The Use of Focus Groups in Improving the Survey Instrument The use of focus groups in improving the survey instrument

The increasing need for improving survey research is driven by commercial pressures facing the market research industry. Particular challenges are non-response and response bias associated with survey instruments. We suggest how focus groups can assist in meeting this challenge. We explain how focus groups can assist in refining segmentation criteria, eliciting emotional purchasing motives and refining consumer language. Accordingly, product attributes can be developed and range of response options finetuned. Various protocols and interventions are described for each set of circumstances. Intervention techniques include projective methods and skilled probing. Focus groups are superior to depth interviewing for establishing more quickly the range of issues that embrace a research study and for determining the range of attitudes, opinions and behaviour for each critical issue. Speed and cost-effectiveness associated with focus groups is based on the cross-fertilisation of ideas that is not offered by depth interviews. Focus groups allow an experienced moderator to check on the general strength of feeling based on intensity of group agreement and through signals of non-verbal behaviour. Gauging intensity of agreement is not possible with depth interviews since there is no group interaction. Additionally, focus groups are particularly useful for assessing the cognitive burden associated with questioning, in terms of affecting the ability and motivation to respond. ____________________________ 1 Senior Lecturer, School of Management and Languages, Heriot-Watt University, Riccarton. 2 Professor of Marketing, The School of Business, Southern Connecticut State University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA.