The Focus Group Guidebook by David L. Morgan

Author:David L. Morgan [Morgan, David L.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Medical, General, Reference, Research, Social Science
ISBN: 9780761908180
Google: ch45DQAAQBAJ
Publisher: SAGE
Published: 1998-01-15T05:09:17+00:00

Focus Groups Will Not Work for Sensitive Topics

The reality is that researchers with considerable experience in the use of focus groups think of them as a very useful tool for investigating sensitive topics. Hence, focus groups are commonly used in research projects related to sexual behavior, substance abuse, and stressful life events.

This myth seems to be based on common sense conceptions of what people are willing to discuss in groups. The obvious idea is that people will not talk about private matters or taboo topics in front of others. This might be true in a conversation around the dinner table or at a meeting of an ongoing community organization, but focus groups are an unusual group setting. Consider the fact that an interviewer is encouraging everyone in the group to share thoughts and experiences about a topic that interests all of them. Furthermore, there may be few consequences to whatever the participants say—especially if they are talking with strangers they will never meet again. This kind of group actually encourages people to say things they would ordinarily keep private.

The idea that focus groups will not work with sensitive topics can be a very dangerous myth. Too often, novice researchers start with the assumption that they have to work hard to draw out personal information, and then they are shocked by the kinds of personal and emotional revelations that can occur in focus groups. Such disclosures can create serious ethical problems. Although participants may experience a dizzying sense of excitement while disclosing their deepest secrets during a group catharsis, they are likely to be distressed about what they have revealed when they wake up the next day.

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