Puzanova Zh.V., Larina T.I., Ignatova T.A. Combination of focus group and experiment methods: opportunities and limitations. RUDN Journal of Sociology. 2023. Vol. 23. No. 4. P. 866-874. DOI 10.22363 ...

Текст статьи на сайте журнала URL: https://journals.rudn.ru/sociology/article/view/37279 (дата обращения 21.11.2024)

Abstract

The emergence of using of several sociological techniques can be an effective way to obtain the most representative data. The combination of focus group and experimental methods allows researchers to expand the cognitive capabilities of each method and gain a deeper understanding of complex social phenomena, as well as helps to obtain a more complete picture of social objects and processes and people's perceptions of them. The advantages and disadvantages of the mix of methods "focus group" and "experiment" were formulated mainly based on the conducted research, where the main indicators were such characteristics as psychotype, emotional intelligence and suggestibility. The advantage of combining the two methods is the in-depth analysis of the phenomenon under research, as focus group provides context and insight into the opinions and experiences of the participants, while the experiment allows to control the conditions and impact on respondents, check hypotheses and establish cause-and-effect relationships. The mix of methods, in part, increases the validity of research practices. Nevertheless, this combination has several limitations: the time fixity of the focus group can affect the duration of the experiment; group dynamics during the focus group can affect the results of the experiment and lead to distortions; the presence of a moderator and videotaping of the focus group can affect the behavior of participants and confound the data. As a result of analyzing several cases, recommendations on combining these methods were formulated, in particular, improving the criteria for selecting respondents during recruitment; placing focus group participants taking into account their psychotypes and personality characteristics, as well as seating "ducks" according to a certain plan; providing stimulus material in printed form to each focus group participant. Combining a focus group and an experiment is a rare approach in research, so the main conclusions were formulated on the author's research conducted at RUDN University.