ABSTRACT
“Sensing groups” or “Zfocus group”' are being used for a wide variety of purposes—for marketing research, in the management of elections as both a supplement and stimulus of normal polling procedures, and so on. In fact, quite a cottage industry has developed around the several variants of the technique (e.g., Krueger, 1988; Morgan, 1988) A sensing group is a small, unstructured collection of individuals brought together for a specific purpose (e.g., to discuss their reactions to a political speech). A facilitator typically helps the group explain and explore its reactions in a nonthreatening environment. As Krueger notes (1988, p. 18), “The discussion is relaxed, comfortable, and often enjoyable for participants as they share their ideas and perceptions.”
