Focus Groups
In a focus group, all participants are allowed to have their say. They can talk about the research issue in their own language just like they would under “normal” conditions (i.e. outside the test situation). The participants stimulate each other into voicing their detailed opinion by means of which inhibitions can be reduced or vanish completely.
The intensity of discussion shows what relevance individual aspects have for the test persons and the course of discussion indicates the dynamics that certain issues can have in reality (e.g. spontaneous interest and complete decline of interest after a short while). Reasons for such processes can be investigated directly or later in the analysis.
Projective and/or creative methods are frequently employed in a focus group. These serve the purpose of uncovering preconscious and not top-of-mind aspects on various topics. The playful, spontaneous exchange to arise quite automatically is intentional since it triggers a number of unconsidered comments.
