"Chicken talk"; an extract from a Qualitative Research session

The following is an extract from the focus group session conducted by Qualitative Researchers R Us* who had been commissioned by Total Tarmac to understand why the chickens crossed the road. 


The focus group was a resounding success, with high energy and lots of eager participation. 

Facilitator: “Chickens, I want us to consider the question, why do you cross the road? There are no right or wrong answers, we are simply interested in your experience and thoughts. Chicken 1, why do you cross the road?” 
Chicken 1: Well, I’ve always wanted to cross the road since I was a chick.  So I said to myself, today’s the day!  You can do it! I was a bit scared at first, but I knew it was important to my family.
Facilitator: “OK, thanks Chicken 1. Chicken 2, why do you cross the road?”
Chicken 2: “Goodness, I’ve never really thought about why I cross the road.  Umm, I guess because I see other chickens doing it?  No, no, now that I think about it, I cross the road because there is greener grass on the other side. Yes, that’s why.”
Facilitator: “I see. Thanks Chicken 2. Chicken 3, why do you cross the road?”
Chicken 3: "I didn’t cross the road. I don’t like bitumen. I would if the road was made of marble. I like marble. Can the road be made of marble?"
Chicken 1: "Yes, I like that idea. Can the road be made of marble?"
Facilitator: "Thanks for that suggestion. Let me put that up on our brainstorming page!"

The research firm presented its conclusions to Total Tarmac.
“Total Tarmac, the reason the chickens cross the road is multifaceted. For some chickens, they are motivated by self development. For others, it is a functional experience. It would be our recommendation to run some quantitative analysis on the willingness of chickens to cross the road made of marble.”

To find out more, return to the post "Why the Chicken Crossed the Road: The Behavioural Economist knows" on this blog site.


*All businesses and chickens are fictitious and any resemblance is purely coincidental.