Focus Group Interviews With Young People
TIP
Focus Groups With Young People
1. Get the right moderator.
2. Keep age range within two years.
3. Get them talking to each other.
4. Ask age-appropriate questions.
5. Be aware of age-related behaviors.
6. Shorten the length of the group.
7. Use food.
8. Find a friendly location.
9. Get permission.
10. Hang loose.
Focus groups have considerable potential for discovering how young people think about issues, programs, and opportunities, but focus groups with young people are different from those of adults. For example, young people lack control over their environment. They are usually in situations where adults have control, and sometimes the rules for behavior are unclear. As a result, young people may be skeptical of the moderator's claim that all opinions are wanted and that both negative and positive views are appreciated. Young people regularly find themselves in situations where adults seemingly want feedback but then react in an unpleasant manner when contrary or negative ideas are expressed. Furthermore, youth peer pressure is powerful and can greatly shape opinions.
Keep in mind that when asked for their opinions, young people will have fewer life experiences to draw on than adults. "I don't know" can sometimes be the truly accurate answer. When listening to kids, one regularly hears phrases and concepts that really sound like they came from parents, teachers, or religious groups, or are a reflection of societal values. Here are some tips that will make these groups more successful.
Get the right moderator! Some adults really like being around kids. These adults have special talents. They have a knack for getting kids to talk, probably because they exude trust, respect, tolerance, humor, and a willingness to listen. They know how to talk to kids, how to listen to them, how to joke and have fun with them. A number of teachers, youth workers, and volunteers in Scouts, 4H, and so on have these skills. These adults are easy to spot because kids will be around them, there will often be laughter, and they will be talking to each other. If you have to conduct focus groups with young people and you've not been around them recently, find one of these adults and get his or her help.
Another alternative is to have an older teen conduct the group. Maybe a high school or college-age person moderates the group of younger people. Provide the teen moderators with special instruction and considerable practice before they conduct the focus groups. In our experience, the decision on youth versus adult moderators is a toss-up. In several recent prevention efforts, focus groups of youth in Grades seven through eleven were conducted by high school age moderators. The results were impressive and convinced the sponsoring organization of the wisdom of involving youth moderators. The teen-led groups were successful in part because they had removed the image of adult authority, and that prompted sharing on sensitive topics. The decisive factor in conducting successful focus groups, however, is less likely to be the moderator's age and more likely to relate to their ability to get young people to feel comfortable with the topic, the process, and the environment.
Be attentive to the age range of participants. The generally accepted rule is to have an age range of no more than two years among participants. Developmentally, youth change a great deal over a period of two years, and their interests, experiences, and socialization can be dramatically different. Also, youth can be very age conscious and have been known to dismiss valuable comments merely because a younger person said them. Or younger participants may defer to older participants.
Skillful moderators of youth focus groups make extra efforts to get the young people talking to each other at the beginning of the group. Adults know that they are expected to listen and talk to each other, but don't assume that youth will be aware of this expectation. Youth are exposed to so many different game rules that they regularly are uncertain how adults expect them to act. Should they talk to each other? Or is that frowned on? Do you have to raise your hand? In a number of situations, you get punished if you talk to other kids. So, the moderator must not only say that they can talk to each other but also model the behavior and encourage the kids to share ideas. Use questions that get kids talking to each other-and not the moderator- early in the discussion. Ask the young people to be respectful of other opinions and listen to what others have to say, but then share their points of view.
Young people are able to communicate in many ways such as through art, drama, pictures, music, and fantasies. Questions that ask young people to act out the answers, tell stories, or create something can be powerful.
Questions are also different in that there are fewer questions. Instead of the standard ten to twelve questions, you might have six to eight questions. As much as ten or fifteen minutes at the beginning of the group might be dedicated to getting acquainted with other teens. The nature of focus group questions may need some special thought when working with young people. Avoid dichotomous questions that can be answered with a yes or no. Adults may assume that the moderator really wants elaboration on the answer, but young people often give one-word answers. Avoid questions that threaten the independence and freedom of young people. For example, suppose the moderator wanted to know how decisions were made about which high school courses to enroll in. In this situation, the moderator should avoid asking who makes the decision, for few teens want to admit in front of their peers that their parents influence the decision. Instead, it may be more productive to ask teens to think back to the last time the decision was made and describe what happened.
Veteran moderators of youth focus groups tell of specific age-related behaviors. Focus groups of kids younger than age nine are difficult because kids of this age haven't had many group experiences in which they are expected to listen to others before they respond. Focus groups at junior high age (ages twelve to fourteen) are chaotic, and it's wise to keep boys and girls separate, even on mundane topics. After age fourteen or fifteen, youth seem to be better at listening and sharing views and slightly less affected by gender differences than those of junior high age. However, some moderators always separate kids by gender because boys tend to be more active.
Elementary age boys goof off a lot. Get yourself ready. You won't believe what they do unless you've got one of your own. Boys will put the name tents on their heads, fall off their chairs, compete in performance nose blowing, and play with anything on the table. They wave their hands wildly while someone else is talking, only to say, "Uh, I forgot" when called on. They seem to want the attention of others. When you've got eight little guys who want attention at the same time, you're gonna have fun.
Elementary age girls generally won't engage in such behavior. They seem to be better at listening to one another and participating in a discussion.
One age-related behavior is that of forming tight-knit groups. When conducting youth focus groups, researchers tend to prefer groups that are not preestablished. Cohesive groups and cliques may provide a narrow range of views that are heavily influenced by peer leaders. As a result, researchers often prefer to assemble groups of relative strangers.
We usually limit focus groups with young people to sixty minutes or less, especially with preteen audiences. Young people repeatedly find themselves in environments where change or relocation takes place every forty-five to sixty minutes. If the researcher has a two-hour focus group discussion, it is likely that there will be a bunch of bored kids for the second hour. Therefore, limit the questions and, if possible, incorporate things to touch, do, or respond to.
Food is magic. Pizza, snacks, and soda make the discussion more comfortable, relaxed, and enjoyable. Talk to the young people before you select the food. Get their advice on what to serve.
Be cautious about the location. Some locations, such as schools, represent places where young people are subordinate to adults. Homes of other youth, restaurants, and public meeting places are usually considered more neutral. In many studies, the location may not be important, but in certain places, adults are clearly in authority and may have rules about the topic, such as smoking. Then it is best to leave the adult-controlled environment and use a neutral location.
Typically, you need parental permission when conducting youth focus groups. The researcher should contact the sponsoring and cooperating organizations to determine proper protocol regarding parent or guardian approval. In some cases, when the focus group is part of ongoing organizational activity-such as in fitting within objectives of the school and also conducted during school hours-then permission may not be essential. The need for permission for youth focus groups has a double purpose. The first purpose is to meet legal expectations of informing the child and parent. The second purpose is to adequately inform the parent of the proposed focus group interview. In a number of cases, researchers have wisely gone above and beyond the letter of the law and provided considerable background information to parents or guardians.
Finally, be ready to hang loose. Youth focus groups are fun, in part because the unexpected happens regularly. The variation from group to group is greater than with adult groups, and there is excitement around every corner. Keep your sense of humor, show respect, and be ready to improvise.