How to determine the motivation of the clients: a cognitive theory in the study of the market

How to determine the motivation of the clients: a cognitive theory in the study of the market

Qualitative research is great for determining customer motivations. They can help you understand what cognitive processes are driving consumers to make a purchase decision.

Find out how people identify themselves

Identity theory is based on how people define themselves and how they place themselves in the environment.

Within its framework, such concepts as:

• selection,
• aspirations,
• doubts,
• personal needs.

The theory of identity helps to create customer profiles and to segment the market. Keep in mind that people don’t like it very much when analyzing their behavior and motivation. After all, you usually have to answer research questions thoughtfully and as honestly as possible.

Immerse yourself in the secrets of consumer thinking

Before making a purchase, consumers go through several sectors of the sales funnel. Many marketers focus on this movement, but forget what drives it. In order for your efforts to be justified, you need to understand what consumers are thinking, and it is important to create marketing personalities. The use of cognitive theory in qualitative market research will help participants give more thoughtful and relevant answers to questions. People usually respond superficially to direct questions, so try to engage in a more natural dialogue with the consumer. You will find a guide to market research in the article “market Research for small businesses: a complete guide“.

Improve market segmentation

The cognitive approach is based on two theories: the theory of perception and the theory of identity, which, in turn, are based on phenomenology. Phenomenology studies the conscious personal experience that people experience in contact with their environment. In qualitative market research, focus groups and interviews are based on phenomenology. Consumers share their experience in them and thus transmit information that only they have.

The theory of perception originates from phenomenology and neurology. It studies how the world is perceived by the human brain. When researchers use perception theory as the basis for their questions, they ask consumers to describe all stages of information processing such as attention, repetition, retrieval, and encoding.

Learn how people process information about your product

Only about seven bits of information can be stored in our short-term memory. So that it is not forgotten, the brain repeats it. When a bit of information has been successfully repeated, it moves to long-term memory, where it is repeated without conscious control. Bits of information that are not consciously repeated or moved to long-term memory are forgotten. And to use information that is in long-term memory, you need to move it back to short-term memory.

Most often, this information is processed unconsciously. If the information is too complex or differs from our typical experience, we have to make a conscious effort to remember it. Since all these processes are automated, it is difficult for market research participants to formulate their subconscious thoughts and emotions.

This is why consumers need to ask ” What did you notice about the product in the first place?”or “what associations do you have with the product?” then it will be easier for them to understand their subconscious thinking. Understanding the motivation and thinking patterns of consumers will help make your qualitative research more reliable and useful for future work.