Focus Group and Interview

Ekaterina Andriets
 Make-up Classes
29th October and 12th November
2 pm – 5 pm
Attitudinal research gathers self-reported data from participants
by asking questions about their thoughts, feelings, and opinions
about a product or service.

Behavioral research involves directly observing user interactions

with a product, providing data on user behavior.
Why observations and surveys are not enough?
 Interview Survey Observation
Subjective Insights Broad Insights User Behavior
Biases
Confirmation Bias
Interviewers may focus on information that confirms their
preconceived notions or hypotheses, ignoring contradictory
evidence.
Choosing participants who are more likely to provide certain types
of responses, leading to an unrepresentative sample.
✓ Do NOT make any assumptions
✓Sampling
Sunk Cost Bias
Interviewers may continue probing certain topics based on previous
time or money investment, rather than shifting focus to more fruitful
areas.
 ✓Pay attention to your reasoning
✓ Consider the “opportunity cost”
✓ Avoid the trap of emotional investment
Anchoring Bias
Relying too heavily on the first piece of information received, which
can influence subsequent questions or interpretations.
Anchors
• Money • Brand identity guidelines
• Features • Regulatory standards
• Existing competitor products • Technical specifications
• Popular design trends • Stakeholder preferences
• Initial user feedback • Market research reports
• Historical product versions • Pricing strategies
• Expert opinions • Marketing campaigns
• Prototype iterations
✓ Anchor as a possible answer
✓ Question it
Social Desirability Bias
Participants may provide answers they
believe are more socially acceptable
rather than their true thoughts or behaviors
 ✓ Anonymity
✓ Avoid leading questions
✓Indirect questioning
✓Forced-choice question
Cultural Bias
Misunderstanding or misinterpreting participants' responses due to
cultural differences, leading to flawed conclusions.
✓ Learn about other cultural norms
How to find participants?
Finding a path

WHAT? WHY? HOW?

Finding a path
WHO? WHEN? WHERE?

✓ Users & selection methods

✓Contact strategies
✓ Careful preparation
✓ Balance flexibility
Purposeful Sampling
Typical case. Participants represent the average or common experience within the population.
Extreme/deviant case. Participants’ experiences are significantly different from the norm to highlight
unique perspectives or outliers.
Critical case. Participants exhibit unique characteristics or represent critical situations relevant to the
study's focus.
Sensitive case. Involves selecting participants who may be vulnerable or at risk, requiring careful ethical
consideration.
Convenience sampling. Participants who are easily accessible to the researcher, though this may limit
the diversity of perspectives.
Maximum variation sampling. Broad range of participants to capture diverse experiences and enhance
the study's relevance to the larger population.

Patton, M. Q. (1989). Qualitative evaluation methods (10th printing). Beverly Hills, CA: Sage
Contact Strategies
• Personal Networking
• Community Engagement
• Social Media Outreach
• Email Campaigns
• Flyers and Posters
• Incentives
• Institutional Partnerships
• Cold Calling
• Focus Groups
• Snowball Sampling
Do NOT
• Interview People Whom You Supervise
• Interview Your Students
• Interview Acquaintances
• Interview Friends
• Take Oneself Just Seriously Enough

Interviewing as Qualitative Research: A Guide for Researchers in Education and the Social Sciences by
Irving Seidman
 Understand experiences deeply,
rather than generalize findings to a broader population
Do I have enough participants?
• Ensuring a diverse representation of the population to facilitate
connections for those outside the sample.
• The point of "enough" is reached when no new insights are being
gained, and the interviewing process becomes burdensome.
It's essential not to overly persuade someone who doesn't want to
participate, as this can lead to a challenging interview experience.

Interviewers should be cautious about interviewing highly

recognized individuals.
Gatekeeper is a person who is willing to help with recruitment of
research participants where the researcher has no direct access to
potential participants.
Gatekeepers

Formal Informal
• have official power • respect or social dynamics
• essential for permission • enhance rapport and ease access
• structured responsibilities • no accountability

Company Managers Team Leaders

Safety Officers Experienced Colleagues
Legal Advisors Industry Influencers
Making Contact
• Direct Contact. Third parties may not fully understand or convey the
project’s nature and goals.
• Building Relationships. The interviewing relationship begins as soon as
participants hear about the study.
• Contact Visits. These visits allow interviewers to assess the potential for a
good interviewing relationship.
Making Contact
Initial Contact

• Use the phone for a brief introduction and to schedule an in-person meeting.
• Avoid soliciting immediate yes/no answers about participation; focus on
arranging a meeting.
• A separate visit shows participants they are valued and respected.
Making Contact
Email and Other Methods

• Email can be useful for confirming appointments but may be disregarded if

used for initial contact.
• In-person or telephone contact is preferable for first introductions.
Making Contact
Presentation of the Study

• Clearly explain the study’s purpose, what is expected from participants, and ensure
a friendly yet serious tone.
• Contact visits help interviewers become familiar with participants’ environments
and aid in keeping appointments
• Determine if potential participants are genuinely interested in the study, especially
for multiple in-depth interviews.
• Initiate informed consent discussions during the contact visit, providing an overview
of the study. Present the formal consent form at the first interview for final
agreement and understanding.
How to make sure that insights are valid?
 Use Open-Ended Questions

Active Listening

Probing Questions
"Can you tell me more about that?" or "What led you to feel that way?“

Clarification
"Could you explain what you meant by that?“

Summarize and Reflect

“So what I’m hearing is that... Is that correct?”
Triangulation in research
involves using multiple sources
of data to confirm the findings.
Types of Questions
• The opening question aims to encourage participation and comfort among
all participants without emphasizing any status differences, focusing instead
on easy-to-answer factual inquiries.
• Introductory questions serve to engage participants with the topic by
prompting them to recall personal experiences or associations, helping the
moderator gauge their perspectives and connections.
Types of Questions
• Transition questions bridge the gap between introductory questions and key
discussion topics, encouraging participants to delve deeper into their experiences
and thoughts, thereby preparing them for more in-depth exploration.
• Key questions are the primary inquiries that drive the research, typically numbering
4 to 6, requiring extensive discussion and analysis, with moderators allocating 10 to
20 minutes each to facilitate in-depth exploration and using pauses and probes to
encourage participant engagement.
• Ending questions provide closure by allowing participants to reflect on key points,
prioritize important issues, validate the moderator's summary, and ensure no
critical topics are missed.
Triangulation in relationships refers to a subtle or direct
manipulation tactic others by creating and maintaining conflicts.

▪ Being asked to take sides on a specific issue

▪ Feeling pressured to choose “who’s right”
▪ Person feeling entirely ignored or rejected
▪ People putting a third party into an ill-fitting role
Focus group is a moderated conversation with a group of 5 to 10
participants that involve asking a set of questions about a particular
topic.
Focus groups can be used in conjunction with other research
methods by initially gathering insights to inform design research or
later interpreting findings to shape recommendations for further
action or study.
 Focus groups typically last from 1 to 2 hours.
Recruit 3 to 6 groups, depending on the requirements of your study.
Focus Group Roles
Moderator is a person who runs a group discussion or focus group.

Strategic Consultant
Content Manager
Project Coordinator
Facilitator
Analyst and Communicator
Psychologist/Friend

Moderating Focus Groups by Thomas L. Greenbaum

Semi-structured interviews use a mix of pre-written open-ended
questions and follow-ups, allowing for deeper insights while
introducing some risk of researcher bias.
Length of in-depth Interview

30-60 minutes
Average time

90 minutes
Dolbeare and Schuman (Schuman, 1982)
For younger participants, a shorter period may be appropriate.
Recording and Documentation

✓ Audio or video recording

✓ Take notes for additional context
Analyzing data
• Step 1. Transcribe the recordings.
• Step 2. Read the transcripts to understand the discussions.
• Step 3. Code the data by labeling key themes and ideas.
• Step 4. Group similar codes into broader themes.
• Step 5. Compare responses among participants to identify patterns.
• Step 6. Summarize the findings and highlight key insights.
• Step 7. Report your analysis with quotes to support your points.
Readers
“Developing a Questioning Route”
Focus groups: A practical guide for applied research by Richard A. Krueger, Mary Anne
Casey
p. 98 – 180

“Analyzing, Interpreting, and Sharing Interview Material”

Interviewing as Qualitative Research: A Guide for Researchers in Education and the
Social Sciences by Irving Seidman
p. 112 – 132

Uploaded on MS Teams
In-Class Exercise
1. Select a research subject.
2. Create 5-7 key questions for your focus group.
50 minutes 3. Prepare 3-5 probing questions to delve deeper into
responses.
Preporation – 15 min
4. Assign roles: moderator, note-taker, and participants.
Session – 15 min
5. Hold a 15-minute focus group or interview simulation.
Debrief – 20 min
6. Discuss as a group:
What worked well?
What challenges did you face?
How did probing questions affect the discussion?
References
• Seidman, I. (2013). Interviewing as qualitative research: A guide for researchers in education and the social sciences (4th
ed.). Teachers College Press
• Krueger, R. A., & Casey, M. A. (2015). Focus groups: A practical guide for applied research (5th ed.). SAGE Publications
• Greenbaum, T. L. (2014). Moderating focus groups: A practical guide for group facilitation. SAGE Publications
• https://www.uxdesigninstitute.com/blog/user-interviews-for-ux-research/
• https://www.userinterviews.com/ux-research-field-guide-chapter/focus-groups
• https://www.userinterviews.com/ux-research-field-guide-chapter/user-
interviews#:~:text=User%20interviews%20(also%20called%20in,%2C%20beliefs%2C%20desires%20and%20experiences
• https://www.choosingtherapy.com/triangulation/
• https://www.thomas.co/resources/type/hr-blog/what-interview-bias-and-how-avoid-
it#:~:text=Interviewer%20bias%20is%20where%20the,consciously%20and%20unconsciously%20influence%20judgment
• https://www.scribbr.com/research-bias/selection-
bias/#:~:text=Selection%20bias%20is%20a%20general,to%20be%20included%20than%20others
• https://www.scribbr.com/research-bias/social-desirability-bias/