Focus groups are a type of qualitative research

Instead of polling large numbers of people with straightforward questions and quantifiable answers,the researchers conducted in-person interviews,sometimes with small groups,engaging them in more open discussions.Later, this method was picked up by the advertising industry with the help of consultants,like Austrian-born psychologist Ernest Dichter,who first coined the term focus group.This new technique was a type of qualitative research focused on the nature of people's preferences and thoughts