Readings consumer research
Week 1
Hudson, L. A., & Ozanne, J. L. (1988)
Two of the predominant approaches to gaining knowledge in the social sciences are:
- Positivist approach
- Interpretive approach
Assumptions Positivist Interpretive
Ontological Objective, tangible, Single Socially constructed
nature of reality Multiple
Fragmentable
Nature of social beings Divisible Holistic
Contextual
Axiological Explanation via subsumption Understanding based on
Overriding goal under general laws, Verstehen
prediction
Epistemological Nomothetic Idiographic
Knowledge generated Time-free Time-bound
Context-independent Context-dependent
View of causality Real causes exist Multiple, simultaneous
shaping
Research relationship Dualism, separation Interactive, cooperative
Privileged point of No privileged point of
observation observation
Major problems with the approaches
Positivist:
- Problem of induction: universal laws are unachievable
, - Positivists assume a secure observational base from which from which objective
observations can be made, but observations are value-laden, theory-laden and
interpreted
- Positivists try to conceive of the objective features of society apart from their social
context and the perceptions of people
- Positivists focus on truth content when no defensible method for establishing that truth
exists
Interpretative approach:
- They rely on empathetic identification as a basic for understanding. Empathetic
identification is nonsensical, because one cannot experience the thoughts of another. It
cannot be validated.
- They tend to focus on individual’s intentional actions and individual’s consciousness,
making it difficult to gain an understanding macroscopic features of society.
- Methods such as participant-observation are intrusive and may disrupt the normal
activities of the people being studied.
Lynch Jr, J. G., Alba, J. W., Krishna, A., Morwitz, V. G., & Gürhan-Canli, Z. (2012).
The modal scientific approach in consumer research is to deduce hypotheses from existing
theory about relationships between theoretic constructs, test those relationships
experimentally and then show ‘process’ evidence via moderation and mediation. But there are
more approaches that offer much.
Concepts first Findings first
Deduction Non-deduction
Intended contribution to Conceptual Conceptual
conceptual domain contributions via contributions via non-
deduction deduction
Intended contribution to Substantive Non-deductive
substantive domain contributions via substantive
deduction contributions
- Explaining
Week 1
Hudson, L. A., & Ozanne, J. L. (1988)
Two of the predominant approaches to gaining knowledge in the social sciences are:
- Positivist approach
- Interpretive approach
Assumptions Positivist Interpretive
Ontological Objective, tangible, Single Socially constructed
nature of reality Multiple
Fragmentable
Nature of social beings Divisible Holistic
Contextual
Axiological Explanation via subsumption Understanding based on
Overriding goal under general laws, Verstehen
prediction
Epistemological Nomothetic Idiographic
Knowledge generated Time-free Time-bound
Context-independent Context-dependent
View of causality Real causes exist Multiple, simultaneous
shaping
Research relationship Dualism, separation Interactive, cooperative
Privileged point of No privileged point of
observation observation
Major problems with the approaches
Positivist:
- Problem of induction: universal laws are unachievable
, - Positivists assume a secure observational base from which from which objective
observations can be made, but observations are value-laden, theory-laden and
interpreted
- Positivists try to conceive of the objective features of society apart from their social
context and the perceptions of people
- Positivists focus on truth content when no defensible method for establishing that truth
exists
Interpretative approach:
- They rely on empathetic identification as a basic for understanding. Empathetic
identification is nonsensical, because one cannot experience the thoughts of another. It
cannot be validated.
- They tend to focus on individual’s intentional actions and individual’s consciousness,
making it difficult to gain an understanding macroscopic features of society.
- Methods such as participant-observation are intrusive and may disrupt the normal
activities of the people being studied.
Lynch Jr, J. G., Alba, J. W., Krishna, A., Morwitz, V. G., & Gürhan-Canli, Z. (2012).
The modal scientific approach in consumer research is to deduce hypotheses from existing
theory about relationships between theoretic constructs, test those relationships
experimentally and then show ‘process’ evidence via moderation and mediation. But there are
more approaches that offer much.
Concepts first Findings first
Deduction Non-deduction
Intended contribution to Conceptual Conceptual
conceptual domain contributions via contributions via non-
deduction deduction
Intended contribution to Substantive Non-deductive
substantive domain contributions via substantive
deduction contributions
- Explaining
