Newer Methods
- Observational & Ethnographic Research
One of the more fundamental uses of qualitative research is understanding fundamental consumer behaviour through Observational research. The roots for this come from Anthropological studies where trained researchers went to observe tribes / cultures / societies - for periods as long as a couple of years.
Nowadays, this kind of research is being supplemented by more cutting edge fields like neuro-science where the observation is accompanied by measuring brain activity. This is under the assumption that very often our brain reacts without us even knowing it and asking questions or pure observation by themselves are not enough to really pinpoint what goes on.
Another application is longitudinal studies, a correlational research study that involves repeated observations of the same items over long periods of time.
- Psychological Research
Qualitative marketing research comes in a lot of different guises but qualitative psychological research has crystallised as one the most effective ways of gathering insight into the behaviours, attitudes and decision-making processes of consumers and customers. Most qualitative research companies in the world will claim that they employ psychologists and base their findings on psychological theories. The psychology backed methodologies applied in qualitative marketing research are continuously changing and being further developed. One of the examples of psychology theory developed specifically for use in marketing research is morphological psychology.
Read more about this topic: Qualitative Marketing Research
Famous quotes containing the words newer and/or methods:
“Modern man, if he dared to be articulate about his concept of heaven, would describe a vision which would look like the biggest department store in the world, showing new things and gadgets, and himself having plenty of money with which to buy them. He would wander around open-mouthed in this heaven of gadgets and commodities, provided only that there were ever more and newer things to buy, and perhaps that his neighbors were just a little less privileged than he.”
—Erich Fromm (1900–1980)
“We are lonesome animals. We spend all our life trying to be less lonesome. One of our ancient methods is to tell a story begging the listener to say—and to feel—”Yes, that’s the way it is, or at least that’s the way I feel it. You’re not as alone as you thought.””
—John Steinbeck (1902–1968)