By Ellen Lowry, Protobrand
As a full-service market research consultancy, Protobrand researches a wide variety of topics related to large brands, and also more general concepts that help better understand fundamental human truths. Some of these include humans’ relationship with the planet, and the concept of joy.
This research was presented at the Quirk’s Event – Chicago by Andrew Cannon, co-founder of The Art and Science of Joy, and we are excited to share it with you here.
About The Art and Science of Joy
The Art and Science of Joy is an organization with a mission to inspire and empower you to find more joy in your life. In partnership with this organization, Protobrand conducted a study to explore and understand the diverse facets and interpretations of joy, as well as its meaning and how it manifests in our day-to-day lives.
Research Objectives
Through AI and behavioral science, Protobrand aimed to:
- Explore and understand the diverse facets and interpretations of joy, including what joy means, and how it manifests in our day-to-day lives.
- Discover the barriers that hinder individuals from experiencing joy in their lives and uncover the obstacles.
Methodology
To achieve these objectives, Protobrand used a methodology called metaphor elicitation. This methodology taps into System 1 insights, uncovering the underlying dimensions that impact human behavior.
Through its technology platform, respondents used their mobile devices to select an image that represents their past experiences, thoughts and feelings, in response to a specific research question. AI probing then asked tailored follow-up questions, allowing respondents to elaborate on the nuances of their responses. Respond by Voice allows respondents to speak organically rather than typing.
This specific combination of AI and behavioral science:
- Captures authentic consumer voice at scale.
- Uncovers deep-seated thoughts and feelings through visual metaphors.
- Enables scalable exploration of topics through open-ended questions and AI probing.
- Uses a validated image library based on deep metaphor theory and emotion theory.
- Involves a qualitative data analysis, facilitated by AI to identify emerging and salient respondent driven themes.
- Scales qualitative exploration into a quantitative output – rich contextual insights backed by a rigorous sample (in this case, N = 462 U.S. national, natural fallout).
In essence, researchers collect hundreds or thousands of authentic consumer stories and use artificial intelligence to systematically analyze the data and identify themes from those stories. The data is rich, and results are then reported on a quantitative basis.
Summary of Findings
Download the video to see the full study results!
The study found that joy is a multifaceted emotional state deeply rooted in strong connections and immersive experiences, significantly contributing to overall well-being. Participants report that recalling joyful moments evokes a range of emotions, such as relaxation and contentment.
Approximately half of the respondents feel their lives are very joyful, with nature and relationships being primary sources of this joy. However, barriers such as health challenges, interpersonal difficulties and external stressors (like a busy lifestyle and financial issues) hinder many from experiencing joy fully.
About half of those surveyed struggle to overcome these obstacles, which are influenced by both situational and personal factors. Various coping strategies are employed, including adaptive methods, emotional coping and pragmatic problem-solving, to navigate these challenges.
Capturing authentic narratives to better understand audiences
The exploration of joy for The Art and Science of Joy reveals some of the main drivers and barriers of this emotion in humans’ daily lives. While many individuals experience significant joy – often sourced from nature and relationships – barriers remain that can hinder our ability to fully embrace this emotion.
Moreover, the innovative methodology employed in the study, by combining AI and behavioral science through metaphor elicitation, has limitless applications in the world of market research. This approach can be applied to a wide range of concepts and brand research needs, enabling organizations to uncover deep consumer insights across various emotional landscapes. By capturing authentic narratives and systematically analyzing them, brands can better understand their audience and tailor their offerings to meet the emotional needs of consumers.