Observations focus groups

Categories of Research
Quantitative research: research involving the use of structured questions in which response options have been predetermined and a large number of respondents involved
Qualitative research: research involving collecting, analyzing, and interpreting data by observing what people do and say

Categories of Research
Pluralistic research: combination of both quantitative and qualitative research methods in order to gain the advantages of both

Observation Techniques
Observation methods: techniques in which the researcher relies on his or her powers of observation rather than communicating with a person in order to obtain information

Observation Techniques
Types of observation:
Direct versus indirect
Disguised versus undisguised
Structured versus unstructured
Human versus mechanical

Observation Techniques
Direct versus Indirect
Direct observation: observing behavior as it occurs
Indirect observation: observing the effects or results of the behavior rather than the behavior itself
Archives
Physical traces
Structured versus unstructured
Human versus mechanical

Observation Techniques
Disguised versus Undisguised
Disguised observation: subject is unaware that he or she is being observed
Undisguised observation: respondent is aware of observation

Observation Techniques
Structured versus Unstructured
Structured observation: researcher identifies beforehand which behaviors are to be observed and recorded
Unstructured observation: no restriction is placed on what the observer would note: all behavior in the episode under study is monitored

Observation Techniques
Human versus Mechanical
Human observation: observer is a person hired by the researcher, or, perhaps the observer is the researcher
Mechanical observation: human observer is replaced with some form of static observing device

Observation Techniques
Limitations of Observational Data
Small number of subjects
Subjective interpretations
Inability to pry beneath the behavior observed
Motivations, attitudes, and other internal conditions are unobserved…we don’t know why?

Home Depot: An Example of Direct Observation
Shopper/Store Use Profile
Average time in store: 32.4 (minutes)
Customer party size: 1.2 (persons)
Average expenditures: 57.34 (dollars)
Payment method 73.0% (credit card)
Number of aisles traveled: 5.7
Requests for assistance: 0.5
Stops and looks at items 5.4
Items handled per stop 2.1
Total items handled 9.3
Items purchased 2.5
Product Categories of Purchases
Appliances 10%
Hand tools 22%
Electrical 31%
Plumbing 14%
Roofing 3%
Garden 35%
Other 26%
We know WHAT
BUT, We don’t know WHY!

Focus Groups
Focus groups are 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.

Focus Groups
The moderator’s task is to ensure that open discussion is “focused” on some area of interest.
Focus groups are used to generate ideas, to learn the respondents’ “vocabulary,” to gain some insights into basic needs and attitudes.

Types of Focus Groups
Traditional: Select 6 to 12 persons and meet in a dedicated room with one-way mirror for client viewing, for about two hours.

Types of Focus Groups
Nontraditional: Online with client viewing from distant locations; may have 25 or even 50 respondents; allow client interaction; may take place in nontraditional locations.
Online focus groups are a form of nontraditional focus groups.

Focus Groups
Online Focus Groups
Online focus group: one in which the respondents and/or clients communicate and/or observe by use of the Internet

Focus Groups
Online Focus Groups
Advantages:
No physical setup is necessary
Transcripts are captured on file in real time
Participants can be in widely separated geographical areas
Participants are comfortable in their home or office environments
The moderator can exchange private messages with individual participants

Focus Group Facility Floor Plan
Source: Market Trends (www.markettrends.com)

Pros of Focus Groups
Generate fresh ideas
Allow clients to observe their participants
May be directed at understanding a wide variety of issues
Allow fairly easy access to special respondent groups

Cons of Focus Groups
Representativeness of participants
Interpretation sometimes difficult
High cost per participant

The Proper Use of Focus Groups
Focus groups should not be used when the research objective is to predict a specific number based upon sample data.

The Proper Use of Focus Groups
Focus groups should be used when the research objective is to describe rather than predict.
How do consumers describe a better package?
How would they describe their satisfaction with our service?
How could they describe their ideas for an ad campaign?

Focus Groups
Reporting and Use of Results
A focus group’s analysis should identify major themes as well as salient areas of disagreement among the participants

Other Qualitative Techniques
Depth interview is a set of probing questions posed one-on-one to a subject by a trained interviewer so as to gain an idea of what the subject thinks about something or why he or she behaves a certain way.
Protocol analysis involves placing a person in a decision-making situation and asking him or her to verbalize everything he or she considers when making a decision.

Other Qualitative Techniques
Projective techniques involve situations in which participants are placed in (projected into) simulated activities in the hopes that they will divulge things about themselves that they might not reveal under direct questioning
Word association test
Sentence completion
Picture test
Cartoon test
Role-playing activity

Sentence Completion Example
INSTRUCTIONS. Write in words to complete each of the sentences below.
For college students, credit cards are…
College students use credit cards to…
When a college freshman gets a new credit card application, he/she…
When a college student reaches the limit of his/her credit card he/she…
When a college senior gets a new credit card application, he/she…
If parents of college students learned about their children’s credit card situations, they would…