Mirror mirror

Abstract

The physician qualitative in-depth interview (IDI) is the methodology of choice for some of the most impactful and important primary market research conducted by brands in the medical and pharmaceutical marketplace today. Qualitative market research is often the foundation on which effective marketing strategies are built. An interesting element to qualitative research is how it is influenced by one of the psychological factors that is familiar to all of us in all of our daily interactions: mirroring. Qualitative research moderators have a unique opportunity to utilize basic mirroring principals to enhance the interview experience with every physician via verbal and non-verbal communication. The use of mirroring gives a moderator the ability to establish a dynamic interaction with the respondent, instead of enduring a series of mundane questions read from the discussion guide. This article will illustrate the opportunity for mirroring in qualitative research and outline several strategies to optimize all IDI interactions with physicians.