What is an advantage of using a focus group over a survey?

Using a focus group provides significant advantages in terms of probing and follow-up opportunities. In a focus group setting, participants can engage in dynamic discussions, allowing the facilitator to ask follow-up questions that go beyond the initial responses. This leads to a deeper understanding of participants' thoughts, feelings, and motivations, which is often not achievable with surveys.

Surveys typically provide quantitative data that is useful for statistical analysis but may lack the richness of qualitative insights that focus groups can offer. The interactive nature of focus groups allows for real-time clarification of responses, making it possible to explore complex topics in more detail. This can reveal nuances in opinions and perceptions that might be missed in a survey format, where respondents select predefined answers without the opportunity for expansion or clarification.

Additionally, focus groups can foster a conversation that brings out differing perspectives and stimulate new ideas, providing a wealth of contextual information that can inform decision-making. Thus, while other methods like surveys are valuable for specific types of data collection, the unique advantages of probing and follow-up in focus groups make them an essential tool for gathering in-depth insights in many research contexts.