TYPES OF FOCUS
GROUP DISCUSSION
Focus Groups discussion is good way for
communication and sharing opinions
What is a Focus Group?
It consists of a group of individuals who are asked questions about their
opinions and attitudes towards specific products, services, or concepts.
It is a qualitative approach and the most well-known market research
technique.
It's a common qualitative market research method used by companies and
other organizations to learn more about how people feel about certain
topics.
These groups are typically used during the design or early stages of research
to gain a consensus on customers’ perception.
Single focus
group This is a classical type of focus group where all the
respondents are placed in one group to discuss the topic
interactively.
It has been widely used by both researchers and
practitioners across different disciplines.
It consists of facilitators or moderators and other members,
mainly 8-12 for discussion.
Moderator avoids abrupt topic changes and ensures all
participants in the group have equal input and contribution.
Ex. Group discussions in class
Two Way Two focus groups (each with its own moderator) are
established in this layout, with individuals within a
Focus group monitoring members of the other group as they
respond to questions and communicate with one
Group another. This may lead to new ideas for the observing
group.
The first group investigates a specific topic, while the
second group observes and remarks on the first
group's conversations. This category of the focus
group is designed to obtain more detailed feedback
and compare various points of view. It also enables
the observing group to come to their own inferences
about the first group's points.
Dual Moderator
Focus Group
There are two moderators present,
one to ensure that the group session
runs smoothly and the other to
ensure that all of the topics are
covered. Focus groups with two
moderators are usually more
productive. A single moderator is Good Cop, Bad Cop!
more likely to become distracted; This is the most basic and straightforward reason for having two moderators. One
having two moderators helps ensure moderator is in control of the rules, logistics, and timing (e.g., the bad cop.) The other
moderator focuses on the topics related to the client (e.g., the good cop.) What is the
that participants stay on track with
client's benefit from this? The team moves more smoothly from introduction to
their discussion.
discussion to conclusion.
Dueling Moderator Focus Group
Two moderators play devil’s advocate.
The dueling-moderator focus group aims to facilitate new
ideas by introducing new ways of thinking and varying
viewpoints.
This kind of focus group pits one moderator against another to
explore opposing sides of an issue.
Moderators can introduce discussion points that lead
respondents to consider and draw new conclusions by
supporting alternate viewpoints, prompting additional insight.
We can use this method when you need to compare two ideas
or two business models. This will allow you to understand
which option is the most adapted to the context involved.
Respondent Focus Moderator Group
In this type of focus group discussion, researchers recruit some participants to take up a
temporary role of moderators.
They are responsible for ensuring the smooth running of the discussion, managing the
group process and dynamics.
Moderating the conversation, introducing relevant issues and ideas for response by the
group, and ensuring that objectives are addressed.
Having one of the participants as a
moderator increases the chances of more
honest and varied answers in a group.
There won't be any clutter during the discussion,
and people can express their point of view on
the subject.
These are smaller focus groups consisting of 2-5
Mini Focus people
Group Such groups are used in scenarios where the topic
of discussion may require expert opinion and
seasoned outlook or might be sensitive in nature
These groups have an intimate environment where
one can gain rich information as all respondents get
a chance to voice their perspectives
Mini focus groups are also time effective as the
timing of the sessions are cut short due to less
respondents being involved
Such groups are also used as an alternative when
respondents are hard to reach or only a few are
available to conduct the session
Online Focus Groups
Online focus groups are not a new sort of focus group
discussion in and of itself, but rather an adaption of
conventional methodologies made possible by the introduction
of the Internet. It is used in an online setting, including
conference calling, chat rooms, and other online tools . Online
focus groups exude a vitality, modernism, and competitiveness
that surpasses the issues that plague face-to-face focus groups.
These discussion platforms, on the other hand, are only
available to participants who have Internet connection and are
prone to technical issues such as poor or lost connectivity and
failure to gather non-verbal data.
Advantages and Disadvantages of
Focus Groups
Advantages Disadvantages
Focus groups are a cheaper means of obtaining Group dynamics, such as groupthink (faulty decision
information, as compared to individual interviews. made by the group due to group pressures), may inhibit
Participants can listen to the responses of other discussion.
participants and “feed off each other.” The group may be difficult to manage and control due to
The groups generally result in more data being the number of participants.
gathered, as participants are allowed to rebut each Shy participants or introverts may feel overpowered and
other. intimidated by assertive participants. This can introduce
Compared to a quantitative survey, these groups can bias and affect the result.
gather more information about perceptions, attitudes, Analysis of data may be time-consuming and challenging,
and experiences. and the survey results may not fully represent the opinion
It is effective for a group of respondents comprising of the larger target population.
young children, people who use English as a second The group culture may intimidate or fail to energize
language, and people with lower literacy levels. participants, resulting in weaker data collection.
Conclusion
There are different types of focus groups that you can use
depending on the themes you wish to analyze. To increase the
chances of success of your focus group(s) and get the most out of
it, it is essential to select the participants and define the subjects
to be discussed with precision. Also, adapt the focus group format
to your topic, its complexity, sensitivity, and respondents’ degree
of knowledge and expertise on the subject.
Thank You
Submitted by: -
Amey Dhume-04
Arjun Viravalli-07
Dhwani Chokshi-13
Manvika Gautam-27
Muskaan Bhardwaj-28
Priyankar Ray-34
Sabhya Chettri-37
