to war effort via focus groups

– Merton and two students in l946 write The Focused Interview

– *becomes book in l956; coined “focus groups”

HISTORY (continued)

– (2) THE MOVE TO MARKETING: – FROM ROUGHLY 1950 THROUGH 1980S USED ALMOST

EXCLUSIVELY IN MARKETING RESEARCH– (social scientist created shift: move to other methods)– SOCIOLOGISTS AND POLITICAL SCIENTISTS DRAWN

MORE TO SURVEY RESEARCH, ESP. LARGE-SCALE, NATIONAL SURVEYS

– MARKETING RESEARCHERS DEVELOP “GROUP DEPTH “ INTERVIEWS

– *INTENTED TO UNCOVER CONSUMERS’ PSYCHOLOGICAL MOTIVATIONS

– EXAMPLE: THE BOXED CAKE MIXES– THE NO-NOISE VACUUM CLEANER

History (Cont).

• (3) Current Uses:

• -Widespread Methods Such As:

• Social Marketing (ex: for public health)

• Evaluation Research (needs assessment)

• Academic Research (research questions)

• Product Marketing(New product ideas)

• Quality Improvement (Interventions)

• Political Campaigns (l988 Bush-Dukakis

• Presidential Race--the Willie Horton Ad)

History:Current Uses (continued)

• -Positioning studies:to find the most effective way to reach target audience

• Habits and usage studies• Attitude Assessment (toward a program,

community, or to gauge morale)• Idea generation to stimulate new ideas in all

fields• Employee attitude and motivation studies

Uses (continued)

• Use in Quantitative Research:– Preliminary exploration of a research topic and to

confirm findings– Combine with survey research

• *helps to solve some of complex problems that may arise from using both quantitative and qualitative research

• *use surveys to select focus group members• *most common: use focus groups to help develop• a survey

Some myths about focus groups

• Focus groups are always low-cost and quick

• Focus groups always require “expert” professional fee-for-service moderators

• Focus groups require special facilities

• Focus groups must consist of strangers

• Focus Groups will not work for sensitive topics

• Focus groups produce conformity

• Focus groups must be validated by other methods

• Focus groups tell you how people will behave

• There is “one right way” to do focus groups

Beliefs that should be encouraged

• Be skeptical of all research methods

no research method is ever perfect or foolproof

• High-quality moderating is crucial to focus groups

the moderator has a major impact on the data that

groups may produce

• Teamwork produces the best focus groups

quality note-takers, analysts, reporters are critical

• The research team can always learn from participants

research is all about learning from others

Some Common Mistakes in FocusGroup Research

• METHODOLOGICAL MISTAKES:

1. using focus groups where quantitative research is needed

2. using focus groups to make major decisions

3. using focus groups to generate date they were not designed to generate

4. using focus groups to predict sales or a product or service

5. using focus groups to sell products

Mistakes (cont)

• Procedural Mistakes:

1. Research objectives are not clearly identified

2. Participants are inappropriate

3. Moderator is inadequate

4. Facility does poor job in recruiting participants

5. Facility (the environment) is inadequate

6. Moderator is given insufficient attention

7. Moderator fails to control groups dynamics

8. Assistant moderators are inadequate

Mistakes (cont)

• ANALYTICAL MISTAKES:

1. OBSERVERS ARE BIASED

2. RESULTS ARE QUANTIFIED

3. TOO MUCH EMPHASIS PUT ON THE INPUT OF A FEW PARTICIPANTS

4. FIANL REPORT IS MISUSED

Why do Focus groups work?

Why do focus groups work?• INTERACTION WITH OTHERS HELPS CLARIFY AN

INDIVIDUAL’S TRUE ATTITUDES AND OPINIONS

• SELF DISCLOSURE IS NUTURED AND POSSIBLE IN A PERMISSIVE, NON-JUDGMENTAL ENVIRONMENT WHERE GROUP MEMBERS READILY RESPOND AND INTERACT

• THE MODERATOR USES AN INDUCTIVE PROCESS:

UNDERSTANDING IS BASED ON THE DISCUSSION

• THE METHODOLOGY ITSELF IS ROBUST

Conceptualization

Consider the purpose, uses and target audience , matching these to the available resources in a written plan.

• why should a study be conducted?

• what types of information are important?

• who wants the information?

The Moderator• Should be comfortable with group processes and

knowledgeable of group dynamics

• Mildly controls the level of enthusiasm and guides the discussion.

• Must have good listening skills and have a good sense of humor, timing, and mood change.

• Leads the discussion while taking notes on future questions or directions to lead the discussion.

• The assistant moderator takes comprehensive notes, operates any recording device that is used, and notes body language.

Techniques to Maximize Effectiveness

• Develop a moderator guide• Develop categories of questions:

-opening, introductory, transition, key and ending questions• Select an analysis strategy:

- transcript-based analysis; or tape-based analysis; or note-based analysis; or memory-based analysis

Utilize the “five second pause.”• Probe statements or questions to stimulate elucidation.• Restrict the tendency to nod

• Avoid judgmental responses.• Utilize final questions: Have we missed anything? “Is there anything

that we should have talked about today?”

Prepare for the unexpected

• No one may show up.

• Only a few may attend.

• Meeting place inadequate.

• The groups doesn’t want to talk.

• The group doesn’t want to break.

• Hazardous weather prior to the meeting.

• Running out of time

Problem Participants

• The Expert--can intimidate the other members.

• The Dominant Talker- monopolizes the

session.

• The Shy Respondent- says nothing.

• The Rambling Respondent--talks a lot, but never gets to the point.

Written Report

• Written Report Should Include:

*Cover page

*Table of Contents

*Executive Summary

*Statement of the Problem

*Methodology

* Results

*Limitations and alternative Explanations

*Conclusion and Recommendations

Oral Report

• A continuum of possibilities:

can range from conversational sharing of ideas to formal briefings

• Tips:

Pace the presentation

Allow adequate time for questions and answers

Present findings important for the sponsor first

Monitor your audience’s level of interest

Try to limit the number of main points to seven

Use visuals to highlight points

Ethical Issues

• Are Participants “at risk?”• Privacy: Basic Issues

-Protecting confidentiality• Privacy: The sponsor’s relationship to the participants

-Protecting the rights of participants• Privacy: What the Participants Learn about each other• Dealing with stressful topics• Setting boundaries• Protecting the Sponsor’s Privacy

-Protecting the rights of the sponsor• Address issues as “An ounce of prevention”; avoid “ a pound of

cure.”

Conclusion: Are Focus Groups Right for You?

Use focus groups when:• Your goal is to listen to and learn from other people• You can explore the topics that interest you through conversations

among the participants• You can obtain in-depth knowledge by listening as the participants

share and compare their experiences, feelings, and opinions.• You can pursue interpretive questions about “how” and “why

through group discussions• Your purpose is to identity problems that you need to address• Your purpose is to plan for programs, survey questionnaires,

quality initiatives, etc.• Your purpose is to improve the implementation of a project

• Your purpose is to assess the outcome of a program or intervention

• You want to understand or reduce a gap in understanding between groups of people

• You are researching complex behaviors and motivations

• You want to understand diversity

• You need a friendly, respectful research method

• You have a team of people who all want to work together so the project’s sponsors can better understand the people who participate in the focus groups

Avoid focus groups when:

• Your goals are something other than research--such as selling, educating, negotiating, or decision making

• You cannot hold a focused discussion, due to either the breadth of your topic or the size of your group

• You will not carry on meaningful discussions in the groups you bring together

• Your driving motivation is to save time and money

• You need strong predictions about how people will behave

• Your asking to hear from people will imply commitments to them that you cannot keep

• You want to bring together participants who are not comfortable with each other

• Your topic is something that the participants are not really capable of talking about

• You need statistical data

• Your topic will create serious invasions of privacy

• Your topic will create unacceptable levels of stress

Now: What About You?

• In focus group research, you will be exposed to different ways of seeing the world; hopefully understanding the reality of others

• You will gain insights into the feelings of other people

• You will seek to tell someone else’s story

• You will begin your analysis with careful listening

• In the final analysis, hopefully , your research will not be just a pile of facts, but a rich source of insights into the human task of implementing change and understanding diverse views and values.

• Ultimately, the question is not what focus groups are, but what you can do with them--and how to do it

I invite you to become a member of the group!!!