The Art Of Asking Why

Paul Felix Lazarsfeld

Dr. Lazarsfeld discusses underlying principles which he believes should be taken into consideration in formulating questionnaires for use in marketing research. He stresses psychological factors and develops three principles which he terms, the principle of specification, the principle of division, and the principle of tacit assumption. His thesis is that the ordinary WHY question is a source of potential misinformation unless carefully interpreted and preferably should be supplemented with appropriate follow-up questions based on current psychological knowledge.

In the article, Lazarsfeld argues that asking “why” questions is essential for conducting effective marketing research. He defines a “why” question as a question that seeks to understand the underlying motivations, attitudes, and beliefs that drive people’s behavior. He also identifies three principles that underlie the formulation of effective “why” questions:

The principle of specificity: “Why” questions should be specific and focused on a particular behavior or attitude. For example, instead of asking “Why do you buy Brand A toothpaste?”, a more effective question would be “Why did you buy Brand A toothpaste the last time you were at the store?”
The principle of depth: “Why” questions should go beyond superficial answers and probe deeper into the respondent’s motivations, attitudes, and beliefs. For example, instead of asking “Why do you like this product?”, a more effective question would be “What are the specific features or benefits of this product that you like best?”
The principle of openness: “Why” questions should be open-ended and allow the respondent to express their thoughts and feelings in their own words. For example, instead of asking “Do you agree or disagree with this statement?”, a more effective question would be “What do you think about this statement?”

Lazarsfeld also provides a number of examples of effective “why” questions that can be used in marketing research. For example, he suggests asking questions about the following:

The respondent’s decision-making process: What steps did you go through when you were deciding to buy this product?
The respondent’s satisfaction with the product or service: What did you like best about this product or service? What did you like least?
The respondent’s brand loyalty: What factors make you choose one brand over another?
The respondent’s awareness of marketing campaigns: How did you first learn about this product or service? What advertising messages have you seen or heard about this product or service recently?
The respondent’s attitudes and beliefs: What do you think about the company that makes this product or service? What are your overall impressions of this brand?

Lazarsfeld’s article is an important contribution to the field of marketing research. It highlights the importance of asking “why” questions in order to gain a deeper understanding of consumers and to develop more effective marketing strategies.

Here are some additional implications of Lazarsfeld’s ideas:

Ask “why” questions in combination with other types of questions. For example, you might ask a series of questions about a respondent’s decision-making process, followed by a “why” question to probe deeper into their motivations.
Be sensitive to the respondent’s time and attention span. Don’t ask too many “why” questions or the respondent may become frustrated or fatigued.
Be prepared to follow up on the respondent’s answers. If the respondent gives a vague or superficial answer, ask them to elaborate or provide more specific examples.
Be aware of your own biases and assumptions. Make sure that your questions are neutral and unbiased, and that they do not lead the respondent to a particular answer.

By following these tips, you can use Lazarsfeld’s principles to develop effective “why” questions that will help you to gain a deeper understanding of your target market and to develop more effective marketing strategies.

Purposes of marketing research

In his article “The Art of Asking Why in Marketing Research: Three Principles Underlying the Formulation of Questionnaires,” Paul F. Lazarsfeld identifies three possible purposes of market research:

1. To determine the extent of a market. Lazarsfeld argues that this is the most common purpose of market research. It involves collecting data on the size and composition of a market, as well as the needs and wants of consumers.

2. To understand the motives and attitudes that underlie consumer behavior. This is a more challenging purpose, but it is essential for developing effective marketing strategies. Lazarsfeld argues that “why” questions are essential for understanding consumers’ motives and attitudes.

3. To measure the effectiveness of marketing campaigns. This involves collecting data on consumers’ awareness of and exposure to marketing campaigns, as well as their attitudes and beliefs about the products or services being advertised. Lazarsfeld argues that “why” questions can also be used to measure the effectiveness of marketing campaigns by understanding how consumers are processing and responding to the messages.

Lazarsfeld argues that all three of these purposes can be achieved by asking “why” questions. However, he emphasizes that it is important to ask “why” questions in a specific, deep, and open-ended way.

Here are some examples of how “why” questions can be used for each of the three purposes of market research:

Determining the extent of a market:

Why do you buy Brand A toothpaste?
What factors do you consider when choosing a new toothpaste?
How often do you buy toothpaste?
Where do you usually buy toothpaste?

Understanding the motives and attitudes that underlie consumer behavior:

Why do you prefer Brand A toothpaste over other brands?
What are the specific features or benefits of Brand A toothpaste that you like best?
What are your overall impressions of Brand A toothpaste?
How does Brand A toothpaste make you feel?

Measuring the effectiveness of marketing campaigns:

How did you first learn about Brand A toothpaste?
What advertising messages have you seen or heard about Brand A toothpaste recently?
What do you think about the advertising for Brand A toothpaste?
Has the advertising for Brand A toothpaste made you more likely to buy the product?

The "why" question

“We cannot leave it up to the respondents to tell us whatever they are inclined.”

The average consumer is not trained to survey offhand all the factors which determine his purchases and he usually has a very hazy understanding of the WHY question.

We have in general, theree possible purposes in market research in asking people questions:

a. Influences toward action

We may want to know by which media people have been influenced to act the way they did, which is the case when we want to evaluate the role of certain advertisement, of advice of friends, etc

b. Attributes of the product

We may want to know if it were the attributes of the product itself and which of them-its taste, its color, or its use-led the customer to buy or

c. Implulses of the purchaser

We may want to know certain tendencies by which teh consumer was controlled Whether he bought for himself, or as a gift, whether he bought under sudden impluse, or after long deliberation, whether it was an habitual or a unique proceeding etc.

The principle of division

After ascertaining what we want to know, we must enable our respondent to give us the right answers.

There is the point – the technic of fitting our questions to the experience of the respondent. In specifying our general why program, we might be forced to specify it in a different way for different types of purchase experiences undergone by different individuals.

Lazarsfeld uses an example when the researchers want to know why certain people prefer silk to rayon.

There may be respondents who have given much thought to this topic. This one will be well able to give us her reasons directly, while another omay never have earnestly thought abou the subject and therefore will be unable to give immediately the reasons for her preference.

After having selected the people who prefer silk to rayon, we must ask them firt: “Have you any special reasons for your preference?”

The one who has some may be asked directly what they are. The one who has none will havre to be questioned differently. We will probably have to ask her about her general experiences with fabrics and will have to infer from her report the reason for her partiality.

the principle of tacit assumptions

The principle of tacit assumption states that people often make assumptions about the world that they are not aware of. These assumptions can influence their answers to “why” questions, even if they are not explicitly stated.

For example, if a researcher asks a respondent “Why do you buy Brand A toothpaste?”, the respondent may assume that the researcher is asking about the specific features or benefits of the toothpaste. The respondent may then answer the question by listing the features and benefits that they like best.

However, the researcher may actually be interested in understanding the respondent’s deeper motivations for buying Brand A toothpaste. For example, the researcher may be interested in knowing whether the respondent is loyal to the brand because of its quality, price, or perceived image.

In order to avoid the problem of tacit assumption, Lazarsfeld recommends that researchers ask follow-up questions to probe deeper into the respondent’s motivations. For example, the researcher could ask the respondent “What else makes you like Brand A toothpaste?” or “Can you tell me more about why you prefer Brand A toothpaste over other brands?”

By asking follow-up questions, the researcher can help the respondent to articulate their tacit assumptions and to provide more detailed and nuanced answers.

Here is an example of how a researcher could use follow-up questions to probe deeper into the respondent’s motivations:

Researcher: Why do you buy Brand A toothpaste?

Respondent: Because it’s the best toothpaste on the market.

Researcher: What makes it the best toothpaste on the market?

Respondent: It has all the features and benefits that I’m looking for in a toothpaste. It cleans my teeth well, it freshens my breath, and it protects my gums.

Researcher: Is there anything else that makes you like Brand A toothpaste?

Respondent: Yes, I really like the brand image. I feel like Brand A is a high-quality product that I can trust.

By asking follow-up questions, the researcher was able to help the respondent to articulate their tacit assumptions about Brand A toothpaste. The researcher also learned that the respondent’s loyalty to the brand is based on both its functional features and its brand image.

By being aware of the principle of tacit assumption, researchers can avoid asking “why” questions that are likely to produce superficial or incomplete answers. By asking follow-up questions, researchers can help respondents to articulate their tacit assumptions and to provide more detailed and nuanced answers.

How to approach a specific reason?

Now, price and color and style are items which can be easily ascertained at the time of purchase. Quality and durability, on the other hand, are attributes which we can text only by waring the shoes.

Whyle the purchase is being made, we must judge them by accessory criteria.

One person might judge the quality by the style, another by the price, still another by some feature of the leather.

Therefore, the people who state that they bought according to quality can be scertained at the moment of purchase.

Consequently, this whole group should be recorded according to the concrete criteria used, and not according to a word which implies a tacit assumption unknown to the interviewer. This can be easily done by adding another question abou this ill-defined attributes. “In buying, how do you recognize quality and how do you recognize durability?”

Professor Donald Laird,2 of Colgate, conducted an experiment to show of what little use it is to ask a woman about attributes of commodities and their importance to her. He took identical pairs of stockings and perfumed them slightly with different scents. Then he asked certain women to select the pair which seemed to them to be of the best quality. The women definitely preferred a certain perfume, and Laird made the point that these women thought they judged quality, whereas they actually judged scent.

What about this word QUALITY?

No definition is given or presupposed. As a result, thw women first exahausted the more ususal criteria of quality, perhaps texture, or body of the weave, and as these did not give any clue, they finally relied upon scent as criterion of quality, in as much as a definition of quality was left entirely to their own interpretation.

Summary and theoretical background

n the summary and theoretical background of his article, “The Art of Asking Why in Marketing Research: Three Principles Underlying the Formulation of Questionnaires,” Paul F. Lazarsfeld emphasizes the importance of asking “why” questions to gain a deeper understanding of consumers’ motivations, attitudes, and beliefs.

Lazarsfeld begins by arguing that marketing research has traditionally focused on collecting data on the extent of markets and on consumers’ preferences for specific products and services. However, he argues that this type of data is not enough to develop effective marketing strategies. Marketers also need to understand the underlying reasons why consumers make the choices they do.

Lazarsfeld then goes on to discuss the three principles of effective “why” questions:

1. Specificity: “Why” questions should be specific and focused on a particular behavior or attitude. For example, instead of asking “Why do you like Brand A toothpaste?”, a more effective question would be “Why did you buy Brand A toothpaste the last time you were at the store?” 2. Depth: “Why” questions should go beyond superficial answers and probe deeper into the respondent’s motivations, attitudes, and beliefs. For example, instead of asking “Why do you prefer Brand A toothpaste over other brands?”, a more effective question would be “What are the specific features or benefits of Brand A toothpaste that you like best?” 3. Open-endedness: “Why” questions should be open-ended and allow the respondent to express their thoughts and feelings in their own words. For example, instead of asking “Do you agree or disagree with this statement?”, a more effective question would be “What do you think about this statement?”

Lazarsfeld concludes by arguing that asking “why” questions is essential for developing effective marketing strategies. By understanding the underlying reasons why consumers make the choices they do, marketers can develop more persuasive messaging and create products and services that meet consumers’ needs and desires.

In addition to the three principles of effective “why” questions, Lazarsfeld also discusses the following theoretical background in his article:

The importance of context: Lazarsfeld argues that it is important to consider the context in which “why” questions are asked. For example, the respondent’s social status, culture, and personal experiences may all influence their answers to “why” questions.
The role of the unconscious mind: Lazarsfeld also discusses the role of the unconscious mind in consumer behavior. He argues that consumers are often not aware of the true reasons for their choices. “Why” questions can help to uncover these unconscious motivations.
The need for multiple perspectives: Lazarsfeld argues that no single “why” question can provide a complete understanding of consumer behavior. He recommends that researchers ask multiple “why” questions from different perspectives in order to get a more complete picture.

Lazarsfeld’s article is a seminal work in the field of marketing research. It has had a significant impact on the way that marketers think about and conduct research. By understanding the principles of effective “why” questions and the theoretical background behind them, marketers can develop more effective research strategies and gain a deeper understanding of their target consumers.

Full Text

Lazarsfeld-ArtAskingMarketing-1935

Lazarsfeld, P. F. (1935). The art of asking WHY in marketing research: three principles underlying the formulation of questionnaires. National marketing review, 26-38.