Qualitative Projective Techniques

A technique is projective when it indirectly encourages the expression of psychologically motivating material (imagery) of which the respondent is otherwise unaware. Most projective techniques do this by presenting the question so that the consumer believes her response is part of a game which could not possibly reflect on her personality. Projectives allow research participants to sit back, relax, and to view their responses as if they were watching a movie screen, unaware, for the moment, that they wrote the film and that they hold the projector. Instead of simply asking the respondent "If this soda can were a person, what kind of person might it be?" the moderator positions the question as an experience. She tells respondents they are about to engage in a fun exercise, uses a relaxation technique, helps them imagine the soda can in their mind (as opposed to directly looking at it) and then says something like "Now imagine you see a hand reaching for the Diet Sunkist . . . what does the hand look like? Describe it in detail. Now, what about its owner? Their occupation? etc." (She continues to get a rich description of the image).

While on the surface, this question may seem similar to the more direct question asked above, there are some important differences in the way it was presented. The primary differences are

1. The degree of intellectualization required of the respondent, and
2. The emotional state the respondent is in when the question is posed.

A projective technique doesn't require intellectual reasoning. For example, the respondent is instructed to imagine a hand, then to imagine the rest of the person. Properly presented, projectives are experienced like a game -- like playing make-believe as a child. This is markedly different from the direct, rational question "If this soda were a person, what type of person would it be?" To answer that question, most respondents feel they need a rationale to support their conclusions, which severely restricts their ability to respond. Projectives remove the need for rationale and make it much easier to elicit potent imagery which the respondent might not really understand (and therefore cannot rationalize).

The above example is the simplest form of a projective technique. Below are several proprietary methods we have evolved for use in focus groups and individual interviews (the examples shown are for use in the fashion industry):

BRAND PERSONIFICATION/IMAGERY

The following two lines of questioning are geared to unearth participants perceptions and are more evocative in eliciting beliefs about brands than a direct question like, "How would you describe Elizabeth Arden?" The information obtained in this manner will be much richer and thorough.

• Talking Racks
  
  The customer walks by different cosmetic counters boutiques or supplement racks and hears the product talking to them. What would each say; in what kind of tone; how fast or slowly does it speak; what is its attitude; what points does it stress about itself, notice types of garments, colors, styles, how does the customer respond to each, and why?
• Image Association
  
  Use all 5 senses to describe each product

USER IMAGERY

The next exercises speak to the actual user of the various lines of products. Once again, the more game-like approach invites the participant to go beyond what he thinks is expected as a response and answer more fully and sincerely.

• High School Reunion
  
  Classmates from high school reunite. Specific conversations about who uses which cosmetic or supplement are noted. Who is using each; describe user today, lifestyle, personality, car she came in, drink she orders at the bar; what she was like in high school; how has she changed; who's talking with whom at the reunion; who, if anyone, did she marry/does she live with, describe spouse; what does he see in her; who do you wish you had gotten to know better and why?
• Outer Appearance/Inner Voice
  
  Participants imagine persons wearing various cosmetics. For each, ask what does her appearance communicate about her to the world; if we could read her mind what, how does she really feel about herself; others? How does her outfit in anyway enhance her life; what does it do for her?

ADVERTISING COMMUNICATION

This exercise builds on a psychological technique called the Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) to assess personality. The modification made is in using a print ad as the stimulus to more fully understand what is being communicated by the ad about the brand.

• Modified TAT
  
  Participant is shown an unbranded print ad and asked to tell a story about what is happening in the picture now, describing people and lifestyles; what happened before; what will happen next and in the future. A second branded board is shown. Ask what, if anything, changes now; why? How does that in any way affect your opinion of the brand? An additional qualitative approach which has become popular in the last few years is called Ethnography -- which by the way is totally unrelated to ethnic cultures.

In an ethnographic interview, we interview participants on site. A skilled interviewer might accompany a customer on a shopping trip, observe and ask questions as our shopper looked and made choices. Sometimes that might entail spending two or to three days with the same person to track their experiences. Sometimes it makes sense to video tape, other times Polaroids and audio tapes are sufficient. Participants rather quickly become comfortable with an experienced, relaxing interviewer and the camera, tend to make normal decisions and to tell all. Very often this format reveals interesting patterns, wants, needs and perceptions that go far beyond even the best focus group or in-depth interview.

Qualitative Projective Techniques | Quantitative Techniques