Market Research: Foundations to Practice · Qualitative Research Methods
Focus Groups
Focus groups trade the depth of a one-on-one interview for something a solo conversation cannot produce: genuine group dynamics. This chapter covers when that trade genuinely pays off, and when it backfires.
A focus group brings together 6 to 10 participants with a trained moderator to discuss a topic, generating data through group interaction and discussion rather than one-on-one conversation, which can surface reactions and social dynamics, such as how people respond when they hear a peer's differing opinion, that an individual interview structurally cannot produce, since there's no other participant present to react to.
Key Takeaways
- Focus groups generate data through group interaction, surfacing social dynamics that individual interviews structurally cannot produce.
- Group dynamics add real value when social context genuinely matters or when hearing others helps participants articulate their own views.
- Groupthink and dominant voices are specific risks requiring skilled moderation to draw out quieter participants and genuine disagreement.
- Focus groups are a poor choice for sensitive or personal topics, where participants are less candid in front of strangers than one-on-one.