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Focus groups versus individual interviews with children : A comparison of data
Author(s)
Date Issued
2006
Date Available
2013-04-15T13:49:19Z
Abstract
In recent years there has been an increase in the use of qualitative data collection techniques in research with children. Among the most common of these methods are focus groups and individual interviews. While many authors claim that focus groups have advantages over individual interviews, these claims have not been tested empirically with children. The present study reports on the use of focus groups and interviews to collect qualitative data from 116 children in three age groups, with mean ages of 8.4, 11.5 and 14.3 years. The children were randomly allocated to participate in either focus groups or individual interviews where they were presented with identical material and questions relating to their beliefs about peers with psychological disorders. In line with previous research, the interviews produced significantly more relevant and unique ideas about the causes of these disorders than the focus groups, but the latter gave rise to greater elaboration of ideas. The participating children showed no significant difference in their preference for one method over the other. Thus, whether to choose individual interviews or focus groups is likely to depend on the nature of the research question in any given study.
Type of Material
Journal Article
Publisher
Routledge (Taylor & Francis)
Journal
The Irish Journal of Psychology
Volume
27
Issue
1-2
Start Page
58
End Page
68
Copyright (Published Version)
2006, Routledge
Language
English
Status of Item
Peer reviewed
ISBN
0953101983
This item is made available under a Creative Commons License
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