Combination of focus group and experiment methods: opportunities and limitations

Abstract

The use of several sociological techniques can be an effective way to obtain more representative data. The combination of focus group and experiment allows to expand the cognitive capabilities of each method, to better understand complex social phenomena, and to obtain a more complete picture of social objects and processes, and perceptions of them. The advantages and disadvantages of the combination of focus group and experiment were formulated mainly based on the research in which the main indicators were such characteristics as psychotypes, emotional intelligence and suggestibility. The advantage of combining two methods is the in-depth analysis of the phenomenon under study, since focus group provides context and insight into the opinions and experiences of participants, while experiment allows to control the conditions and impact on respondents, test hypotheses and identify cause-and-effect relationships. The combination of methods increases the validity of research practices; however, this combination has several limitations: the timing of focus group can affect the duration of experiment; group dynamics during the focus group can affect the results of experiment and lead to distortions; the presence of a moderator and videotaping of the focus group can affect the behavior of participants and the data. Based on the analysis of several cases, the authors provide recommendations on combining two methods such as: improving the criteria for selecting respondents during recruitment; placing focus group participants taking into account their psychotypes and personality characteristics, and also placing ‘decoy ducks’ according to a certain plan; providing stimulus material in printed form to each focus group participant. Combination of focus group and experiment is a rare research approach; therefore, the main conclusions are based on the authors’ research conducted at the RUDN University.