Editor’s note: Diane Fraley is a qualitative research specialist and heads D.S. Fraley & Associates in Chicago. She has a Masters degree in doctoral training in education, child development and qualitative research theory and methods.

Qualitative research with children who are eight years old and under requires specialized qualitative designs, methods and skills. The researcher must not only know and understand the research needs of the client and ways in which to design research that meets client objectives, but must also know and understand the environmental and emotional needs of the child' thus conducting research that meets child needs. Additionally, qualitative researchers must understand and work within the framework of the child's cognitive and verbal abilities.

Much of consumer behavior is outside the realm of consciousness; this is especially true of children. Furthermore, children are not as able to articulate their thoughts and feelings about products as adults. What children do tells as good a product story as what children say they do. Hence, with children as respondents, qualitative designs that investigate not only what children say but also what they do work best.

Studying the child as consumer is further complicated by the fact that most children are in an interdependent consumption relationship with their parents. Children's product involvement typically involves an adult counterpart (i.e., parent) both in product selection and acquisition (parents control specifics of what children acquire/ purchase and dollar amount allocated to product obtainment) and in product usage (parents establish guidelines and rules which establish the framework within which children use products). A thorough understanding of product needs and usage questions necessitates obtaining both the independent views of the adult (typically the mother) and of the child and a synergistic view of the adult-child in a joint consumption role.

Modify child groups

Focus groups can be conducted with children 6 years old and over. The group situation, however, should be modified for children and conducted differently than adult groups.

Child groups should consist of approximately five children; more than five may involve heavier moderator control, thus impeding spontaneity.

It is best to recruit primary school-aged children (6 years old and up); those under 6, in general, have neither the verbal or social skills needed to express opinions. The groups consist of children who are in the same grade in school (similar developmental stages), with no more than two grades being represented within a group.

When groups with different aged children are conducted, the groups should be executed from youngest to oldest sequentially in order to highlight growth and development. The last age/grade group may in fact show a fall-off in or movement out of the product category (such as toys). Hence, chronological sequencing of groups pictures growth and development in a natural progression.

Groups should not typically exceed 75 minutes unless they are conducted with several hands-on segments and/or in conjunction with adults. Whenever possible, group sessions should incorporate hands-on segments.

During these segments, children are permitted to use the product; observers see the child as consumer and learn about the products they select and attend to, what they say about products in an adult-free environment and what they do with the product. Such segments shift the group from a product passive mode to a product-involvement mode.

Furthermore, the hands-on experiences allow the child to take information in about the product through all the senses, thus establishing a framework in which they can better formulate and express opinions about the product in the concluding discussion. An additional benefit is it gives children a stretch break, which facilitates re-grouping for the closing discussion.

Product design tests

Motor-task sessions help determine if product design performs as intended with target age groups. When poor performance results, it is likewise important to know if substandard performance is a result of the task being too advanced for a child's motor development or for a child's understanding (stepping through simple motor tasks, but in a complicated pattern) or a design 'mismatch' with the physical attributes of a target audience (e.g., improperly fits hand size).

Simple motor tasks (opening a new package design) can be integrated into group sessions as a group segment and feedback can be ascertained regarding product performance. However, complex motor sequences (assembling, operating products) should usually be tested in one-on-ones or small groups (dyads or triads). The mother, especially for younger children, can observe from behind the mirror and offer commentary and interpretation of the experience in the post?task interview.

As appropriate, product assembly and operation diagrams and directions may be part of the motor-skills research and an interviewing issue that is discussed after the child executes the motor-behavior sequence.

Discovering preferences

Exploratory sessions can be conducted with adult-child pairs for the purpose of learning about what children do and their preferences, as well as learning about the role of the adult as a part of the consumption pattern.

With products that involve the adult-child usage patterns (i.e., diapers, preschool toys, infant apparel), process questions can best be answered by observing the process/usage pattern and then discussing process observations and issues with either the adult or adult-child pair, hence focusing on specifics while still part of a first-hand experience.

Exploratory sessions can be conducted either in a facility if the setting is carefully structured or in natural settings (home, grocery store, toy store, parks) if more appropriate. Facility sessions may involve from one to four adult-child pairs depending upon objectives. The session may or may not involve joint interviewing of the adult and child, or just the adult, contingent, of course, on the child's age and research objectives.

Exploring product experiences

Pre-placement and post-placement groups are exploratory in nature and encourage children and adults to be aware of their perceptions, behaviors and attitudes. The three-phase structure takes respondent pairs through initial reaction regarding product to actual product experience to depth views about product experiences.

Whenever possible, pre?placement sessions should be conducted with children to explore a product category and initial perceptions and expectations of test product. Groups with the adult counterparts (usually mothers) may or may not be part of the design; however, adults must be instructed as to how daily placement diaries should be completed.

The product should be sent home with the child for an appropriate time period. During this period, the child should use the product as would normally occur within the natural setting. For products that require use of assembly and/or operation diagrams and directions, these too should be included and evaluated. In conjunction with child or adult-child product usage, the adult counterpart keeps a daily observation?experience diary that records child product behaviors, reactions and commentary regarding the product and interprets those behaviors and comments from their own perspective.

Post-placement interviews or groups are then conducted with children to ascertain opinion of the product and determine ways in which product usage fits perceptions and performs according to expectations (and ways in which it did not). The "show-me" technique should be used with children to support/explain children's commentary and children should be encouraged to demonstrate points as appropriate. Post-placement sessions with children focus on the product experience, highlighting product usage details, product pros and cons and feelings about the product.

Post-placement sessions with adults focus on adult descriptions and interpretations of the child's product experiences, as well as investigate the adult's reaction to the product.

Tiered sessions

Another qualitative design that taps a child's viewpoint as well as a concept's or product's impact involves having child sessions followed by the adult counterpart sessions. Tiered sessions gauge reaction to concepts, products, packaging and/or advertising and pinpoint the impressions that children take away from the groups.

The 'word-of-mouth' technique identifies information regarding the concept or product preferences, salient product features, memorable concept elements and/or the comprehensibility/digestibility of an advertising message.

Tier one: Tier one consists of child sessions in which children offer information about their thoughts and feelings. As appropriate, children play back (unaided and aided) product ideas/concepts/stories as well as handle and use the products. At the end of the groups, children are instructed to tell the adult counterpart about the group. It should be noted what they select (and forget/ neglect) to tell their parents about the products highlights well-liked products and salient features as well as those (not mentioned) which failed to make a lasting impression.

Tier two: Tier two occurs after an interim period. The adult counterpart of the adult-child pair convene for adult sessions. Use of a waiting-room questionnaire with these adults initiates thinking about what the child reported and prepares each adult respondent for an opening segment centered on uncovering what children reported and did not report to the adult counterpart regarding concepts or products.

During adult follow-up sessions, missing information is as important as reported information. Additionally, the way in which the adult plays back the details yields information about both the child's reaction to and interest level in the concept or product as well as the adult's anticipated view.

Adult-child integrated sessions are group sessions in which adult-child pairs are recruited to jointly participate in a focus group session. The pair reflect joint consumer issues that are negotiated in the purchase and usage of products. This group format yields information regarding criteria employed in the acquisition of the product and in guidelines established in the usage of the product. The format also highlights the ways in which children and adults create a contract that satisfies both the needs of the child and adult.

Adult-child sessions are group sessions in which adult counterparts of the adult-child pairs observe from behind the mirror a group session in which their children participate. The second portion of the group session involves the adult-child pair in an integrated session or the adults without the child counterpart discussing and interpreting the child session as well as offering their own personal product opinions.

While well-constructed and well-conducted sessions with children can yield useful top-of-the-mind information and reaction, qualitative research designs that delve deep into the child's product experience and utilize the adult counterpart as an informant generally yield a much richer insight into the child as a consumer. Moreover, child-adult qualitative designs capture attitudes, feelings and behaviors that may not normally surface when just the child's or adult's point of view is examined.