Essentials of Marketing Research

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Essentials of Marketing Research

• Chapter 8
• Observation

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SCIENTIFIC OBSERVATION IS SYSTEMATIC
YOU SEE, BUT YOU DO NOT OBSERVE. Sherlock
Holmes
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WHAT CAN BE OBSERVED
Phenomena Example
Human behavior or physical Shoppers
movementaction pattern in a store Verbal
behavior Statements made by airline
travelers who wait in line Expressive
behavior Facial expressions, tone of
voice, and other form of body language
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WHAT CAN BE OBSERVED
Phenomena Example
Spatial relations How close visitors at anand
locations art museum stand to
paintings Temporal patterns How long fast-food
customers wait for their order to be
served Physical objects What brand name items
are stored in consumers pantries Verbal
and Pictorial Bar codes on product
packagesRecords
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CATEGORIES OF OBSERVATION

• HUMAN VERSUS MECHANICAL
• VISIBLE VERSUS HIDDEN
• DIRECT
• CONTRIVED

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Observation of Human Behavior
Benefits

• Communication with respondent is not necessary
• Data without distortions due to self-report
  (e.g. without Social Desirability Bias)
• No need to rely on respondents memory
• Nonverbal behavior data may be obtained
• Certain data may be obtained more quickly
• Environmental conditions may be recorded
• May be combined with survey to provide
  supplemental evidence

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Observation of Human Behavior
Limitations

• Cognitive phenomena cannot be observed
• Interpretation of data may be a problem
• Not all activity can be recorded
• Only short periods can be observed
• Observer bias possible
• Possible invasion of privacy

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OBSERVATION OF PHYSICAL OBJECTS

• Physical-trace evidence
• Wear and tear of a book indicates how often it
  has been read

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SCIENTIFICALLY CONTRIVED OBSERVATION

• The creation of an artificial environment to test
  a hypothesis

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RESPONSE LATENCY

• Recording the decision time necessary to make a
  choice between two alternatives
• It is presumed to indicate the strength of
  preference between alternatives.

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Content Analysis

• Obtains data by observing and analyzing the
  content of advertisements, letters, articles,
  etc.
• Deals with the study of the message itself
• Measures the extent of emphasis or omission
• Halo Bias Recalling only really good or really
  bad events or issues and forgetting others

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MECHANICAL OBSERVATION

• TRAFFIC COUNTERS
• SCANNERS
• PEOPLEMETER
• PHYSIOLOGICAL MEASURES
• WEB TRAFFIC

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PHYSIOLOGICAL REACTIONS

• EYE TRACKING
• PUPILOMETER
• PSYCHOGALVANOMETER
• VOICE PITCH

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Eye Tracking Monitors

• Record how the subject actually reads or views an
  advertisement
• Measure unconscious eye movements

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Pupilometer

• This device observes and records changes in the
  diameter of the subjects pupils.

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Psychogalvanometer

• Measures galvanic skin response
• Involuntary changes in the electrical resistance
  of the skin
• Assumption physiological changes accompany
  emotional reactions

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Voice pitch analysis

• Measures emotional reactions through
  physiological changes in a persons voice