Qualitative Research

QUALITATIVE RESEARCH ?

• Not measurements, but WORDS!

– Instead of asking how many times someone purchased an

item, you ask "WHY...?"

– Typically the samples are small, and not "random"

Purpose?

• To find out what’s on the person’s mind

General approaches

• Group interviews– Structured or unstructured– Focus groups

• Individual interviews– Nonstructured– Structured

• Projective Techniques

Most frequent uses Understanding basic issues

– why do people buy/use our product? Pretesting ideas or products

– do people want a product that cleans their refrigerator? Message testing

– How do people like this ad? To capture the basic feel of a problem prior to

conducting a more analytical study

To aid interpreting results of quantitative research

Strengths

Can’t extrapolate to the whole population

Volume of data

Complexity of analysis

Time-consuming clerical efforts

Good for examining feelings and motivations

Longer, more flexible relationship with the

respondent, results in more depth and greater richness

issues

Provides insights

Weaknesses

Focus Groups

A loosely structured interview conducted by a trained moderator among a small number of informants.

Popularity of Focus Group Percentage of

Companies Using

Frequently Use 56%

Sometimes Use 36%

Never Use 8%

Why are Focus Groups Held?

Because of group dynamics

Focus Group Characteristics

• 8 - 12 members (usually paid)• homogeneous in terms of demographics and

socioeconomic factors but heterogeneous views• experience related to product or issue being discussed• 1 1/2 –2 hour session• 1-way mirror/client may sit behind• qualified moderator• conversation may be video and/or audiotaped OR notes

may be taken

Tiered viewing room with wrap-around mirror offers multi-perspective viewing.

Room is equipped with outlets so laptop computers can be utilized during session.

Strategically placed audio and video taping offer unobstructed viewing.

Attached Conference Room offers closed circuit television viewing for additional 12-14 viewers.

focus group

focus group1

Common Applications of Focus Groups

• Understanding Consumers– perceptions, opinions, and behavior concerning

products and services

• Product Planning– generating ideas about new products

• Advertising– Develop creative concepts and copy material

• Richness of data• Versatility• Ability to study special respondents

– Children– Professionals (doctors, lawyers)

• Direct involvement of managers (vividness)• Easily understandable• Flexibility in covering topics• May uncover unanticipated ideas that are important• Can define constructs of importance• Gives “flesh” and connectedness to real consumers/people• Can show them designs, have them try out prototypes• group synergy (group dynamics)

Advantages

• Lack of generalizability (small sample size)• High selection bias• Might be misused

– focus group is not a replacement for quantitative research• Subject to Interpretation - subjective• Cost-per-respondent is high (compared to survey)

– Results dependent on skill of moderator in running the group and analysis

• may be the response in the moment – which may change over time

• strong personalities are a hazard• Some groups hard to assemble (e.g. professionals)• “professional respondents”

Disadvantages

Process of Conducting Focus Group Research

• Planning– Translate research purpose into a set of relevant questions

that achieve objectives– Prepare discussion guide

• Recruiting– Heterogeneity vs Homogeneity

• Moderation – Critical moderating skills

• Analysis and interpretation of the results– should capture the range of impressions and observations

in each topic, and interprets them in the light of possible hypotheses for further testing.

• Observation

• Interpersonal

• Communication

• Interpretive

Skills Required for Moderator

Guiding the discussion

• know your objectives• don’t try to do too much – 2-4 major topics• have an outline of how you want to proceed• be ready to be flexible if need be – or to

rein in the discussion• Stick to the time limit• Use 2 people if possible – one to guide, one

to take notes

Moderator’s role

• encourage discussion • encourage them to talk with one another not you• bring in people who aren’t speaking• Reduce influence of people who dominate• Bring out a variety of viewpoints• keep discussion on topic without stifling• allow silence• avoid premature closure

Introducing the process

• Introduce purpose, sponsorship if applicable

• Lay out guidelines, e.g. time

• Be clear on the topic(s) of discussion

• Make introductions

• Specify that you are interested in thoughts not decisions

Observing and Recording

• videotaping• audiotaping• note-taker

– someone other than moderator

• One-way mirrors• Take notes at the end of each focus group

session to identify important themes which may structure future groups’ questions

• Don’t ignore the lone wolf -- exceptions

Reporting• Fast• Synthesis of important issues• Key quotations useful but NOT a transcription

– Though use a transcription to create report if at all possible

• Transcripts, stories, etc. must be coded for over-arching themes (e.g. accuracy, value-congruence, effectiveness)

• Analysts look for connections between themes as well (e.g. effective ads resulted in expressions of pride in the company)

• Fuzzy numerical qualifications may be added, such as “many,” “few,” “most,” “widely,” “typically,” “occasionally”

• Suggest opportunities and limitations

Examples:

“The qualitative findings give reason for optimism about market interest in the new product concept…We therefore recommend that the concept be further developed and formal executions be tested.”

“The results of the study suggest that ad version #3 is most promising because it elicited more enthusiastic responses and because it appears to describe situations under which consumers actually expect to use the product...

Example of limitations section:“The reader is cautioned that the findings reported here

are qualitative, not quantitative in nature. The study was designed to explore how respondents feel and behave rather than to determine how many think or act in specific ways. Therefore, the findings cannot serve as a basis for statistical generalizations, but should instead be viewed as working hypotheses, subject to quantitative validation.”

“Respondents constitute a small nonrandom sample of relevant consumers and are therefore not statistically representative of the universe from which they have been drawn.”

Key Issues

• Focus groups are small numbers, not random, not statistically valid

• Focus groups are a lot of work

• can get insights from focus groups that can’t get in other ways

• Beware of power relations

Buick division of General Motors used focus groups to help develop the Regal. Buick held 20 focus groups across the country to determine what features customers wanted in a car. The focus groups told GM they wanted a stylish car, legitimate back seat, at least 20 miles per gallon, and 0 to 60 miles per hour acceleration in 11 seconds or less.

Use of Focus GroupsUse of Focus Groups

Based on the results, Buick engineers created clay models of the car and mock-ups of the interior. These were shown to other focus groups. The respondents did not like the oversized bumpers and the severe slope of the hood, but liked the four-disc brakes and independent suspension.

                                                                                              

Focus groups also helped refine the advertising campaign for the Regal. Participants were asked which competing cars most resembled Buick in image and features. The answer was Oldsmobile, a sister GM division. In an effort to differentiate the two, Buick was repositioned above Oldsmobile by focusing on comfort and luxury features. The vehicle was also due to be renamed the Buick Lacrosse in the U.S. and Canada. Younger members of focus groups in Quebec told GM that "lacrosse" was slang for self-gratification

The tag line for the Regal, “official car of the Supercharged family,” was based on focus group findings.

“The Perfect Addition To Any Household

“Regal encompasses Buick's renowned comfort, quality and performance capabilities in a sleek, mid-size sedan. With plenty of interior space and loads of power for the open road, Regal is perfectly equipped to meet the demands of families on the go.”

Online Focus Groups • Chat Room Style

– good for capturing top-of-mind reactions to concepts, graphics, audio/video clips, web sites, etc.

• Bulletin Style– good for eliciting more in-depth comments on

complex issues, as well as for allowing participation by individuals who would be difficult to gather in “real time”.

http://www.surveycompany.com/onlinesurveys/focusgroup.html

Zoomerang

• Software controls for faster responders• Ability to show websites to participants• Clients “lurk” in “chat room”; can send questions to

moderator• Transcripts produced automatically• Individual responses can be tracked • Many people are more open when NOT face to face • Friendlier, more humorous online• Distant participants• Convenient for participants• less costly than face-to-face groups

Advantages of Online vs traditional Focus Groups

• No body language (often part of analysis)

• Harder to read emotions• Sampling issues (who is more likely to participate?)• Difficult to probe• Sometimes asynchronous (I.e. over several days)• The Internet approach to focus group relies on an individual's

ability to type effectively to participate fully• Can’t show "external stimuli" to groups in order to obtain their

reactions• Hard for skilled moderator to utilize the group dynamics to

explore an issue

• Comments likely to be short

• problem of lag in responses

• Lack of interaction, synergy

• Easy for participants to NOT participate

Disadvantages

Depth Interviews

What is an In-depth Interview?A conversation on a given topic between a

respondent and an interviewer• Used to obtain detailed insights and personal thoughts

• Flexible and unstructured, but usually with an interview guide

• Purpose: to probe informants’ motivations, feelings, beliefs

• Lasts about an hour

• Interviewer creates relaxed, open environment

• Wording of questions and order are determined by flow of conversation

• Interview transcripts are analyzed for themes and connections between themes

In-depth Interviews Technique: Laddering

• Laddering– questioning progresses from product characteristics

to user characteristics

• An example

“Why do you like wide bodies? (in airplane seats)”

“They’re more comfortable”

“Why is that important?”

“I can accomplish more”

“Why is that important?”

“I will feel good about myself”

– Tendency to have a freer exchange – Can probe potentially complex motivations and behavior– Easier to attach a particular response to a respondent

Advantages

Disadvantages

– Qualified interviewers are expensive– Length and expense of interview often leads to small

sample– Subjectivity and “fuzziness”

Focus Groups Vs. In-depth Interview

• Advantages of focus groups – relatively lower cost per person– stimulating effect from group interaction– vividness to managers

• Advantages of in-depth interview – more information from each respondent– flexible with the use of physical stimuli

Projective Techniques

Projective Techniques Projective techniques are unstructured and indirect

forms of questioning which encourage the respondents to project their underlying motivations, beliefs, attitudes or feelings regarding the issues of concern.

Depth Interview methods or surveys can’t get reliable answers to questions like:

•How does this soda can make you feel about yourself?

•Which color graphic on the can would make you feel like a sexier person when you bought it?

projective techniques

Main Types of Projective Techniques• Word Association

– asks the respondents to give the first word or phase that comes to mind after the researcher presents a word or phrase

• Completion Test

– asks the respondents to complete sentences, dialogs, or stories, etc.

• Picture Drawing and Interpretation

• Third Person Techniques

• Role Playing

Example: Word Association Results of a Word Association Test with Alternative

Brand Names for a New Fruit-Flavored Sparkling

Water Drink

Possible Brand Name Associated Words

Ormango Green, tart, jungle

Tropical Fruit Juice, sweet, island

Orange Sparkle Light, bubbly, cool

Paradise Passion Fruity, thick, heavy

Example: Completion TestInvestigate teenagers’ attitudes to tea

Someone who drinks hot tea is ______________

Tea is good to drink when __________________

Making hot tea is _________________________

My friend thinks tea is _____________________

sentence completion

Sentence Completion Example: Department Store Patronage Project

1. A person who shops at Sears is ___________________________________________

2. A person who receives a gift certificate good for Zeller’s would be ______________________________________.

3. The Bay is most liked by ________________________.

4. When I think of shopping in a department store, I ___________________________________________

Story Completion Example: Department Store Patronage Project

“A man was shopping for a business suit in his favorite department store. After spending 45 minutes and trying several suits, he finally picked one he liked. As he was proceeding to the checkout counter, he was approached by the salesman, who said, “Sir, at this time we have higher quality suits which are on sale for the same price. Would you like to see them?”

“What is the customer’s response? Why?

Another Projective Technique:– Shopping Lists -- Ask respondents about the

type of person who would buy a particular group of products

Instructions to Subjects:

“Read the shopping list below. Try to project yourself into the situation as far as possible until you can more or less characterize the woman who bought the groceries. Then write a brief description of her personality and character. Whenever possible indicate what factors influenced your judgment.”

• May elicit responses that subjects would be unwilling or unable to give if they knew the purpose of the study. non-threatening

• Helpful when underlying motivations, beliefs and attitudes are operating at a subconscious level.

Advantages

Disadvantages• Require highly trained interviewers and

interpreters of results• Serious risk of misinterpreting.• Subjectivity• Is the psychological material uncovered related to

the topic or to the person?