Moderator Guide 1

Ver 3.31.2023

Date: ________________

Time: ________________

Sample: ________________

CPSC-Portable Electric Heaters

Hybrid IDI/Focus Group Moderation Guide

Focus Group Numbers Assigned to the Hybrid Sessions:

Focus Group #3a – Parents

Focus Group #3b – Parents

Focus Group #4a – Older Adults

Focus Group #4b – Older Adults

Focus Group #5a – Low Income

Focus Group #5b – Low Income

Information to be Discussed	Approx. Allotted Time
Welcome	5 minutes
Topic 1: Introductions (Full Group)	5 minutes
Topic 2: Knowledge and Practices (1:1 Interviews)	40-45 minutes
Topic 3: Decision Making (Full Group Discussion)	25-30 minutes
Topic 4: Closing ( Full Group Discussion)	5 minutes
Total time	90 minutes available

Welcome – [5 minutes]

Good [morning/afternoon]. My name is _______________ and I work for EurekaFacts, a research company in Rockville, MD. We are administering a comprehensive research study on behalf of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).

The purpose of this research is to improve portable electric heaters-related safety communications with consumers. During this session we will discuss your perceptions, behavior and experience related to the purchase and use of portable electric heaters, also called space heaters. This session will last a total of 90 minutes.

This session will follow a different structure than traditional focus groups in that part of the session will be a one-on-one interview and the other part will be a group discussion.

1. After all the introductory details, we will send each of you into separate breakout rooms.

2. An interviewer is already in each breakout room and will greet you.

3. You will then respond to a set of questions about your knowledge and understanding of portable electric heaters.

4. The one-on-one session will last about 45 minutes and then you will be placed back into the main meeting room to finish the rest of the focus group session.

Your views and experiences are important, so we would like you to tell us what you think and feel about your experiences with portable electric heaters. It is important that you provide us with your honest opinions and that you understand that we will not make any judgements of you for your opinions. Also, as we are talking about your personal opinions and experiences, it is not necessary for everyone to agree with each other.

DISCLOSURES

1. The session is being recorded so I can write an accurate report, not of “who said what,” but "what was said.”

2. Your name will not be used in the report. All the information discussed in this session today will not be associated with your name or the name of your institution. (If any participants object to recording, pause to answer questions and allow the participant(s) to leave the session if they choose.)

3. Observers

1. Associates may be viewing & taking notes for the purpose of the study.

2. A technical team is also here to help run a smooth session on the tech side.

GUIDELINES

In order to make this session work as a research session, there are some guidelines to follow:

1. Please talk in a voice at least as loud as mine.

2. Please allow one person to speak at a time and allow everyone a turn to speak.

3. There are no wrong answers – just different points of view.

   1. So, say what you believe – be candid.

   2. There is no need to change anyone’s mind.

   3. Please be respectful of others’ opinions.

4. I may need to move on to another area of discussion sooner than you are ready, and I may have to cut a conversation short in the interest of time. If I interrupt you, it is not personal; I just want to cover everything on the agenda. You can always add additional comments in the chat.

5. You will receive your incentive for your time by e-mail 7-10 days after the focus group session, unless you have declined it.

6. Please keep your cameras on and microphones muted when not speaking. We want to hear every person’s input/feedback clearly.

7. You may excuse yourself at any time to go to the restroom or for other urgent needs, we just ask that you return as soon as possible because we really do want to hear what you have to say.

8. Please take this time now to shut off or silence your cell phones. We understand if there are special circumstances and emergencies but want to minimize any distractions.

Do you have any questions before we begin? Okay, we will now send you to the breakout rooms. I may drop in to see how everything is going.

Topic 1: Introductions [5 minutes]

First, I’d like to learn a little more about you. Please share with me:

1. your first name

2. How long have you been using portable electric heaters?

Now that the introductions have been made, we will go into separate breakout rooms for the interview portion of this session, which should last about 35 minutes.

Interview Section

Topic 2: Knowledge and Practices (1:1 Interviews) [40-45 minutes]

Types and Conditions for Use

1. How many portable electric heaters do you own?

   1. Please describe your portable electric heater.

   2. IF NEEDED, ASK the following probes:

      1. Does it have a fan?

      2. Is the outside housing made of plastic or metal?

      3. Is it an oil-filled radiator type?

      4. Does the heating element glow red when using?

2. How often do you use your portable electric heater?

   1. IF NEEDED, offer the following types of examples: all the time, regardless of the season; only during the winter months; whenever you feel cold; seasonally

3. When or under what conditions do you use your portable electric heater?

   1. What months do you typically use a heater?

   2. What time of day do you usually use the heater?

   3. How long do you typically leave on the heater?

4. Where or in what rooms do you use your portable electric heater? What do you consider when deciding where to put the portable electric heater?

   1. IF NEEDED, what made you decide to put it in X location?

   2. IF NEEDED, what made you decide to not put it in other rooms?

Maintenance and Safety Considerations

1. What steps/action, if any, do you take to keep your portable electric heater running efficiently and effectively? (getting at maintenance)

2. In general, how do you evaluate the safety of an electric device or product?

   1. IF NEEDED: In your opinion, what do you think makes an electric device or product safe or not safe?

3. What do you think makes a portable electric heater safe or unsafe?

   1. Do you think your portable electric heater is safe or unsafe? Please explain.

4. Do you know any general safety tips or precautions to take when operating portable electric heaters?

   1. If YES: what are they?

5. Have you experienced any kinds of safety hazards/issues/events when using your portable electric heater? Please describe, including how the issue was resolved and anything you do differently as a result of the event.

6. Are you aware of warning statements for your product? They are typically located on the product itself, the instructional manual, and/or the retail packaging.

a. If YES: How helpful are the warning statements? Would you say they are: very helpful, somewhat helpful, not very helpful, didn’t read them

7. How well you do understand the warning or caution messages associated with using a portable electric heater? Can you share any examples of messages that were clear and some that were not?

8. What do you do if you are not clear about what the message is saying? (e.g., ignore it, review it multiple times to try to understand, seek explanation from somewhere/someone else)?

9. Which, if any, of the warning or caution messages or general instructions were surprising to you?

Now we will return to the full group to continue our discussion.

Group Discussion Section

Topic 3: Decision Making (Full Group Discussion) [25-30 minutes]

Next, I’d like to talk about your decision-making processes when considering a PEH purchase.

Decision-Making

1. What factors did you consider when deciding which portable electric heater to purchase (examples include: emergency use as a heating source, regular use as a heating source, price of the product, any alternatives to a portable electric heater, safety of the product, consumer ratings, size, etc.)?

   1. What kinds of past experiences with portable electric heaters did you think about?

   2. POLL: When deciding to purchase a portable electric heater, is price…

      1. Response Options: The most important factor, the least important factor, just a factor to consider

   3. If you pay more for a portable electric heater, do you expect the product is safer?

   4. What written material do you reference when making this decision?

      1. What information, in particular, influences your decision? (e.g., If needed, noise level, safety features, warranty, energy efficiency)

Safety and Warning Messages

1. POLL: How safe do you think portable electric heaters are, in general?

   1. Response Options: Very safe, somewhat safe, somewhat unsafe, very unsafe

   2. Discuss reasons for answers.

2. Did you read any of the warning or caution messages when purchasing or setting up your portable electric heater for the first time? If not, why not?

3. POLL: How important are the warning or caution messages provided for portable electric heaters, in general?

   1. Response Options: Very important, somewhat important, somewhat unimportant, not important at all.

   2. Discuss reasons for answers.

4. Are there any specific warning messages you think portable electric heaters should have?

Topic 4: Closing (Full Group Discussion) [5 minutes]

1. What do you like most about portable electric heaters?

2. What concerns you the most about using portable electric heaters?

3. What suggestions do you have to make portable electric heaters safer to use?

[MODERATOR: Excuse yourself to check with the observers to determine if there are any additional questions. Ask any additional questions, or continue to close]

• Thank you for taking the time to join and providing your opinions.

• Your comments have been very helpful and insightful.

• Have a great day. Goodbye.