Qualitative Research
Overview
Introduction to qualitative field work, heuristics, and the psychology of response.
Presented by:
Larry Vincent,
Professor of the Practice
of Marketing
Presented to:
MKT 512
September 16, 2025
What’s the difference?
Quantitative
- Categories defined before study
- Narrow field of vision
- Force respondents to respond readily and unambiguously
- Requires statistically significant sample
- More focused on techniques (i.e. statistical approaches)
Qualitative
- Categories are defined during study
- Broader range and less precise vision
- Allows respondents to elaborate; use own language
- Allows smaller samples
- Focused on collective wisdom and interpretation
Source: Grant McCracken; The Long Interview
Deductive vs. Inductive
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Deductive vs. Inductive
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Deductive vs. Inductive
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Qualitative modes
- Exploratory–define problems in more detail; suggest hypotheses to be tested in later research; generate concepts; get preliminary reactions to concepts; pretest structured questionnaires
- Orientation–learn consumer’s vantage point and vocabulary; gain insight into an environment that is unfamiliar to the researcher (or research sponsor)
- Clinical–gain insight into specific topics that are hard or impossible to pursue with surveys or more structured approaches
The psychology of response
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Stage 1
Comprehension
- Definition:
Understanding what the question is asking
- Where it goes wrong:
Ambiguously phrased questions, unfamiliar terms,
complex syntax
- Tips:
Craft clear, concise questions; test your
questions rigorously
To what extent do you believe that the current macroeconomic factors are influencing consumer discretionary spending patterns in your household?”
Stage 2
Retrieval
- Definition:
Recalling relevant information from memory
- Where it goes wrong:
Memory errors, recall biases (recency, primacy, etc.)
- Tips:
Use specific time frames or cues to aid recall; consider exhibits and tangible timelines to help respondents walk through their experience
How many times did you visit fast-food restaurants in the past year?
Stage 3
Judgment
- Definition:
Evaluating and synthesizing retrieved information
- Where it goes wrong:
Heuristics and biases; social desirability; threatening questions
- Tips:
Be aware of how phrasing or question order might influence judgment
Are you a responsible consumer who always chooses environmentally friendly products?
Stage 4
Response
- Definition:
Mapping the judgment onto the response options provided or within the respondent’s available vocabulary
- Where it goes wrong:
Limited response options, scale issues, lexicon
- Tips:
Provide a comfortable environment, encourage elaboration, and watch for non-verbal cues
On a scale from 1 to 100, how satisfied are you with your current smartphone?
Why heuristics matter
- Subconsciously influence how respondents answer questions
- Provides context and shortcuts that can improve how you craft questions
- Helps researcher to look beyond initial responses and probe for deeper insight
Common heuristics
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Availability
- Relying on immediate examples when evaluating something.
- Can lead to: Overestimating importance of recent or memorable events.
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Representativeness
- Assessing similarity of objects and organizing based on category prototype.
- Can lead to: Stereotyping or ignoring base rates.
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Anchoring
- Relying heavily on first piece of information encountered.
- Can lead to: Biased decision-making, especially in estimations.
What are threatening questions?
- Questions about socially desirable or undesirable behavior
- Questions dealing with financial or health status
- Questions about sex, politics, religion, or any other topic that an average respondent might hesitate to discuss with a stranger
The most
dangerous bias
Confirmation bias
Tendency to search for, interpret, and remember information in a way that confirms one’s preconceptions
The most
dangerous heuristic
Confirmation bias
Tendency to search for, interpret, and remember information in a way that confirms one’s preconceptions
Likely to affect you more than the respondent!
The most
common heuristic
Non-Response bias
The impact from the lack of response by significant groups in your sample who have material representation in the population of your study.
Present in almost every study.
How often do you buy organic produce to support environmental sustainability?
How often do you buy organic produce to support environmental sustainability?
Social Desirability Bias
What about this question?
How much do you agree or disagree with the statements below?
- Our new product is user-friendly.
- Our new product is innovative.
1 = Strongly agree
2 = Agree
3 = Neither agree nor disagree
4 = Disagree
5 = Strongly disagree
What about this question?
How much do you agree or disagree with the statements below?
- Our new product is user-friendly.
- Our new product is innovative.
1 = Strongly agree
2 = Agree
3 = Neither agree nor disagree
4 = Disagree
5 = Strongly disagree
Acquiescence Bias
Evaluate this question:
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Evaluate this question:
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Primacy and recency effects
Passionate about gourmet coffee? Take our survey for a chance to win a year’s supply!
Passionate about gourmet coffee? Take our survey for a chance to win a year’s supply!
Self-Selection Bias
Beware your framing!
How likely are you to purchase our new yogurt, which is 95% fat-free?
vs.
How likely are you to purchase our new yogurt, which contains only 5% milk fat?
Affect heuristic
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How likely are you to start a regular exercise routine using our new fitness app in the next month?
How likely are you to start a regular exercise routine using our new fitness app in the next month?
Optimism bias
Your turn
- Breakout into small groups
- Analyze the scenario assigned to your section
- Identify as many biases or heuristics as possible
