Chapter 6 - Focus Groups

Question 1

What are focus groups?

Answer 1

Small groups of people brought together and guided by a moderator through an unstructured, spontaneous discussion for the purpose of gaining information relevant to the research problem

Question 2

Are focus groups a quantitative or qualitative type of research technique?

Answer 2

Qualitative

Question 3

What is the % of respondents that agree focus groups are effective?

Answer 3

83%

Question 4

What are the 3 uses of the information that is gained from focus groups?

Answer 4

• Generate ideas
• Learn the respondent’s “vocabulary” when relating to a product
• Gain some insight into basic consumer needs and attitudes

Question 5

What are the responsibilities of the moderator?

Answer 5

Responsible for creating the correct atmosphere in the group and guiding discussion

Question 6

What skills should a moderator possess?

Answer 6

Excellent observation, interpersonal, and communication skills

Question 7

What does the focus group report do?

Answer 7

Summarizes the information provided by the focus group participants relative to the research questions

Question 8

What should the report include?

Answer 8

Apparent themes and different opinions, and numerous verbatim excerpts

Question 9

What are 5 advantages of online focus groups?

Answer 9

• No physical setup is needed
• Transcripts are captured on file in real time
• Participants can be from widely separated geographical areas
• Participants are comfortable in their home or office environments
• The moderator can exchange private messages with individual participants

Question 10

What are 3 disadvantages of online focus groups?

Answer 10

• Observation of body language is not possible
• Participants cannot physically inspect products or taste food items
• Participants can lose interest or become distracted

Question 11

What is the optimal size of a traditional focus group?

Answer 11

6 to 12 people

Question 12

Should the focus group members be homogeneous or heterogeneous?

Answer 12

Homogeneous

Question 13

Should more than one focus group be conducted?

Answer 13

Always

Question 14

How is the selection of participants determined?

Answer 14

By the purpose of the focus group

Question 15

How long do focus groups normally last?

Answer 15

90 minutes to 2 hours

Question 16

What are 5 advantages of focus groups?

Answer 16

• Can generate fresh ideas
• Clients can observe participants
• Can be directed at understanding a wide variety of issues
• Allow conversations and deeper answers
• They allow fairly easy access to special respondent groups such as lawyers or doctors

Question 17

What are 3 disadvantages of focus groups?

Answer 17

• Representativeness of participants
• Success is dependent on the ability of the moderator
• Interpretation is sometimes difficult

Question 18

When should focus groups be used?

Answer 18

When the research objective is to explore or describe rather than predict

Question 19

When shouldn’t focus groups be used?

Answer 19

When the research questions require a prediction or when a major decision affecting the company’s livelihood rests on the research results

Question 20

What are the 4 main objectives of focus groups?

Answer 20

• To generate ideas
• To understand consumer vocabulary
• To reveal consumer needs, motives, perceptions, and attitudes about products or services
• To understand findings from quantitative studies

Question 21

What are 5 things you learned about Focus Groups that you didn’t know before taking this class?

Answer 21

• A moderator is required to lead the discussion
• Focus groups should be used when the research objective is to describe, rather than predict
• The body language and facial expressions from participants in focus groups are valuable information for research purposes
• The personal information of the research participants in the focus group has to be kept confidential
• Time management if one of the most difficult aspects of conducting a focus group