There are many different market research techniques and many more opinions on how best to carry out these techniques. The "best" way, however, will no doubt depend on the situation. But if you ask Karen Forcade, president of the Youth Research division at Consumer Sciences, Inc., (CSI) Brookfield Center, Conn., there is only "one best way" to do one-on-one and group interviews with children at any time.

"Without parents," exclaims Forcade, whose division is a consultant to major toy and food manufacturers and advertising agencies. This is so that a child's preference can be separated from the family mix.

"It's silly to think parents don't influence their kids," says Forcade.

Children, specifically those under 12, says Forcade, are inhibited when mom is there during the interview and will look to her first before giving an answer to the moderator's questions. By age 12, however, children are "pretty independent," and are more apt to say what's on their mind, not what's on mom's.

She describes adult-child focus groups "confrontive," with the adult inhibiting the child from revealing his/her true feelings. Children tend not to give honest, straightforward answers when mom's present. When she isn't there, they tend to be open and honest and thus the research is more on target.

"The only thing positive about it is that she helps articulate what the child says, However, that doesn't necessarily mean that that's what the child feels."

But it doesn't mean that the moderator shouldn't ask the adultless child respondent to describe and imitate a parent or an imaginary shopping trip. Such information assists the researcher in knowing how child and parent interact when making purchase decisions.

Interviewing groups

Forcade will correct you, too, if you consider her research with children focus groups, even though groups of children are interviewed in what most people would describe as a focus group setting. She prefers to call them "interviewing groups," and for children under eight, "best friend interviewing," because the research is based on conversations between a child and his or her closest friend.

Forcade believes the best friend interviewing method is the ideal way to find out how children feel about a certain product. That's because children relate "best" with their peers, and can talk about something in a way they wouldn't talk about it with a parent.

Children aged 8-12, on the other hand, are better able to interact and exchange thoughts and ideas with their peers than younger children are able to do, thus they work well in "interviewing groups." Six children are the most desirable number of participants to have in these groups, says Forcade.

Besides lots of experience with her own children (she has four), Forcade has a background in child psychology and experience in the Montessori educational system. She helped found Youth Research in 1982, assisting top companies - such as Coleco Industries, General Foods and Polaroid Corp. - in product development and in testing communication strategies in such areas as foods, confections, health and beauty aids, toys and games.