Comm 308 Midterm 2 - Focus Groups
Terms
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- Jordan, et al - how people would and how they would feel about limiting TV time in the house
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- focus group was used to see how people would feel without limiting their answers
- was good because they got lots of new ideas and people weren't inhibited or limited to just the answer choices in a survey
- bad because the sample was so large that they ended up making lots of generalizations - Focus Group Characteristics:
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- 3-10 people (5 for children, 8 for adults)
- homogeneous so they feel comfortable opening up
- 60-90 minutes for adults, 30-45 for kids - Why a focus group?
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- interactive and synergistic
- when you don't know what the questions are - good for pretesting
- see how group dynamics can change peoples minds - Experts/Influentials
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- can add value, but can also take away if people defer to them or if they try to convert everybody
- S: stress that nobody is an expert and everybody's opinion counts - Dominant Talkers
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- think they are an expert, but aren't and are unaware of how people feel
- S: seat them next to moderator, signal to them to stop talking by breaking eye contact or putting down pen - Disruptive
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- disrespectful and intolerant
- S: take a break and switch seats - Ramblers and Wanderers
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- no point, just feel a need to talk
- S: discontinue eye contact after 20-30 seconds - Quiet and Shy
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- have a lot to share, but need a push
- S: place them directly in line of sight, make a point to ask them how they feel - Inattentive
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- answers don't match question
- S: call their name, repeat question, write question down - Strengths and Weaknesses of Focus Groups
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- S: used as a pilot, group dynamics bring out feelings, affect can be judged, people more open, can learn what drives attitudes/beliefs/behaviors
- W: homogeneity means it can't be generalized, people won't speak up if they think they're an anomoly, selection bias due to time commitment, group dynamics skews, quality depends on moderator - New Technology + Focus group
- - can do it online but don't have people's undivided attention