Test Your Understanding 4

How does Dorothy motivate participant engagement and encourage multiple perspectives?

A) Ignores participants’ comments.

B) Calls on participants by name to share their thoughts.

C) Continues to call on the same participants.

The correct answer is B:

The moderator is responsible for validating participants’ comments to help keep the conversation going. The moderator should also ask participants that haven’t spoken to discuss missing ideas.

How can a moderator overcome groupthink (i.e., the tendency of groups to suppress disagreements to maintain consensus in the group)?

A) Continue to agree with the ideas the focus group participants have already brought up.

B) Only allow the participants to talk about one perspective.

C) Ask an individual who hasn’t spoken a new question.

Show answer

The correct answer is C:

To overcome groupthink the moderator should challenge ideas that have already been said. The moderator can offer additional perspectives if the participants are stuck on one topic or idea. Asking a new person new question can prompt an additional perspective to emerge.

Test Your Understanding 4

Question 1:

Question 2: