This technique requires the respondent to produce or construct something generally a story, dialogue, or description. They are similar to completion techniques except that less initial structure is provided.
a. Third- person techniques allow the respondent to project attitudes onto some vague third person. This third person is generally “an average woman”, “your neighbors”, “the guys where you work”, “most doctors” or the like. Thus instead of asking the respondent why he or she did something or what he or she thinks about something the researcher asks what friends, neighbors or the average person thinks about the issue.
b. Picture response, another useful construction technique, involves using pictures to elicit stories. These pictures are usually relatively vague, so that the respondent must use his or her imagination to describe what is occurring.
These are similar to story completion method, except that here pictures are used as the stimuli. The two main methods used here are
i. Thematic Apperception Tests (TAT)
ii. Cartoon method
i. TAT
Clinical psychologists have long used this method.
Here the respondent is shown many ambiguous pictures and he is asked to spin stories about them.
The interviewer may ask questions to help the respondent to think. For example “what is happening here?” makes the answer focused towards an action. Or “which one is the aggressor?” makes the respondent think about the picture as one of aggression. The reason that respondents must be asked such prompting questions is that the pictures are very abstract and general and as such are open to very broad and irreverent interpretations. So some amount of focus is needed to channel the respondent’s thinking.
Each subject in the pictures is a medium through which the respondent projects his feelings, ideas, emotions and attitudes. The respondent attributes these feelings to the characters because he sees in the picture something related to himself.
Responses differ widely and analysis depends upon the ambiguity of the picture, the extent to which the respondent is able to guess the conclusions and the vagueness of the support questions asked by the interviewer.
ii. Cartoon Tests
They are a version or modification of the TAT, but they are simpler to administer and analyze. Cartoon Characters are shown in a specific situation pertinent to a problem. One or more “balloons” indicating the conversation of the characters is left open. The respondent has to then fill these balloons and then analyzed.
Instead of having the bubble show replies or comments, it can be drawn to indicate the unspoken thoughts of one or more of the characters. This device allows the respondent to avoid any restraints that might be felt against having even a carton character speak as opposed to think certain thoughts.
c. Fantasy scenario requires the respondent to make up a fantasy about the product or brand.
d. Personification asks the respondent to create a personally for the products or brands. With the pictures and words technique, the subjects are given a number of words and pictures and are asked to choose those they associate with a brand or product and to explain their choice.
This allows the researcher to discover the more emotional responses to brands and imagery.
The product or brand becomes a person (or vice versa)
• Helps bring brands to life
• Feeling, thought, character etc (like brand values)
• Or respondents can project themselves into the roles of user and non-users
• Making up eulogies or obituaries can help
4. Expressive Techniques
a. Role-playing is the only expressive technique utilized to any extent by marketing researchers. In role playing the consumer is asked to assume the role or behavior of an object or another person, such as a sales representative for a particular department store. The role-playing customer can then be asked to try to sell a given product to a number of different “consumers” who raise varying objections. The means by which the role player attempts to overcome these objections can reveal a great deal about his or her attitudes. Another version of the technique involves studying the role-player’s attitudes on what type of people ”should” shop at the store in question.
b. Third-person technique:
The respondent is presented with a verbal or visual situation and the respondent is asked to relate the beliefs and attitudes of a third person rather than directly expressing personal beliefs and attitudes. This third person may be a friend, neighbor, colleague, or a “typical” person
a. Third- person techniques allow the respondent to project attitudes onto some vague third person. This third person is generally “an average woman”, “your neighbors”, “the guys where you work”, “most doctors” or the like. Thus instead of asking the respondent why he or she did something or what he or she thinks about something the researcher asks what friends, neighbors or the average person thinks about the issue.
b. Picture response, another useful construction technique, involves using pictures to elicit stories. These pictures are usually relatively vague, so that the respondent must use his or her imagination to describe what is occurring.
These are similar to story completion method, except that here pictures are used as the stimuli. The two main methods used here are
i. Thematic Apperception Tests (TAT)
ii. Cartoon method
i. TAT
Clinical psychologists have long used this method.
Here the respondent is shown many ambiguous pictures and he is asked to spin stories about them.
The interviewer may ask questions to help the respondent to think. For example “what is happening here?” makes the answer focused towards an action. Or “which one is the aggressor?” makes the respondent think about the picture as one of aggression. The reason that respondents must be asked such prompting questions is that the pictures are very abstract and general and as such are open to very broad and irreverent interpretations. So some amount of focus is needed to channel the respondent’s thinking.
Each subject in the pictures is a medium through which the respondent projects his feelings, ideas, emotions and attitudes. The respondent attributes these feelings to the characters because he sees in the picture something related to himself.
Responses differ widely and analysis depends upon the ambiguity of the picture, the extent to which the respondent is able to guess the conclusions and the vagueness of the support questions asked by the interviewer.
ii. Cartoon Tests
They are a version or modification of the TAT, but they are simpler to administer and analyze. Cartoon Characters are shown in a specific situation pertinent to a problem. One or more “balloons” indicating the conversation of the characters is left open. The respondent has to then fill these balloons and then analyzed.
Instead of having the bubble show replies or comments, it can be drawn to indicate the unspoken thoughts of one or more of the characters. This device allows the respondent to avoid any restraints that might be felt against having even a carton character speak as opposed to think certain thoughts.
c. Fantasy scenario requires the respondent to make up a fantasy about the product or brand.
d. Personification asks the respondent to create a personally for the products or brands. With the pictures and words technique, the subjects are given a number of words and pictures and are asked to choose those they associate with a brand or product and to explain their choice.
This allows the researcher to discover the more emotional responses to brands and imagery.
The product or brand becomes a person (or vice versa)
• Helps bring brands to life
• Feeling, thought, character etc (like brand values)
• Or respondents can project themselves into the roles of user and non-users
• Making up eulogies or obituaries can help
4. Expressive Techniques
a. Role-playing is the only expressive technique utilized to any extent by marketing researchers. In role playing the consumer is asked to assume the role or behavior of an object or another person, such as a sales representative for a particular department store. The role-playing customer can then be asked to try to sell a given product to a number of different “consumers” who raise varying objections. The means by which the role player attempts to overcome these objections can reveal a great deal about his or her attitudes. Another version of the technique involves studying the role-player’s attitudes on what type of people ”should” shop at the store in question.
b. Third-person technique:
The respondent is presented with a verbal or visual situation and the respondent is asked to relate the beliefs and attitudes of a third person rather than directly expressing personal beliefs and attitudes. This third person may be a friend, neighbor, colleague, or a “typical” person