Focus Groups and Public Opinion

In this section, we will examine focus groups as a step in the development of surveys. There are three broad categories of the uses of focus groups in creating public opinion surveys; discovery, development, and definition. 

When used with the purpose of discovery, focus groups reveal the fundamental content that needs to be covered to measure a topic. This highlights the inductive and exploratory nature of focus groups. 

When used with the purpose of development, focus groups reveal the kinds of questions that will help capture the content required. This highlights the subjective and interpretive nature of focus groups. 

When used with the purpose of definition, focus groups can help reveal the actual definition of the item wording. This highlights the importance of a contextual understanding when using focus groups. 

Discovery-Oriented Groups 

At the discovery level, focus groups facilitate the exploration of participants’ range of thinking when they consider a certain domain of public opinion. It can be used to understand topics that address issues that are poorly understood or unfamiliar. At this level, focus groups help a researcher highlight the areas they need to ask about in order to acquire useful findings on the issue. 

At the design level, discovery-oriented groups are generally loosely structured and have less moderator control so that participants have more freedom to pursue their own lines of thought. This gives the focus group participants the space to share and compare their various viewpoints.