We often think about the psychological roots of qualitative market research, but is that frame too narrow?
Mark Bibbert, from the German research agency Q | Agentur für Forschung, has posted a three-part feature at the ESOMAR website that argues that sociology (and anthropology, although he only touches on that field lightly) also offer important lenses for thinking about our work.
(Of note, Jerry Zaltman’s PhD is, in fact, in sociology.)
In Part 1, he discusses how “psychology,” as most people tend to think of it, doesn’t match very well with how psychology is taught in universities, where there is a strong emphasis on quantitative methods over qualitative ones. The term “psychology” in market research has become a catch-all phrase that masks the relevance of sociology in our practice.
In Part 2, Bibbert explores the contributions of sociology. He argues that social structures play a critical role in how consumers engage with brands and that we risk missing that important context if we think of ourselves only as psychologists.
Finally, in Part 3, he discusses how psychology and sociology can complement each other. He contends that sociology places higher value on analysis than psychology does:
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“[In a psychology frame] insights are treated as found objects, not as constructed interpretations. This dynamic leads to a subtle devaluation of analysis. As a slower and more iterative process, it lacks the immediacy and performative appeal (especially for clients) often attributed to data generation.”
He also contends the field may be losing talent because psychology students are often not thoroughly trained in qualitative methods. Sociology majors, on the other hand, may be better prepared for our kind of work, but are often unaware of qualitative market research as a career path.
As Bibbert points out, AI is forcing our field to rethink the foundations of its work. Embracing sociology—not as a replacement for psychology, but as a complement—offers us the promise of asking different kinds of questions and interpreting data in fresh ways.