Transcript focus groups - Baylor University

FOCUS GROUPS:
AN INTRODUCTION
Presented by Kathryn S. Mueller
METHODOLOGY
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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?
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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
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*contributed to war effort via focus groups
– Merton and two students in l946 write The Focused Interview
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*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
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THE NO-NOISE VACUUM CLEANER
History (Cont).
• (3) Current Uses:
• -Widespread Methods Such As:
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Social Marketing (ex: for public health)
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Evaluation Research (needs assessment)
• Academic Research (research questions)
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Product Marketing(New product ideas)
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Quality Improvement (Interventions)
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Political Campaigns (l988 Bush-Dukakis
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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
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*helps to solve some of complex problems that may
arise from using both quantitative and qualitative
research
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*use surveys to select focus group members
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*most common: use focus groups to help develop
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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 Focus
Group 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.
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why should a study be conducted?
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what types of information are
important?
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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
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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
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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!!!