Form Approved
OMB Control No. 0920-1432
Expires: XX/XX/XXXX
CDC NCEZID
Rapid Message Testing and Message Development System
Focus Groups Question Bank
Managed by:
National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases
Health Communications Science Office
OMB No. 0920-1432
Expiration Date: xx/xx/xx
Exploratory Questions About a Specific Topic 5
Main Message and Call to Action 6
F. INFORMATION & INFORMATION SOURCES 10
J. PROVIDER-SPECIFIC QUESTIONS 12
III. HIGHLIGHTER TOOL QUESTIONS 13
C. BEHAVIORS, BENEFITS, AND EFFICACY 14
The following is a collection of questions that have been approved by OMB for use in the Rapid Message Testing and Message Development System. The questions are intended to be used in focus groups for testing a variety of communication content, including statements, rationales, messages, recommendations, guidelines, articles, factsheets, webpages, maps etc. for NCEZID. The question bank is arranged by question type into the following sections, and by topic.
Customizations
Many questions are customizable to the type of content tested and the topic using the following bracketed phrases:
[CONTENT TYPE] indicates that the material type should be inserted (e.g., statement, message, recommendation, factsheet, etc.)
[TOPIC] indicates that a topic should be inserted (e.g., screening guideline, vaccine, etc.)
[CAPITALIZED ORANGE] describes when an additional insertion is needed.
[EMOTION] and [ADJECTIVE] indicate where an emotion or adjective can be inserted. Some examples are provided below.
EMOTIONS |
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ADJECTIVES |
||
Positive |
Negative |
Positive |
Negative |
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Calm Curious Determined Empowered Enthusiastic Grateful Happy Hopeful Informed Interested Satisfied Amused/Entertained
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Amused/Mocking Angry Annoyed Concerned Confused Frustrated Irritated Overwhelmed Scared Skeptical
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Attention-grabbing Appealing Appropriate Attractive Believable Clear Compelling Consistent Credible Easy Easy to read Focused Helpful Important Informative Interesting Meant for me Relevant Responsive Serious Simple Timely Trustworthy Unique or different Urgent Useful |
Boring Confusing Generic Embarrassing Hard to read Inappropriate Offensive Ridiculous Scary Unclear Unorganized Unrealistic Silly Stigmatizing Too technical Too long Hard |
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The following open-ended questions can be used when conducting focus groups.
Purpose: to understand existing knowledge about a topic.
Have you heard about [TOPIC]?
What can you tell me about [TOPIC]?
Purpose: to gauge reactions, solicit feedback for improvement, and determine overall effectiveness of content.
What first caught your eye when you looked at this [CONTENT TYPE]?
What is your overall reaction to [CONTENT TYPE]?
Based on your first reaction, would you continue to read this [CONTENT TYPE]? Why?
How does this [CONTENT TYPE] make you feel?
What do you like about this [CONTENT TYPE]?
What do you like the most about this [CONTENT TYPE]?
What do you not like about this [CONTENT TYPE]?
Is there anything you feel is offensive or inappropriate in this [CONTENT TYPE]?
Is there anything confusing, unclear, or hard to understand about [CONTENT TYPE]?
What questions do you have about this [CONTENT TYPE]?
Does this [CONTENT TYPE] answer your questions about [TOPIC]? How so?
Is there any information you want to know that is not included in the [CONTENT TYPE] shown?
What, this information is new to you?
What did you learn from this [CONTENT TYPE]?
What would you click on? What would you expect to find there?
Please review this [CONTENT TYPE] and tell me when you have either completed it or do not want to read further.
For you, are there other [CONTENT TYPE] that might explain/convey/get across this idea better?
How do you feel about the [CONTENT] used in this [CONTENT TYPE/CONTENT]? Are they [ADJECTIVE/EMOTION]? Why/why not?
How [ADJECTIVE] an issue is [TOPIC] to you?
How concerned are you about [TOPIC]?
Are you aware of any risks from [TOPIC]? What are they?
Who do you think is most at risk for [TOPIC]?
Do you feel at risk for [TOPIC], and when?
Do you know how to take steps to prevent/minimize risk from [TOPIC]?
Have you ever gotten sick or been diagnosed with [TOPIC]?
How would you protect yourself from [TOPIC]?
What do you think are some of the symptoms or harmful effects/impacts of [TOPIC]?
What do you think are the treatments for [TOPIC]?
What do you think are the pros and cons of different treatments for [TOPIC]?
What questions do you have about [TOPIC]?
What are your greatest health concerns for yourself?
What are your greatest health concerns for your family?
What are your greatest health concerns for your community?
What are your greatest health concerns for your peer group or generation?
What do you think are the most important things people can do to prevent becoming infected with [PATHOGEN] or to protect themselves from getting [DISEASE/CONDITION]?
What would improve the look and feel of this [CONTENT TYPE]?
What would make this [CONTENT TYPE] more [ADJECTIVE]?
Did you notice the [PHOTOS/IMAGES/COLORS/ETC]? Which ones and what are your reactions? Why?
What [PHOTOS/IMAGES/COLORS/ETC] would make this [CONTENT TYPE] more [ADJECTIVE] to you?
Is there anything that would make this [CONTENT TYPE] easier to understand?
Did you notice the hashtags? Which ones and what are your reactions? Why?
Do you think there should be a hashtag on this [CONTENT TYPE]?
What other hashtags, if any, would you prefer?
Did you notice the logo(s)? Which ones? What your reaction?
What would you think of having the logo of the [INSERT organization name] on these[CONTENT TYPE]?
Which organization’s logo would make the information most believable?
Which organization’s logo would make the information most motivating/inspiring/trustworthy?
What would you say is the main point of this [CONTENT TYPE]?
What, if anything, is this [CONTENT TYPE] telling you to do?
Can you summarize what this [CONTENT TYPE] is trying to say/convey/explain?
If you saw this [CONTENT TYPE], would you know what to do? What makes you think that?
Does this [CONTENT TYPE] help you to know what do to [INSERT specific action if needed to protect] [INSERT GROUP (e.g. yourself, others, loved ones, your child, etc.)]?
What, if anything, might you do after seeing this [CONTENT TYPE]?
After seeing this, has your thinking about [TOPIC] changed in any way?
[WHOM/WHO] do you think this [CONTENT TYPE] is intended for? What makes you think that?
Is this [CONTENT TYPE] relevant/important to someone like you? Why?
Do you see yourself doing this or something like it? Why/why not?
[WHOM/WHO] do you believe would benefit most from [INSERT health behavior or action]?
Have you seen, read, or heard this [CONTENT TYPE] before? When and where did you come across it?
Where would you expect to see this [CONTENT TYPE]? If you saw this [AT LOCATIONS MENTIONED], would you take the time to read it?
Who do you think created this [CONTENT TYPE]?
Who or where would you recommend this [CONTENT TYPE] come from?
Who do you think would be the best [PERSON/ORGANIZATION] to provide this information?
[WHO/WHOM] do you prefer receiving this information from?
Would you recommend this [CONTENT TYPE] to others? Why?
Would you share this [CONTENT TYPE] with others? Why?
If you saw this [CONTENT TYPE] on social media, would you [LIKE/SHARE/FAVORITE/SAVE] it?
Do you think one [CONTENT TYPE] is more appealing than the others? Which? Why/why not?
Is one [CONTENT TYPE] more likely than another to get your attention?
Is one [CONTENT TYPE] more likely than another to make you think about it afterward?
What is it about that one [CONTENT TYPE] that “works” for you (or someone else you care for or take care of, such as a spouse/partner, child, parent, relative, or friend) or makes you more likely to think about it afterward?
Now that you’ve seen all of these [CONTENT TYPE], which one catches your attention the most? Why?
Looking over all of the different [CONTENT TYPE] we have discussed, which two or three would work best//be the most effective? Why?
Which [CONTENT TYPE] was your favorite? Why?
Which [CONTENT TYPE] was most inspiring or motivating for you personally? Why?
Which [CONTENT TYPE] is most believable? Why?
Now, looking at just the top two or three [CONTENT TYPE], which one is the most important to help you and motivate you to [INSERT action]? Why?
What makes this [CONTENT TYPE] more effective?
What about this particular [CONTENT TYPE] is most engaging?
What [CONTENT TYPE] is least effective? Why?
Which of these [CONTENT TYPE] is the worst? What, specifically, do you dislike about it?
What criteria did you use to determine [CONTENT TYPE] is the worst?
Which of these [CONTENT TYPE] is the least likely to attract attention? Why?
Which of these [CONTENT TYPE] are you least likely to read/watch/look at? Why?
Which of these [CONTENT TYPE] are you least likely to act upon? Why?
Did any of the [CONTENT TYPE] not motivate you at all? Why not?
Did any of the [CONTENT TYPE] give you a bad impression? What was it that did that?
Of all the [CONTENT TYPE] you just saw, which one is the most/least [ADJECTIVE]? Why?
Would any of the [CONTENT TYPE] make you feel opposed to [TOPIC]?
What information from any of these [CONTENT TYPE] would most motivate you to [INSERT action]?
Of the [CONTENT TYPE] you’ve seen, are there any [CONTENT TYPE] that you would recommend not to be used? Why or why not?
Purpose: for evaluating the phrasing and wording of a message.
Do you like the way this message is written? Why/Why not?
How easy is it for you to understand this message?
Is there anything you want to know that message does not tell you?
If you saw or heard this message, would it get your attention? Why or why not?
Are there any words or phrases here that you think are especially attention-getting or appealing?
Are there any words or phrases that bother you or that you think should be said differently?
How could this message be improved?
Is there a way to say this differently that would make you personally more likely to notice and think about the message?
What could this message say to make you notice it more?
What could this message say to make you think about it more?
Thinking back to the information they are trying to convey, is there anything else you would add?
Purpose: to assess how likely respondents are to act after seeing a message and what actions they might take.
Which actions, if any, sound doable to you? Why?
How likely/feasible is it that you would try to do this? Please explain.
Would you consider doing [INSERT strategy, action, behavior]?
What makes it hard to do this?
Who in your household would be against trying this? Why?
What do you think of this idea?
How appealing is [INSERT strategy, action, behavior] to you as a way to control [TOPIC]?
What would make this easier for you to do?
This [CONTENT TYPE] has multiple steps. Are the instructions clear, or could they be broken down in a better, more understandable way?
Does this [CONTENT TYPE] make any actions or behaviors easier for you to do? What actions or behaviors?
How would you try this at [INSERT LOCATION]?
Which of these would work best/be most effective at [INSERT LOCATION]?
What are the good things about trying [INSERT strategy, action, behavior]?
Is there any more information or tools that you would need that would help you [INSERT ACTION]?
What are some of the things that would make it difficult for people in your area to [TOPIC]?
What could, or has, been done in the local area to make it easier to overcome some of the challenges you described?
Were there any tips on here that you would not follow or comply with? Explain.
Is there anything that could be changed to make it more likely you would be motivated to [INSERT strategy, action, behavior]?
How likely would you be to talk about [TOPIC] with [INSERT audience e.g., family, friends] in the next [INSERT timeframe]?
Will you bring up [TOPIC] the next time you visit your healthcare provider?
What could be changed to make [CONTENT TYPE] more effective/useful/interesting?
On a scale from 1 to 10 where 1 is not at all appealing and 10 is extremely appealing, how would you rate this [CONTENT]? Why?
Is the [CONTENT TYPE] clear to follow?
What parts of the [CONTENT TYPE] are [easy/hard] to follow?
Do you think the [advice/information/instructions] from [CONTENT TYPE] is [ADJECTIVE][ACTION]?
How serious is this [TOPIC] to you?
How much of a [threat/problem] is [TOPIC] for [you/your family/your loved ones/your children]?
Purpose: to evaluate where and in what format content is best received.
Where would you expect to see this [CONTENT TYPE]?
Where would [CONTENT TYPE] need to be so that you would pay attention to it?
How do you prefer to receive health information like that presented here?
In what form would you want to see health information like that presented here? [IF NEEDED examples: posters, pamphlets, handouts, etc.]
What kinds of message or content materials would most encourage you to [INSERT strategy, action, behavior]?
Do you think you would take this [CONTENT TYPE] with you, or leave it behind? Why?
Purpose: to understand where respondents get their information about a topic and each channel’s effectiveness.
What have you heard about [TOPIC]? Where did you hear about it?
Have you ever talked about [TOPIC] with others? Who? What did they say?
Do you seek information on [TOPIC]? Why or why not?
Where do you get your information about [TOPIC]?
How often, if at all, do you pick up information about [TOPIC]?
What are some of the ways you have gotten information about [TOPIC] prior to today?
Where might you seek out future information on [TOPIC]?
Where would you turn first for information on [TOPIC]?
What sources do you trust most for information on [TOPIC]?
Is there enough/the right kind of information available to you on [TOPIC], or not? Why?
Has your doctor or healthcare provider talked with you about [TOPIC]? What did they tell talk about?
Have you ever asked a doctor or healthcare provider about [TOPIC]? What did you ask?
Would you be comfortable talking with a doctor or healthcare provider about [TOPIC]? Would anything be uncomfortable?
What type of information are you seeking on [TOPIC]?
What do you think [INSERT organization name] needs to know about your community? How would you want them to be involved in your community?
How could this information be better said/better explained/conveyed more effectively?
What would be the best/most effective way or format to provide information on [TOPIC]?
What are some places where you might notice information like this?
Have you heard about outbreaks of [TOPIC] in the past?
What concerns do you have about efforts to prevent or guard against the spread of [TOPIC]?
What concerns do you have about [TOPIC]?
What concerns do you have about how [INSERT AGENCY] is responding to [TOPIC]?
What would be the most effective way to reach you with notifications about risk factors or outbreaks of [TOPIC]?
How would you like to receive [INFORMATION/ALERTS/NEWS] about outbreaks of [TOPIC]?
Purpose: to assess the reception of messages from different spokespeople and organizations.
What type of person do you think would be a good spokesperson to use to encourage you and your friends/family to [INSERT strategy, action, behavior]? PROBE ON: doctor, nurse, legislator, entertainer, etc.
If you had to pick a spokesperson for this [INSERT strategy, action, behavior], who would it be, and why?
Do you think [INSERT ROLE/SPECIFIC PERSON] would be a good spokesperson to convince you and your friends/family to [INSERT strategy, action, behavior]?
If you were trying to make up your mind about [TOPIC], who would influence you?
If you were trying to influence a friend to [INSERT strategy, action, behavior], what would you say?
Have you ever heard of [INSERT organization name]? Where did you learn about it?
What is [INSERT organization name]?
What do you think about the work of [INSERT organization name]? Why?
What could [INSERT organization name] do to make you feel better about the health risks in your community?
Do any people or organizations say something like this now? Which ones?
What impact does [INSERT organization name] have on your community? On you and your friends and family’s lives? What kind of impact should it have?
Purpose: to assess knowledge of CDC and assess impressions of CDC as a source of information.
Have you ever heard of an organization called the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or CDC? How familiar are you with CDC?
What if CDC was to say something like this? Would that change the way you look at these statements?
What if CDC and [INSERT partner name] said something like this? Would that change the way you look at these statements?
How do you feel about CDC as the source of this information?
How does CDC rate as a source of information on [TOPIC]? Why?
Would you think of having the logo of a governmental organization, such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or CDC, on them? Have you ever heard of CDC?
Purpose: to evaluate words, terms, or phrases that may be part of messaging.
What does the [WORD/PHRASE/TERM], “[INSERT WORD/PHRASE/TERM]” mean to you?
Have you seen the [WORD/PHRASE/TERM], “[INSERT WORD/PHRASE/TERM]” before? Where?
How familiar or unfamiliar are you with the [WORD/PHRASE/TERM], “[INSERT WORD/PHRASE/TERM]”?
What comes to mind/do you think of when you hear/see [WORD/PHRASE/TERM], “[INSERT WORD/PHRASE/TERM]”?
Do you have any top-of-mind examples of “[INSERT WORD/PHRASE/TERM]” you can share?
Are there other terms or phrases you would use to describe this [WORD/PHRASE/TERM]?
What would be a better term for [WORD/PHRASE/TERM]?
Do any of the these [WORDS/PHRASES/TERMS] mean the same thing, somewhat the same thing, or are they different? How so?
Do you have a preferred [WORD/PHRASE/TERM]? Why?
I’d like to show you the [WORD/PHRASE/TERM] with more context. With this added context, can you tell me what [WORD/PHRASE/TERM] means to you now?
What is the difference between [WORD/PHRASE/TERM] and [WORD/PHRASE/TERM]?
Purpose: to evaluate how providers interact with patients and how they might use the provided materials.
What questions do your patients have about [TOPIC]?
Does [CONTENT TYPE] answer all the questions a patient might have about [TOPIC]?
Does [CONTENT TYPE] contain all the information a patient would want to know about [TOPIC]?
How do you like to educate your patients on [TOPIC]?
What materials or information do you need in order to better educate your patients on [TOPIC]?
Where would you be most likely to use [CONTENT TYPE] in your practice or your work?
How confident are you in your ability to educate your patients about [TOPIC]?
How confident are you in your ability to answer questions and ease concerns about [TOPIC]?
How often do you talk to patients about [TOPIC], and under what circumstances?
Would [CONTENT TYPE] help you [ACTION]? Why?
How would [CONTENT TYPE] help you [ACTION]?
How receptive are your patients when you inform them about [TOPIC]?
How do your patients respond when you talk to them about [TOPIC]?
What challenges do you face when talking about [TOPIC] or acting on [TOPIC] with patients?
How would you use [CONTENT TYPE]?
How useful would [CONTENT TYPE] be for you in your work?
How do you think your patients would respond to [CONTENT TYPE]?
The following questions can be used for testing narrative—in fact sheets, one-pagers, etc. using a highlighter tool which allows respondents to “mark-up” the content as they would in an in-person focus group setting.
Please read [CONTENT TYPE] and use the [COLOR] highlighter to mark any content that is [ADJECTIVE].
If negative: How would you improve the highlighted content?
Please read [CONTENT TYPE] and use the [COLOR] highlighter to mark the part(s) that you think are the most important/key point/message.
Please explain why you selected this content as the most important/key point/message.
Please read [CONTENT TYPE] and use the [COLOR] highlighter to mark any content that you [LIKE/DISLIKE] the most.
Please explain why you selected this content as what you [LIKED/DISLIKED] the most.
IV. THEORY-BASED DRIVERS OF BEHAVIOR
The following questions are theory-based drivers of behavior that communications can impact. These can be used for assessing how communications influence people’s behaviors.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, who is most at risk of becoming infected with [TOPIC]?
[INSERT POPULATIONS AS NEEDED]
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, who should [ACTION] when [CONTEXT/SETTING]?
[INSERT POPULATIONS AS NEEDED]
When you think about the possible health risk posed to [you/your loved ones/your community] from [TOPIC], how much worry do you feel? Please use the scale of zero to 100, where zero means you have “none of this feeling” and 100 means you have “a lot of this feeling.”
How likely do you think it is that [you/your loved ones/your community] will become ill from [TOPIC]? Please use a scale from zero to 100, where zero means that you would have absolutely no chance whatsoever of becoming ill, and 100 means that you are certain to.
If [you/your loved ones/your community] were to become ill from [TOPIC], how serious do you think this illness would be? Please use a scale of zero to 100, where zero means not serious at all and 100 means it would be as serious as it can possibly be.
If you started experiencing symptoms of [TOPIC] ([INSERT SYMPTOMS]) and thought you may have been exposed, what would you do first?
Go to the emergency room or see a doctor
Call the health department
Seek alternative medical treatment
Wait to see if symptoms go away
[INSERT ACTIONS AS NEEDED]
None of these
What do you think are the most important things people can do to prevent becoming infected with [TOPIC] or protect themselves from getting [TOPIC]?
Which of the following actions have you heard are the most important things people can do to prevent from getting infected with [TOPIC]?
[INSERT ACTIONS AS NEEDED]
How often have you seen, heard, or read about any of the following actions as being important for preventing [TOPIC]: ADD LIST OF BEHAVIORS
[INSERT FREQUENCIES AS NEEDED]
In the past [TIMEFRAME], when you have gone [to INSERT setting or context], how often did you [INSERT behavior]?
In the past [TIMEFRAME], when you have gone [to INSERT setting or context], how often did you see others [INSERT behavior]?
In the past [TIMEFRAME], when you [ACTIVITY/BEHAVIOR], how often did you…
For example: Wear a cloth face covering that covered your face and mouth
|
Never |
Rarely |
Sometimes |
Often |
Always |
Not sure |
[INSERT ACTION A] |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
9 |
[INSERT ACTION B] |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
9 |
[INSERT ACTION ETC] |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
9 |
How personally important is it to you…
For example: To protect others from coronavirus
|
Not at all important |
A little important |
Somewhat important |
Very important |
Extremely important |
Not sure |
[INSERT STATEMENT A] |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
9 |
[INSERT STATEMENT B] |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
9 |
[INSERT STATEMENT ETC] |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
9 |
How much information would you need to adequately deal with the possible risk from [TOPIC] in your own life? Please use the scale of zero to 100, where zero means you need no more information and 100 means you need a lot more information.
How much do you trust the information about [TOPIC] that comes from each of the following sources?
For example: The Centers for Disease Control (CDC)
|
Not at all |
A little |
Somewhat |
A lot |
Completely |
Not sure |
[INSERT SOURCE A] |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
9 |
[INSERT SOURCE B] |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
9 |
[INSERT SOURCE ETC] |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
Which one of the following best describes your access to [PROTECTIVE ITEM]?
I have [PROTECTIVE ITEM]
I do not currently have [PROTECTIVE ITEM]
[INSERT ADDITIONAL OPTIONS RELATED TO ACCESS TO PROTECTIVE ITEMS]
I do not plan to make, purchase, or obtain a [PROTECTIVE ITEM]
Focus Groups Question Bank
NCEZID Rapid Testing and Message Development System
Public reporting burden of this collection of information is estimated to average 120 minutes per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB Control Number. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden to CDC/ATSDR Reports Clearance Officer, 1600 Clifton Road NE, MS H21-8, Atlanta, Georgia 30333; ATTN: PRA 0920-1432
| File Type | application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document |
| Author | [email protected] |
| File Modified | 0000-00-00 |
| File Created | 2025-11-23 |