What people do vs what they say they do (Revealed vs Stated Data)
Posted by Michelle Tustin on April 3rd, 2009 at 3:16pm
Much commercial market research relies on stated data from focus groups or interviews. These methods rely on the respondent’s ability to recall and explain their own behaviour. Revealed data is obtained by observing what people actually do, rather than recording what they say they do, which can provide additional insight.
For example in one study, half the respondents thought they had bought a product on special when they were interviewed. In fact, the figure obtained through observation was closer to fifteen percent.
It seems that in an interview or group setting, where behaviour is being discussed rather than observed, people claim to think about brands much more than when behaviour is observed.
Rather than asking peoples’ views, attitudes or feelings, collecting revealed data via observation can offer greater accuracy and reliability. In the current GFC environment in which marketers are facing increasing pressure to be accountable for their marketing efforts, revealed data can offer added validation and certainty.
Research projects should, at the very least, have an observational component providing revealed data that gives context and meaning to findings.
Posted in Research
That is interesting. Do you have more information about this study?
Posted by Andris Versteeg on April 4th, 2009 at 5:54amI agree with this, focus group data no doubt has value but I have always felt includes a bias. It’s not based on demographics, sex, age, group think etc, its perhaps more fundamental.
I often wonder is there something unique about a group of people that are willing to participate in a focus group in the first places that makes them somewhat different to the average consumer?
Posted by Darrin Johnson on April 16th, 2009 at 12:47am