Different stimuli initiate a variety of psychological processes
within the consumer - delight, revulsion, hunger, longing, etc.
Psychological scaling is a method of translating these
psychological processes into a form that can be measured and
then quantified. Focus groups often struggle to measure
psychological attributes. Individuals react in predictable ways
to stimuli, but it is unrealistic to expect them to verbalise
about processes that are below the level of awareness. However,
individuals can usually make order judgements, even when they
cannot explain their choices. For example, someone may find it
difficult to say what constitutes 'quality' in a car. However,
show them two models and they will be able to say almost
instantly which has more quality. It follows that the position
of a stimulus on a psychological scale can be measured for a
number of respondents, with survey results having important
implications in marketing terms.