Diplomado tecnologias

Investigación cualitativa y psicología del consumidor: alternativas de aplicación
Qualitative research and consumer psychology: alternatives for application
ANDREA VELANDIA MORALES* Universidad deGranada, España WLSON LÓPEZ LÓPEZ Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá, Colombia

Abstract
Qualitative research is a research strategy used to analyze the reality. When applied to consumerpsychology, it allows a deeper knowledge about consumer’s behavior and associated emotions and motivations. Qualitative research goes beyond the description of buyers’ behavior and shows informationabout how and why that behavior is produced. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate how qualitative research is relevant for the knowledge and the understanding of consumers’ behavior and how,through its techniques, it approaches the consumer’s socio-cultural reality and provides an interpretation of it. The present paper resumes the key aspects of qualitative research, mentioning itsrelated antecedents of its contributions to the marketing and explaining the four most applied techniques in consumer psychology (interviews, focus group, ethnography and observation); moreover, it alsostudies the way to carry them out and gives some examples of some of the market issues which it can analyze. Finally, we take up again the qualitative data analysis as one of the most relevant topicsbecause it produces important information for the decision making process related to the consumer. In addition, we explain the steps, strategies, types and technological tools to carry it out. Keywords: qualitative research; consumer psychology; interviewing; focus groups; ethnography; qualitative data analysis.

Resumen
La investigación cualitativa es una estrategia de investigación para elabordaje de la realidad que, aplicada a la psicología del consumidor, permite conocer a profundidad su comportamiento, entender cuáles son sus motivaciones y emociones asociadas. Va más allá de la...