Market Research Ch. 5 - Exploratory Research Design: Qualitative Research

Question 1

What are the differences between Qualitative and Quantitative Research?

Answer 1

Qualitative Research
1. To gain a qualitative understanding of the underlying reasons and motivations
2. Small number of nonrepresentative cases
3. Unstructured, Nonstatistical
4. Develops an initial understanding
Quantitative Research
1. To quantify the data and generalize the results from the sample to the population of interest
2. Large number of representative cases
3. Structured, statistical
4. Recommend a final course of action

Question 2

Rational for using Qualitative Research

Answer 2

1. Structure and formality doesn’t always work.
2. Respondent unwillingness error or inability error
3. Questions that appeal to the subconscious

Question 3

Qualitative Research Procedures

Answer 3

Direct
1. Focus Groups
2. Depth Interviews
Indirect (Disguised)
1. Projective Techniques
a. Association techniques
b. Completion Techniques
c. Construction Techniques
d. Expressive Techniques

Question 4

Direct Approach

Answer 4

One type of qualitative research in which the purposes of the project are disclosed to the respondent or are obvious, given the nature of the interview

Question 5

Indirect Approach

Answer 5

A type of qualitative research in which the purposes of the project are disguised from the respondents

Question 6

Focus Group

Answer 6

An interview conducted by a trained moderator among a small group of respondents in an unstructured and natural manner

Question 7

Characteristics of a Focus Group

Answer 7

1. 8 - 12 respondents
2. Homogenous (similar characteristics) group composition
3. Respondents are prescreened
4. Relaxed, informal atmosphere
5. 1- 3 hours time period
6. Recorded
7. Moderator is observational, interpersonal, and communicable

Question 8

Procedure for planning and conducting focus groups

Answer 8

1. Determine the objectives of the marketing research project and define the problem
2. Specify the objectives of qualitative research
3. State the objectives/questions to be answered by focus groups
4. Write a screening questionnaire
5. Develop a moderator’s outline
6. Conduct the focus group interviews
7. Review tapes and analyze the data
8. Summarize the findings and plan follow-up research or action

Question 9

How many focus groups should you do?

Answer 9

Enough to establish a pattern (or at least 2)

Question 10

Advantages of focus groups (10 Ss)

Answer 10

1. Synergism - Wider range of ideas and responses from respondents
2. Snowballing - One comment by respondent triggers chain reaction from others
3. Stimulation - Respondents become more excited as focus group progresses
4. Security - Respondents feel similar to the others; ergo, more willing to share opinions and ideas
5. Spontaneity - spontaneous and unconventional answers
6. Serendipity - Completely different ideas are more likely to arise.
7. Specialization - Use of expensive interviewer is justified
8. Scientific Scrutiny - Can be observed in detail via researcher presence of recording
9. Structure - Flexibility in topics covered and depth of detail
10. a number of people interviewed at same time, so faster

Question 11

Disadvantages of Focus Groups (5 Ms)

Answer 11

Misuse: Data collected may be considered conclusive rather than exploratory
Misjudge: Susceptible to client and researcher biases and misjudgements
Moderation: Difficult to moderate; Good moderator difficult to find
Messy: Very unstructured; difficult to analyze, interpret, etc.
Misrepresentation: Not representative of population or projectible; can’t be sole basis for decision making

Question 12

Substantive Applications of Focus Groups

Answer 12

1. Understanding consumers’ perceptions, preferences, and behavior concerning a product category
2. Obtaining impressions of new product concepts.
3. Generating new ideas about older products
4. Developing creative concepts and copy material for ads
5. Securing price impressions
6. Obtaining preliminary consumer reaction to specific marketing programs

Question 13

Methodological Applications of Focus Groups

Answer 13

1. Defining a problem more precisely
2. Generating alternative courses of action
3. Developing an approach to a problem
4. Obtaining info helpful in structuring consumer questionnaires
5. Generating hypotheses that can be tested quantitatively
6. Interpreting previously obtained quantitative results

Question 14

Online Focus Groups

Answer 14

Same as Focus groups but online
Emotion expressed through text or emojis
Body language can’t be monitored
4-6 participants
Not limited by boundaries

Question 15

Depth interviews

Answer 15

An unstructured, direct, personal interview in which a single respondent is probed by a highly skilled interviewer to uncover underlying motivations, beliefs, attitudes, and feelings on a topic

Question 16

Characteristics of Depth Interviews

Answer 16

Time: 30 min. to over an hour
Probing questions; dig deeper (“why do you think that way?”)

Question 17

Depth interview techniques

Answer 17

Laddering: A technique for conducting depth interviews in which a line of questioning proceeds from product characteristics to user characteristics

Hidden Issue Questioning: A type of depth interview that attempts to locate personal sore spots related to deeply felt personal concerns

Symbolic Analysis: A technique for conducting depth interviews in which the symbolic meanings of objects are analyzed by comparing them with their opposites

Question 18

Depth interview advantages and disadvantages

Answer 18

Advantages: No social pressure; private; responses directly attributable to each participant

Disadvantages: More Expensive; heavily dependent on interviewer’s skills; subject to interviewer influence; slow and time-consuming process

Question 19

Applications of depth interviews

Answer 19

Getting detailed response
Any situation that that favors isolating respondents for the sake of accuracy or respondent comfort

Question 20

Grounded Theory

Answer 20

An inductive and more structured approach in which each subsequent depth interview is adjusted based on the cumulative findings from previous depth interviews with the purpose of developing general concepts or theories

Question 21

Protocol Interview

Answer 21

An interview in which a respondent is placed in a decision-making situation and asked to verbalize the process and the activities that he or she would undertake to make the decision

Question 22

Projective Technique

Answer 22

An unstructured and indirect form of questioning that encourages the respondents to project their underlying motivations, beliefs, attitudes, or feelings regarding the issues of concern

Question 23

Association Techniques

Answer 23

A type of projective technique in which the respondent is presented with a stimulus and asked to respond with the first thing that comes to mind

Question 24

Word Association (Association Technique)

Answer 24

A projective technique in which respondents are presented with a list of words, one at a time. After each word, they are asked to give the first word that comes to mind.

Question 25

Completion Technique

Answer 25

A projective technique that requires the respondent to complete an incomplete stimulus situation

Sentence Completion: A projective technique in which respondents are presented with a number of incomplete sentences and asked to complete them.

Story Completion: A projective technique in which the respondents are provides with part of a story and required to give the conclusion in their own words

Question 26

Construction Techniques

Answer 26

A projective technique in which the respondent is required to construct a response in the form of a story, dialogue, or description

Picture Response Technique: A projective technique in which the respondent is shown a picture and asked to tell a story describing it.

Cartoon Tests: A projective technique in which cartoon characters are shown in a specific situation related to the problem. The respondents are asked to indicate the dialogue that one cartoon character might make in response to the comments of another character

Question 27

Expressive Techniques

Answer 27

Projective techniques in which the respondent is presented with a verbal or visual situation and asked to relate the feelings and attitudes of other people to the situation

Role Playing: A projective technique in which respondents are asked to assume the behavior of someone else.

Third-Person Technique: A projective technique in which the respondent is presented with a verbal or visual situation and asked to related the beliefs and attitudes of a third person to the situation

Question 28

Guidelines for Projective Techniques

Answer 28

1. Required info isn’t attainable via direct methods
2. Used for exploratory research
3. Complex; shouldn’t be used naively

Question 29

Advantages and disadvantages of Projective Techniques

Answer 29

Advantages: Similar to Rational for Qualitative Research

Disadvantages: Requires skilled interpreters; may not represent overall population