Dimensional qualitative research as a paradygmatic shift in qualitative inquiry: An introduction to the special issue

Abstract

Dimensional qualitative research (DQR) is an innovative approach to qualitative inquiry that can set the stage for a systematic, multifaceted, and psychologically sophisticated evaluation of the subject under investigation. The BASIC ID dimensions first outlined by Arnold Lazarus have been shown to yield important diagnostic insights and hold practical therapeutic value in clinical contexts (Lazarus, 1973(Lazarus, , 1989. In parallel fashion, Cohen's (1999) expanded spectrum of DQR dimensions (the BASIC IDS) can provide a valuable roadmap to psychologically sophisticated data gathering in marketing research. Beyond providing a uniform, systematic, and comprehensive framework for qualitative exploration, Cohen (1999) viewed DQR dimensions as providing a useful framework for designing innovative marketing strategies and campaigns. Further, the application of DQR is by no means limited to marketing or psychology. Although the focus in this special issue is squarely on marketing applications, it is worth emphasizing that DQR can be useful in providing a psychologically sophisticated guide to qualitative research in almost any discipline.The first article in this special issue, by Adrian Sargent and Jen Shang, aptly illustrates how exploration of the various BASIC IDS modalities can be fruitful in developing exciting new insights about the phenomenon under study, as well as valuable new marketing strategies. Sargent and Shang studied the complex and sensitive subject of bequest giving. Their DQR-grounded research resulted in the identification of bequest motives not previously identified in the extant literature. The enhanced understanding of donor motivation that this research yielded can only serve to aid the fund-raising community in their efforts

Brand Personification: Introduction and Overview

“…Drawing on Lazarus' (1973) writing on multimodal therapy in clinical settings, this approach to qualitative research was designed to be psychologically systematic and comprehensive. As previously described in detail by myself (Cohen, 1999), and elaborated on by Haseeb Shabbir and his colleagues (Shabbir, 2011;Shabbir, Hyman, Reast, & Palihawadana, 2013;Shabbir, Palihawadana, & Thwaites, 2007), and others (e.g., Berthon, Pitt, & DesAutels, 2011;Boon, 2013;Griessmair, Strunk, & Auer-Srnka, 2011;Martin & Woodside, 2011;Rountree & Davis, 2011;Sargeant & Shang, 2011), DQR is "an innovative approach to qualitative inquiry that can set the stage for a systematic, multifaceted, and psychologically sophisticated evaluation of the subject under investigation" (Shabbir, 2011, p. 977). When skillfully applied during the data gathering and data interpretation processes, DQR can yield useful and actionable insights regarding critically important variables such as the memorability, credibility, and persuasiveness of advertising.…”