Respondents are the cornerstone of any qualitative research study.
And, sometimes, the most fundamental tools in a qualitative researchers toolbox are still not enough to fully extract deeply embedded, key insights from the study respondents. If the research is a standard interview with a conversation between a respondent and a moderator, all of the feedback will be collected either verbally or in a survey through self-reporting.
However, for many research studies, technology can play a major role in collecting emotional or behavioral responses that are not self-reported. Here, the feedback will be passive, meaning the responses are collected without any conscious feedback from a participant. And that is why integrating technology with human-centered research should become part of the conversation – by demonstrating the exceptional value-added tech can add to any study.
The tools required to collect this data/information include eye tracking, facial coding, and biometrics. Let’s elaborate on each:
Eye tracking captures a respondent’s eye gaze behavior, and tells us where a respondent looks or doesn’t look, and for how long. Statistical data is provided through Areas of Interest – AOIs – and include metrics that signify how long it took to find an AOI, how long they looked at an AOI, the total number of times they looked at an AOI. When respondents simply report feedback using traditional self-reporting tools, they may be yielding insights that only ‘touch the tip of the iceberg.’
Facial Coding scientifically and unobtrusively measures the non-verbal emotional engagement of a participant that is revealed through facial expression. Facial coding maps 25 areas of the face and translates these ‘action areas’ into the seven basic emotional states: fear, anger, disgust, joy, sadness, contempt and surprise. Each state has specific characteristics associated with recognizing the emotion – regardless of demographics. The face reveals both conscious and non-conscious reactions, and those revelations can add significantly more depth to a study.
Biometrics uses sensors placed on the body of a respondent to capture the physiological response associated with a stimulus which measures:
- Respondent levels of arousal through GSR (galvanic skin response)
- Respondent’s levels of attention through HR (heart rate measurement)
Biometrics measure one’s emotional and cognitive responses to stimuli before any thoughts, words or actions can occur. A racing heart or sweaty hands will often reveal a much deeper and richer story.
All of these tools collect non-conscious responses passively and often reinforce and validate the reactions that are collected from participants through self-reporting. These behavioral or emotional measures can sometimes contradict what participants self-report because they were either unaware of their non-conscious behavior or could not articulate their complex feelings and emotions. This underscores the need to utilize a multi-dimensional approach to research that includes self-reporting along with the observational, behavioral and non-conscious methods technology offers us.
A well thought out methodology which includes self-reporting plus behavioral and emotional measures provides researchers with a complete picture – and a far deeper understanding of the user experience. This can lead to unanticipated research results which will often dictate that clients take a more novel approach to their marketing and research initiatives.
Best Regards,
Bob Granito
