Exploring the fear of loss unlocks consumer truths
Editor’s note: Sam Myers is the head of research at Okay Human, a research services firm based in New York City.
Many of us are terrified of loss – loss of those we love most, loss of health or youth or mobility, loss of our status in society, loss of a job we desperately need, the list could go on . Fear is one of the things that, in many ways, characterizes the way many of us live our lives, temper our hopes for the future, hold back in attaching ourselves to things or people we need or want – or, conversely, grab desperately at those things or people to keep them close. Deprivation techniques in qualitative research design play on these fears in low-stakes ways that ultimately feel like a safe place for exploring those fears, creating a powerful device for accessing more emotional and higher-stakes responses.
In a study for the relaunch of a fashion brand, we wanted to know how fashion shapes a respondent’s identity and sense of self. We asked participants to tell us all about the article of clothing or accessory that most powerfully reflects who they are deep down. We collected photos and impassioned descriptions of cool vintage finds, family heirloom jewelry, handmade garments, gifts from loved ones and many others. After they shared with us all the reasons why this item was so important to them, we asked them:
“What if, in a bizarre turn of events, this item was thrown into a wood chipper by your arch nemesis? It’s destroyed, unrecognizable – for all intents and purposes: gone. What would this loss mean to you? How would it feel to lose this precious part of your identity?”
The outcry from our respondents when we present this kind of deprivation exercise is among the most passionate responses we receive. On one hand, there’s the inherent meaning that this item holds for them that is irreplaceable. On the other hand, the emotional experience they undergo triggers their past experiences of loss or fear of future loss, intensifying their emotional response and thus the intensity of the responses we collect.
Gathering insights through creative deprivation research
At times, I’ve wondered if deprivation exercises might be cruel, capitalizing on people’s deep fear of loss, of change and a lack of control. When we tell someone that they’ve lost something so core to who they are, are we making them go through an unnecessarily stressful or even traumatic experience for our research purposes? Maybe. Once in a while, a respondent will tell us exactly that.
At the same time, we’ve found that there are ways that facing the specter of loss can be productive, not just for the researcher but also for the person who is articulating the trauma of this loss. There are a couple of effects that appear to be positive (as well as analytically fruitful) about being provoked to consider loss. It gets respondents to think not just about what it would feel like to lose this thing, but why that thing is so foundationally important to them. They have to dig into their identities, their life experiences and their relationships to understand the various factors that have created the context in which this significant loss can occur. They come to understand themselves a little bit better, and in that understanding, they are open to connection with the researcher and the research itself.
There’s also the relief after answering the question. This rollercoaster of emotion is one of the things that can make qualitative research so powerful. Using projective and creative techniques to put respondents into a mind-set outside of their normal day-to-day thought cycles generates much more exciting responses and sparks insights that come from the intensity of our respondents’ emotions.
Making the case for deprivation in this piece, I’d also like to suggest that deprivation is not only a thought-provoking and emotionally evocative technique, but also sometimes a downright fun experience for both researcher and participant. As researchers, we can let our imaginations run wild into bizarre and far-fetched scenarios (one of my favorites is the “wood chipper” prompt).
The silliness that can be integrated into deprivation can cushion the emotional blow for participants. We walk the line here – creating half-serious, half-silly prompts that ignite the passion, emotion, creativity and imagination around the possibility of loss, connecting us in a shared experience and fundamental recognition of fear and relief.
By combining creativity, imagination and a deep respect for human complexity, our methods, like deprivation exercises, allow us to access responses that go beyond the obvious, the routine and the rote. It’s in these moments of emotional intensity, reflection and play that brands gain the richest understanding of their consumers.