ML 4202 Chapter 8 Observation Research Systematic process of recording patterns of occurrences or behaviors without normally communicating with the people involved Approaches to Observation Research Open observation Process of monitoring people who know they are being watched o They may behave differently and the appearance and behavior of the observer offer potential for bias similar to that associated with the presence of an interviewer in survey research Disguised observation Process of monitoring people who do not know they are being watched o Behind a one way mirror Ex A product manager may observe respondent reactions to alternative package designs from behind a one way mirror during a focus group discussion Garbologists Researchers who sort through people s garbage to analyze household consumption patterns Advantages of Observation Research Firsthand information is not subject to many of the biasing factors associated with the survey approach Specifically the researcher avoids problems associated with the willingness and ability of respondents to answer questions Also some forms of data are gathered more quickly and accurately by observation Disadvantages of Observation Research The primary disadvantage of observation research is that only behavior and physical personal characteristics usually can be examined Only public behavior is observed private behavior such as dressing for work or committee decision making within a company is beyond the scope of observation research A second problem is that present observed behavior may not be projectable into the future The fact that a consumer purchases a certain brand of milk after examining several alternatives does not mean that he or she will continue to do so in the future Human Observation Ethnographic research Study of human behavior in its natural context involving observation of behavior and physical setting Advantages of Ethnographic Research Reality based Reveal unexpressed needs and wants Discover unexploited consumer benefits Reveal product problems Show how when why and where people shop for brands and how they perceive it compared to competitive products Shows who in the family actually uses a product and perhaps uncover a whole new potential demographic target Takes advantage of consumers experience with the category and their hands on creativity as they demonstrate their ideas for new products and product improvements Test new products in a real context Reveal advertising execution ideas that derive directly from consumer Help form a better relationship with your consumers based on an intimate experience knowledge of their lifestyles Conducting Ethnographic Research Step 1 Find participants Step 2 Analyze and interpret all of the data collected to find themes and patterns of meaning o Triangulation The process of checking findings against what other people say and against similar research already conducted is a way to verify the accuracy of collected data Mystery Shoppers Mystery shoppers People who pose as consumers and shop at a company s own stores or those of its competitors to collect data about customer employee interaction and to gather observational data they may also compare prices displays and the like Four Levels 1 Level 1 The mystery shopper conducts a mystery phone telephone call Here the mystery shopper calls the client location and evaluates the level of service received over the phone following a scripted observation 2 Level 2 The mystery shopper visits an establishment and makes a quick purchase little or no customer employee interaction is required Ex In a Level 2 mystery shop a mystery shopper purchases an item for example gas a hamburger or a lottery ticket and evaluates the transaction and image of the facility 3 Level 3 The mystery shopper visits an establishment and using a script or scenario initiates a conversation with a service and or sales representative Ex Discussing different cellular telephone packages with a sales representative reviewing services provided during an oil change and so forth 4 Level 4 The mystery shopper performs a visit the requires excellent communication skills and knowledge of the product Discussing a home loan the process for purchasing a new car or visiting apartment complexes serve as examples HotelSpy is another example One Way Mirror Observations One way mirror observation Practice of watching behaviors or activities from behind a one way mirror Traffic counters Machines used to measure vehicular flow over a particular Physiological Measurement Devices Reticular activation system RAS Activation in stimulated via a subcortical Machine Observation stretch of roadway unit Electroencephalograph Electroencephalograph EEG Machine that measures electrical pulses on the scalp and generates a record of electrical activity in the brain Galvanic skin response GSR Change in the electric resistance of the skin associated with activation responses also called electrodermal response Also something known an eye tracking research which are glasses that look and feel like modern eyewear and allows subjects to walk around freely in a real world environment Eye Tracking People Reader People Reader Machine that simultaneously records the respondent s reading material and eye reactions o Nearly 40 of all readers either start from the back of a magazine or fan a magazine for interesting articles and ads The Portable People Meter Portable people meter Device worn by people that measures the radio and TV programming to which the participant was exposed during the days