Projective Techniques

Historically, projective techniques were differentiated from related approaches such as enabling techniques (which help participants to express themselves non-verbally) or from a variety of creative techniques. Nowadays, the term projective technique is commonly used to refer to a range of creative or enabling tasks, and the term is used in this broader sense here.

Projective techniques are research tools or approaches designed to access thoughts, feelings, or needs that are not easily accessible to research participants and/or to the researcher. They also provide permission for participants to express embarrassing or antisocial views by projection—attributing these views to other people. In this way, unacceptable ideas can be expressed, but personally disowned. Projective techniques, therefore, offer a structure for participants that makes it easier for them to access thoughts and emotions that are difficult to verbalize or difficult to express publicly. They can be invaluable in certain research situations, especially when we need to get beneath the top of mind or rational data. They enable access to hidden aspects and layers of respondents' experience and help translate the intuitive, the emotional and nonverbal into concepts that can be explored in the research situation.

Many projective techniques are directly borrowed from clinical psychology practice and are embedded in particular theoretical approaches. But to commercial researchers, what matters is their usefulness in developing understanding and answering the research question. They can generate additional layers of data that are difficult or impossible to access through conventional discursive means.

Projective techniques can be used in a wide variety of situations, for example,

• to obtain fresh perspectives on heavily researched markets,
• in new product or brand development or brand repositioning,
• in developing advertising strategy, and
• to evaluate courses/conferences when there is limited time and access to research participants.

Material generated through projective techniques can enable client or creative teams to develop a more holistic understanding than would be possible by verbal input alone. Visual and auditory material, music, drawing, word associations, and drama can provide a rich understanding of target markets and their relationships with brands and organizations.

The range of projective techniques is extensive. They can be very simple, incorporated into standard [Page 687]research approaches, and used without preplanning. Alternatively, they can be complex and time consuming, requiring prior preparation, specific materials, training, and experience. Projective techniques can easily be adapted to fit the needs of almost any project.

Some examples of projective techniques are as follows:

• Personification: If this chocolate bar came to life as a person, who would it be?
• Market Mapping: Group a collection of products together according to those that you see as similar in feel.
• Bubble Drawings: Cartoons in which speech or thought bubbles are filled in by participants, for example, what is the shopper thinking about X brand?
• Life Graphs: Draw a graph of a particular experience, for example a plane journey, noting the highs and lows, when and why these happened, and how you experienced each stage.
• Collages: Working as a group, construct a collage that represents how you feel about organization Y, using pictures from magazines, words, drawings.
• Psychodrawing: Draw a picture of your relationship with money.
• Role Play: Two people, one takes the role of the bank manager, the other plays the customer looking for a loan. Play out the conversation.

Perhaps the most important thing to remember when using projective techniques is that they are a means to an end, the end being greater understanding. The materials produced through using such techniques are not the findings. It is essential to explore with participants what they mean; why they have represented a brand or organization in such a way. Projective techniques work most effectively and have greater validity when research participants themselves interpret the outcomes. Equally, it is important to be clear on their usage. For instance, with sophisticated consumers, it is sometimes easier and more effective to talk about brand imagery rather than spend precious time on projective techniques.

...