Individual interviews or focus groups? Interview format and women’s self-disclosure

Individual interviews have traditionally been an important method of data collection in multiple disciplines, including psychology. However, research comparing individual interviews with focus groups has generated mixed results regarding which method is more effective in investigating sensitive topics. The purpose of the present study was to directly compare the two methods with respect to young women’s verbalizations on a sensitive topic, namely their thoughts and feelings related to body image. Female undergraduate students were randomly assigned to an individual interview (n = 32) or focus group (n = 33). Participants in the individual interviews disclosed more personal thoughts and feelings about body image and had more positive perceptions of the interpersonal climate of their sessions than participants in the focus groups. These findings suggest that individual interviews may provide women with a more supportive environment in which to discuss sensitive topics.