This document discusses how qualitative research can learn from behavioral economics. It notes that qualitative research often focuses on understanding needs and motivations but that behaviors are also shaped by automatic, unconscious responses to contextual factors. It advocates applying techniques from cognitive interviewing used by police to help interviewees better recall contextual details of past behaviors. Recreating contexts in this way can help uncover unconscious influences like habits and heuristics that qualitative research may otherwise miss. The document concludes by arguing qualitative researchers should commit to interpretive roles to provide meaningful insights into consumer choices.
Focalizzarsi sul contesto offre la possibilità di analizzare le persone ed i loro comportamenti in modo olistico, non solo come consumatori, integrando la vision con le euristiche comportamentali e analizzando le persone nelle loro situazioni di vita reale, che a volte spiegano la distanza fra preferenze e scelte effettive a causa di condizionamenti situazionali, culturali o sociali.
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In focus behavioural economics - The complete pictureSerge Schumacher
One of the reasons that the teachings
of behavioural economics have become so widely influential is that they are a lot more colourful, intriguing and, let’s face it, fun than the neo-classical approach to economics that largely dominates
our world.
Compulsive consumption is in the realm of abnormal behavior-an example of the dark side of the consumption. Consumer who are compulsive are addicted, in some respect they are uncontrollable or out of control.
1) Statistics
) Result Analysis
3) Consumer Behavior
Focalizzarsi sul contesto offre la possibilità di analizzare le persone ed i loro comportamenti in modo olistico, non solo come consumatori, integrando la vision con le euristiche comportamentali e analizzando le persone nelle loro situazioni di vita reale, che a volte spiegano la distanza fra preferenze e scelte effettive a causa di condizionamenti situazionali, culturali o sociali.
The Most Influential Person in My Life Free Essay Example. Expository essay: A famous person you admire short essay. Essay websites: Influential people essay. Essays on influential people. PPT - The Structure of the Essay PowerPoint Presentation, free download .... Important people in your life essay. An Unforgettable Influential Person In Your Life Free Essay Example. Essay About a Famous Person Example - Personal Essay - Page 1 - 2 .... The Most Influential Person in My Life: Essay Example, 906 words .... The most important person in my life essay. Most Important Person In .... College Essay Unit Topic Fact Sheet Influential Person.doc. College Essay About An Influential Person Coalition Help Center. Famous Person Research Paper. Who Is the Most Influential Person in My Life - Free Essay Example .... Influential Person In Your Life My Grandmother Free Essay Example. college essay about an influential person. College Essay About An Influential Person Essay Tip 2-The .... Most influential person essay writing custom research. Read The Most Influential Person Essay Sample for Free at .... A Famous Person You Admire Essay - EnzoldOliver. Top Influential People Free Essay Sample on Samploon.com. College admissions essay help of an influential person. Famous person essay sample. The Most Famous Person of All Time .... Write A Paragraph About An Important Person In History - The Best .... College Essay: Short essay on meeting a famous person. Famous person essay Planeta Música. College Essay About An Influential Person - Nick Huber. An important person in my life paragraph. Most Important Person in .... College Essay About An Influential Person How to write a college .... Roaming around the most influential person in my life essay. Important Person For Me Essay. Write my essay - essay person influenced your life - 2017/10/11. Mom most influential person essay Mom Is Most Influential in My Life ... Influential Person Essay Influential Person Essay
In focus behavioural economics - The complete pictureSerge Schumacher
One of the reasons that the teachings
of behavioural economics have become so widely influential is that they are a lot more colourful, intriguing and, let’s face it, fun than the neo-classical approach to economics that largely dominates
our world.
Compulsive consumption is in the realm of abnormal behavior-an example of the dark side of the consumption. Consumer who are compulsive are addicted, in some respect they are uncontrollable or out of control.
1) Statistics
) Result Analysis
3) Consumer Behavior
Introduction to Consumer Behaviour; Consumer Behaviour
and Marketing Strategy; Consumer Involvement – Levels
of involvement, and Decision Making.
Consumer Decision Process – Stages in Decision Process,
Information Search Process; Evaluative Criteria and
Decision Rules, Consumer Motivation – Types of Consumer
Needs, Ways of Motivating Consumers. Information
Processing and Consumer Perception.
Consumer Attitudes and Attitude Change; Influence of
Personality and Self Concept on Buying Behaviour,
Psychographics and Lifestyles, Impuse Buying.
Diffusion of Innovation and Opinion Leadership, Family
Decision Making, Influence of Reference Group
Industrial Buying Behaviour– Process and factors, Models
of Consumer Behaviour – Harward Seth, Nicosia, E& D,
Economic Model; Introduction to Consumer Behaviour
Audit; Consumer Behaviour Studies in India.
CHAPTER The Benefit and Manner of Asking the Right Quest.docxchristinemaritza
CHAPTER
The Benefit and Manner of
Asking the Right Questions
THE NOISY, CONFUSED WORLD WE LIVE IN
This book encourages you to learn something we think can change your life
for the better. That something is "critical thinking." But there is an imaginary
world that some of us inhabit where there is no need at all for critical think-
ing. In this imaginary world several conditions prevail:
1. We are each allowed the independence to make decisions about reli-
gion, politics, and what we will and will not buy or believe. Advertisers,
marketers, public relations specialists, campaign managers, and advo-
cates of various worldviews will provide us only the information that we
need to make decisions that result in building a life that we choose.
2. Anyone trying to persuade us of anything will always explain the disad-
vantages of what he or she wants us to do.
3. Any time we are confused about one of life's important questions, we
can quickly find a dependable expert, authority, or wise person. Fur-
thermore, these voices of knowledge will all agree with one another. In
short, we need not be anxious about what to do or believe because the
wise ones will have the answer. Our task is simply to locate and listen to
them.
4. Our minds are calm, engaged, reflective, and curious whenever faced
with an important choice.
We hope you realize that the world we actually live in is nothing like the
Never-Never Land, we just described.
1
2 Chapter 1 • The Benefit and Manner of Asking the Right Questions
In the real world, we are assaulted on all sides by others who insist that
we must do what they tell us we should do. They know best. They know
what we should wear, eat, buy, and believe. They claim to possess a truth
that we must accept. They say they want to help us. They will not leave us
alone to form our own understanding of who we should become.
As an illustration, in a 5-minute Internet search we found the following
advice with respect to the relatively simple question: Should we use more tea?
These were all found on web sites urging you to buy more tea.
• Use green tea to ease itching and swelling.
• Use strong tea as a disinfectant on cuts and bruises.
• Use strong tea to treat athlete's foot. Bathe the foot twice a day for ten
minutes for up to several weeks.
• Press rehydrated tealeaves on teeth to reduce the pain of toothache.
• Chewing rehydrated tealeaves cleanses the breath.
• Soak a towel in warm tea, and place the towel on tired eyes to refresh
them.
• Wash the face with warm tea to reduce skin rashes and pimples.
• Rinse washed hair with strong tea for shine and softness.
The people making these claims want us to change our behavior. Planning to
buy more tea?
To make matters worse, those trying to persuade us do not play fair as
they try to shape us. They tell us half-truths at best. The socialist does not
explain the dangers of a large government. The conservative does not explain
...
consumer buying behavior. The process by which individuals search for, select, purchase, use, and dispose of goods and services, in satisfaction of their needs and wants. See also consumer decision making.
Introduction to Consumer Behaviour; Consumer Behaviour
and Marketing Strategy; Consumer Involvement – Levels
of involvement, and Decision Making.
Consumer Decision Process – Stages in Decision Process,
Information Search Process; Evaluative Criteria and
Decision Rules, Consumer Motivation – Types of Consumer
Needs, Ways of Motivating Consumers. Information
Processing and Consumer Perception.
Consumer Attitudes and Attitude Change; Influence of
Personality and Self Concept on Buying Behaviour,
Psychographics and Lifestyles, Impuse Buying.
Diffusion of Innovation and Opinion Leadership, Family
Decision Making, Influence of Reference Group
Industrial Buying Behaviour– Process and factors, Models
of Consumer Behaviour – Harward Seth, Nicosia, E& D,
Economic Model; Introduction to Consumer Behaviour
Audit; Consumer Behaviour Studies in India.
CHAPTER The Benefit and Manner of Asking the Right Quest.docxchristinemaritza
CHAPTER
The Benefit and Manner of
Asking the Right Questions
THE NOISY, CONFUSED WORLD WE LIVE IN
This book encourages you to learn something we think can change your life
for the better. That something is "critical thinking." But there is an imaginary
world that some of us inhabit where there is no need at all for critical think-
ing. In this imaginary world several conditions prevail:
1. We are each allowed the independence to make decisions about reli-
gion, politics, and what we will and will not buy or believe. Advertisers,
marketers, public relations specialists, campaign managers, and advo-
cates of various worldviews will provide us only the information that we
need to make decisions that result in building a life that we choose.
2. Anyone trying to persuade us of anything will always explain the disad-
vantages of what he or she wants us to do.
3. Any time we are confused about one of life's important questions, we
can quickly find a dependable expert, authority, or wise person. Fur-
thermore, these voices of knowledge will all agree with one another. In
short, we need not be anxious about what to do or believe because the
wise ones will have the answer. Our task is simply to locate and listen to
them.
4. Our minds are calm, engaged, reflective, and curious whenever faced
with an important choice.
We hope you realize that the world we actually live in is nothing like the
Never-Never Land, we just described.
1
2 Chapter 1 • The Benefit and Manner of Asking the Right Questions
In the real world, we are assaulted on all sides by others who insist that
we must do what they tell us we should do. They know best. They know
what we should wear, eat, buy, and believe. They claim to possess a truth
that we must accept. They say they want to help us. They will not leave us
alone to form our own understanding of who we should become.
As an illustration, in a 5-minute Internet search we found the following
advice with respect to the relatively simple question: Should we use more tea?
These were all found on web sites urging you to buy more tea.
• Use green tea to ease itching and swelling.
• Use strong tea as a disinfectant on cuts and bruises.
• Use strong tea to treat athlete's foot. Bathe the foot twice a day for ten
minutes for up to several weeks.
• Press rehydrated tealeaves on teeth to reduce the pain of toothache.
• Chewing rehydrated tealeaves cleanses the breath.
• Soak a towel in warm tea, and place the towel on tired eyes to refresh
them.
• Wash the face with warm tea to reduce skin rashes and pimples.
• Rinse washed hair with strong tea for shine and softness.
The people making these claims want us to change our behavior. Planning to
buy more tea?
To make matters worse, those trying to persuade us do not play fair as
they try to shape us. They tell us half-truths at best. The socialist does not
explain the dangers of a large government. The conservative does not explain
...
consumer buying behavior. The process by which individuals search for, select, purchase, use, and dispose of goods and services, in satisfaction of their needs and wants. See also consumer decision making.
L’OPINION PUBLIQUE DANS L’UNION EUROPEENNE AUTOMNE 2013
RAPPORT NATIONAL
LUXEMBOURG
Représentation de la Commission européenne au Luxembourg
Eurobaromètre Standard 80 / Automne 2013 – TNS Opinion & Social
A cause d’Internet, on ne va plus dans les magasins forcément pour acheter mais pour essayer, regarder, tester avant d’aller en ligne pour tenter de trouver moins cher. Certains magasins, avant des points de vente, sont devenus des showrooms. L’utilisation massive de smartphones va-t-elle augmenter ce phénomène ou pourrait-elle, paradoxalement, aider les magasins à inverser la vapeur ?
La neuroscience n’arrête pas de nous surprendre. Maintenant que la technologie nous permet de voir le cerveau, nous pouvons être sûrs que, non seulement les souvenirs nous aident à prendre des décisions, mais que nos croyances peuvent altérer physiquement notre perception sensorielle. Par exemple, un test a démontré que nous éprouvons plus de plaisir à boire du Coca-Cola en sachant que c’est du Coca-Cola, qu’à boire le même Coca-Cola mais sans connaître la marque.
Cela peut-il dire que la marque (au-delà du produit) serait plus qu’une simple promesse de plaisir, qu’elle pourrait réellement, physiquement, procurer le plaisir qu’elle promet ?
At Techbox Square, in Singapore, we're not just creative web designers and developers, we're the driving force behind your brand identity. Contact us today.
Building Your Employer Brand with Social MediaLuanWise
Presented at The Global HR Summit, 6th June 2024
In this keynote, Luan Wise will provide invaluable insights to elevate your employer brand on social media platforms including LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly Twitter) and TikTok. You'll learn how compelling content can authentically showcase your company culture, values, and employee experiences to support your talent acquisition and retention objectives. Additionally, you'll understand the power of employee advocacy to amplify reach and engagement – helping to position your organization as an employer of choice in today's competitive talent landscape.
Personal Brand Statement:
As an Army veteran dedicated to lifelong learning, I bring a disciplined, strategic mindset to my pursuits. I am constantly expanding my knowledge to innovate and lead effectively. My journey is driven by a commitment to excellence, and to make a meaningful impact in the world.
LA HUG - Video Testimonials with Chynna Morgan - June 2024Lital Barkan
Have you ever heard that user-generated content or video testimonials can take your brand to the next level? We will explore how you can effectively use video testimonials to leverage and boost your sales, content strategy, and increase your CRM data.🤯
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1. How to capture video testimonials that convert from your audience 🎥
2. How to leverage your testimonials to boost your sales 💲
3. How you can capture more CRM data to understand your audience better through video testimonials. 📊
Navigating the world of forex trading can be challenging, especially for beginners. To help you make an informed decision, we have comprehensively compared the best forex brokers in India for 2024. This article, reviewed by Top Forex Brokers Review, will cover featured award winners, the best forex brokers, featured offers, the best copy trading platforms, the best forex brokers for beginners, the best MetaTrader brokers, and recently updated reviews. We will focus on FP Markets, Black Bull, EightCap, IC Markets, and Octa.
Company Valuation webinar series - Tuesday, 4 June 2024FelixPerez547899
This session provided an update as to the latest valuation data in the UK and then delved into a discussion on the upcoming election and the impacts on valuation. We finished, as always with a Q&A
The 10 Most Influential Leaders Guiding Corporate Evolution, 2024.pdfthesiliconleaders
In the recent edition, The 10 Most Influential Leaders Guiding Corporate Evolution, 2024, The Silicon Leaders magazine gladly features Dejan Štancer, President of the Global Chamber of Business Leaders (GCBL), along with other leaders.
Taurus Zodiac Sign: Unveiling the Traits, Dates, and Horoscope Insights of th...my Pandit
Dive into the steadfast world of the Taurus Zodiac Sign. Discover the grounded, stable, and logical nature of Taurus individuals, and explore their key personality traits, important dates, and horoscope insights. Learn how the determination and patience of the Taurus sign make them the rock-steady achievers and anchors of the zodiac.
Best practices for project execution and deliveryCLIVE MINCHIN
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In the Adani-Hindenburg case, what is SEBI investigating.pptxAdani case
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Event Report - SAP Sapphire 2024 Orlando - lots of innovation and old challengesHolger Mueller
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In focus - The value of context
1. In Focus
1
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The value of context,
or what qualitative research can learn from behavioural economics
Opinion LeaderResearch excellence
2. In Focus
2
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The value of context,
or what qualitative research can learn from behavioural economics
Qualitative research is uniquely positioned
to uncover the true drivers of consumer
behaviour, but can only do so if it starts to
look beyond our articulated wants and needs
This report is based on an original paper first delivered at ESOMAR and subsequently the winner of the
prestigious WPP Research in Practice Atticus Award in 2013.
3. In Focus
3
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A successful city trader walks into a fashionable New York City bar.
As he scans the bottles of spirits behind the bartender, he is excited to
see a rare bottle of single malt: his signature brand with a distinct taste
that he believes makes it the best whisky ever distilled. It’s expensive but
within his price range. However, when the bartender asks what he would
like, he pauses for a moment and orders a bottle of Johnnie Walker Black
Label instead. He also asks for four glasses.
4. In Focus
4
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In New Delhi, a woman makes her way purposefully along the aisle of a
supermarket, quickly and efficiently picking out her regular purchases and
adding them to her basket. Next to the section filled with instant teas and
coffees, she pauses. She picks up a jar of Horlicks from the shelf, studies it
for a moment and then replaces it on the shelf and moves on.
5. In Focus
5
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Another woman packs up her belongings at her desk in an office in
central London. She scoops up a gym bag from beside her chair, looks
at it and sighs. Then she walks downstairs, heads for the tube station,
and goes straight home.
6. In Focus
6
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Situations such as these illustrate an issue with which qualitative
researchers are very familiar: the fact that that behavioural
intention, such as going to the gym, losing weight and staying
healthy, does not always translate into actual behaviour; that
strong, personal brand preferences do not always translate into
brand choices. Qualitative research offers marketers the greatest
opportunity for revealing why such intentions do not produce
the behaviour that we might expect. But its ability to deliver the
correct explanation depends on where it looks for the answers.
The value of context,
or what qualitative research can learn from behavioural economics
7. In Focus
7
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Tell me what you want, what you really,
really want
Most qualitative research today starts from a
psychoanalytical view of human behaviour that is
derived from Freud and considers that apparently
contradictory behaviour results from hidden emotions,
wants and needs. Researchers prompt interviewees to
think in more detail about why they fail to make the
decisions their stated preferences suggest they should,
seeking to uncover deeper motivations or beliefs that
might explain the behaviour.
In the case of our whisky connoisseur, the deeper
belief that emerges might be a conviction that his
favourite whisky is best suited to quiet, contemplative
evenings at home rather than lively, buzzing nights
out. For our would-be gym-goer, the explanation
could be that she believes she is not in the best state
to visit the gym after long taxing days at work and
instead needs to unwind, recharge and visit in the
morning. For our supermarket shopper, the subject of
a test interview conducted by TNS to demonstrate the
results delivered by different approaches to qualitative
research, the answer lay in the fact that she used to
love Horlicks as a child or a young woman but she is
now an adult, and no longer ‘needs’ the ‘fattening’
milk that is the main ingredient in a Horlicks drink.
The value of context,
or what qualitative research can learn from behavioural economics
8. In Focus
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Good answers, incomplete questions
Inviting consumers to consider more deeply the
reasons for their actions almost always produces
an answer. And if we ask the right questions we are
often able to avoid superficial, rationalised responses
and touch hidden layers of needs and motivations. The
problem, as advances in neuroscience and behavioural
economics keep reminding us, is that needs and
motivations are at best only half the picture.
There are few more powerful fits with motivations
than a gym and the desire that it embodies to be fit,
attractive and healthy – but many people still do not
go to the gym despite spending a lot of money on
their membership. There are other mental forces at
work that are not apparent to a needs-based approach
and cannot be revealed simply by exploring feelings
more deeply. In fact, they rarely feature in spontaneous
answers at all.
The value of context,
or what qualitative research can learn from behavioural economics
Behavioural economics teaches us that human
behaviour is often automatic and unthinking, and
is shaped far more heavily by momentary contextual
factors than we realise. These contexts can be both
internal and external. They include our automatic
habitual responses, the heuristics or rules of thumb
that we follow every day, and the constraints of the
physical environment. The problem for qualitative
researchers is that these factors, which we adapt to
without thinking, are not easily brought to mind when
we are asked to think about why we behave the way
that we do.
9. In Focus
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What Freud wouldn’t do: the lessons of
behavioural economics
In this way, the ‘unconscious’ factors that often trigger
behaviour are not a pool of deep desires and feelings
such as that conceived of by Freud, but an active,
adaptive management system, focused on navigating
life and responding to the physical environment as
efficiently and effectively as possible. One frequently
observed outcome is that people do not usually seek
out ideal solutions; instead they ‘satisfice’, adopting
choices that are ‘good enough’ but avoid them
expending angst and energy seeking something better.
Our whisky connoisseur is a satisficer in action,
modifying his own strong personal convictions
because, in this situation, he is buying a bottle for a
group of four colleagues to share and his governing
heuristic or rule of thumb is to buy the bottle that
everyone will like – and consider suitably upmarket.
Setting aside his own preferences, he goes for the
brand that he knows everybody else is most likely
to approve of.
‘Fridge fit’ is a well-known example of a satisficing
heuristic that leads shoppers to make unexpected
choices in categories like salad dressing. They choose
their dressing not based on how well it fits with their
beliefs about food and nutrition, but on how well
it fits into their fridge. Rustic, wholesome, organic
brands which use rustic-looking, squat, wide bottles
for their dressing, often fall foul of this heuristic.
Qualitative research has traditionally focused on
understanding the needs and emotions associated
with brands and categories: the connoisseurship
and distinction associated with single malt whisky,
the nostalgia and nurturance in a mug of Horlicks,
the warmth and homeliness of a rustic brand of
salad dressing. This approach aligns with the human
brain’s inherent striving for meaning, interpreting,
categorising and generally making sense of our
actions for future reference.
The value of context,
or what qualitative research can learn from behavioural economics
The need for rustic, wholesome dressing is in no
way less ‘real’ or ‘true’ than the inclination to buy
something that will fit in the fridge, but it is not the
full picture. And if we are to influence behaviour in
desired directions we need as full a picture as possible.
This is the real lesson of behavioural economics: the
importance of focusing on real choices; what people
really do, not just how they feel.
Focusing on needs and motivations helps us
identify positioning opportunities, shape brand
identities and give them meaning, and craft
compelling communication. Focusing on behaviour
helps unravel habits, shape usage and influence
choices at the point of purchase. Both are essential
for a complete understanding of how we make the
choices that we do – and for qualitative research to
make the fullest possible contribution to brand and
product strategies.
10. In Focus
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Analysing the adaptive unconscious
In his book ‘Strangers to Ourselves’, psychologist
Timothy Wilson talks about how “It can be fruitless
to try to examine the adaptive unconscious by looking
inward.” Wilson argues instead that “It is often better
to deduce the nature of our hidden minds by looking
outward at our behaviour (…) and coming up with a
good narrative.”
Since habits and heuristics are shaped by contextual
factors, understanding their influence often requires
us to observe or recreate the contexts in which choices
are made. Diary formats give vital clues as to the actual
context within which choices are made, observation of
live behaviour is absolutely crucial for determining
what behaviour actually takes place within these
contexts. And where the behaviour of interest is not
current, it is vital to find ways of reconstructing past
events and behaviour in as vivid and accurate a manner
as possible. In this area, qualitative researchers can make
great progress by borrowing techniques from another
profession that involves a lot of similar questioning.
The value of context,
or what qualitative research can learn from behavioural economics
Police interviewing and unreliable eyewitnesses
Eyewitnesses who have unsuspectingly witnessed the
events surrounding a crime have often been exposed
to trivial details, which have since acquired vital
importance. The problem is, they had little interest in
recording or remembering these details at the time:
What was the number plate of the car that drove
past as they were walking down the street at 8 pm?
Was the window they passed open or closed? Were
they arguing or merely excited? Such details were
not accompanied by any emotional charge when
they were first experienced, to help lay down strong,
readily recalled memories. And in the absence of
those memories, officers must use other techniques to
activate the neural connections around the everyday
details that witnesses observed.
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Recreating context
The technique that police officers use to achieve this
is known as cognitive interviewing. It was developed
in the 1970s by the researchers Ronald Fisher and
Edward Geiselman and adopted by police forces
worldwide when it was shown to improve the
quality and accuracy of eyewitness recall.
Cognitive interviewing is based on
the idea that a failure to remember
something is a failure of recall rather
than a failure of encryption: once
something has been encoded in our
long-term memory, it is there to be
found, if we know where to look. An
analogy is a lost computer file: if we
have the right codes to retrieve it, we
will be able to do so.
The codes that cognitive interviewing uses to achieve
this are contextual: an event is stored in memory
along with the images, sounds, emotions and inner
states of being that accompanied it. Any one of these
contextual factors can help to bring back a memory –
think of the flood of memories we can unexpectedly
experience when we visit a childhood home, smell a
familiar perfume or hear a ‘forgotten’ piece of music.
The closer we can take the mind to a state in which it
originally experienced something, the more likely the
memory is to return. There is even evidence that an
event experienced when you are drunk is more likely
to be remembered if you become drunk again.
The value of context,
or what qualitative research can learn from behavioural economics
12. In Focus
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The value of context,
or what qualitative research can learn from behavioural economics
The case for cognitive interviewing
Applying these cognitive interviewing techniques to
qualitative research can provide interviewers with
the tools to access the details of habitual behaviour
and heuristic-driven decisions that their subjects
do not consciously think about. Doing so requires
a patient, narrative-building approach to interview,
which follows the subject’s story and allows it to
proceed in a free-flowing manner that enables
contextual connections to emerge. And it requires
an interviewer with particular qualities: the ability
to allow meandering and avoid interruption, being
comfortable with silence, and above all, having deep
reserves of patience.
When TNS asked the lapsed Horlicks drinker to
describe her daily routine in this way, no longer
focusing directly on explanations for lapsing, other
clearly important factors started to emerge. Rather
than declining, her emotional need for Horlicks had
actually increased with the pressures of work – and
she deeply missed drinking it. Rather than changing
needs or motivations, the explanation for her change
of behaviour in fact lay in changing contexts and
internal and external cues: working long hours and
getting home late meant she did not have the time
or patience to make herself a cup of Horlicks late at
night; she had switched to drinking green tea as part
of a fitness regimen, and this started to spill over into
her evenings since the drink was easier to make; she
had also switched to soya milk to lose weight and
her occasional inclination to make a cup of Horlicks
at home was squashed because only soya milk was
available in her fridge; she had taken up smoking and
savouring her first cigarette of the day in the morning
did not leave her time to make Horlicks; besides, tea
went better with a cigarette than Horlicks did and
was easier to make as well. The heuristic that green
tea was more convenient to make became a habit
that triggered her to drink it in almost every situation,
despite the fact that on balance, she expresses a
strong preference for a comforting drink like Horlicks
on several of these occasions. Ironically, the need to
be healthy should have given a ‘health beverage’ like
Horlicks a firmer place in her repertoire of beverages.
However, the habits and heuristics resulting from new
contexts for her consumption pushed Horlicks out of
the picture entirely.
13. In Focus
13
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The value of context,
or what qualitative research can learn from behavioural economics
The presence or absence of contextual cues often
lies behind changes of behaviour that individuals
themselves have trouble explaining. Our would-be
gym-goer, for example, is frustrated because she
knows that in her last job, when she worked in an
office with a gym downstairs, she worked out almost
every evening. Why can she not bring herself to do so
now? After all, the nearest gym is only a stop away
on the tube. The answer lies in a contextual cue that
has been removed. At her last workplace, colleagues
were always stopping by her desk on the way to the
gym. This provided a stable context and a regularly
repeated cue for her to go. When it was removed, in
an environment where colleagues no longer go to the
gym as a group, the gym-going behaviour ceased. The
strength of her motivation has not changed, but the
triggers for her behaviour have.
For Horlicks, the recommendations that emerge from
this approach are very different from those revealed by
focusing on the brand’s fit with the user’s needs and
motivations. Rather than re-engineering the product or
brand identity in an attempt to make it more relevant,
(it is already very close to this woman’s ideal), Horlicks
should focus on making it easier for our shopper to
drink it: communicating behaviour and consumption
contexts that fit with her current life: making Horlicks
available in the right format for the constraints of her
time and the physical environment (via office vending
machines or as single-serve sachets for example), or
suggesting the possibility of using soya milk as an
ingredient.
14. In Focus
14
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The value of context,
or what qualitative research can learn from behavioural economics
Committing to interpretation
Techniques such as cognitive interviewing can make
an immensely valuable contribution to understanding
consumer behaviour and developing strategies to
influence it. However, it is a contribution that requires
commitment on the part of qualitative researchers
themselves: a commitment to the interpretative role
of expert interviewers. Fragments of consumer
contexts need a researcher to string them together
into a coherent narrative, and the answers rarely
come directly from respondents’ own analysis of
events. Taking people’s responses and self-diagnoses
at face value is a trap that too much qualitative
research is starting to fall into. To understand
consumer choices in a meaningful way, we must
commit to a role for techniques that can add crucial
additional perspective by revealing the role of our
adaptive unconscious. Otherwise, the true threats
and opportunities for brands will continue to remain
something of a mystery.
15. In Focus
15
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About In Focus
In Focus is part of a regular series of articles that takes an in-depth look at a particular subject, region or
demographic in more detail. All articles are written by TNS consultants and based on their expertise gathered
through working on client assignments in over 80 markets globally, with additional insights gained through
TNS proprietary studies such as Digital Life, Mobile Life and The Commitment Economy.
About TNS
TNS advises clients on specific growth strategies around new market entry, innovation, brand switching and
stakeholder management, based on long-established expertise and market-leading solutions. With a presence
in over 80 countries, TNS has more conversations with the world’s consumers than anyone else and understands
individual human behaviours and attitudes across every cultural, economic and political region of the world.
TNS is part of Kantar, one of the world’s largest insight, information and consultancy groups.
Please visit www.tnsglobal.com for more information.
Get in touch
If you would like to talk to us about anything you have read in this report, please get in touch via
enquiries@tnsglobal.com or via Twitter @tns_global
About the author
Anjali Puri is Managing Director, TNS Qualitative,
Asia-Pacific. A seasoned qualitative researcher
with over two decades in the industry, Anjali has
been active in the development of new qualitative
methodologies, and has contributed to shaping
contemporary thinking in qualitative research
globally, particularly in the areas of consumer
choices, behaviour change and social media.
Passionate about understanding cultures and
how they shape our relationships with brands,
Anjali is currently working on understanding how
archetypal needs translate across cultures.
Anjali is a frequent presenter at ESOMAR and other
industry forums, and has received multiple awards,
including the ‘Best New Thinking’ award by the
UK MRS as well as the prestigious Atticus Award in
2013 in the ‘Research in Practice’ category.
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