The study, conducted by Synovate, plotted what it described as the 'standard cultural difference' between the honesty of responses from the three different countries. Americans were the most upfront, with more than eight out of 10 expected to give honest answers to a market research interviewer. This number dropped to 68 per cent for Germans and to 62 per cent for Thais.
Thais, however, appear more likely to be more frank on certain issues such as alcohol and drug use, as well as how much exercise they do each week, a relatively uncontroversial topic where a greater degree of honesty is usually expected.
The study used a projective questioning technique, where-by people were asked to gauge the reactions of other people in an attempt to uncover a more honest appraisal of their own attitudes. Synovate said such studies enabled it to calibrate the results of its own surveys, both by topic and by country.
Although people from different cultures will have varying degrees of reluctance to talk about sensitive topics, either in surveys or with each other, Synovate pointed out that this should not inhibit communications confronting such issues. "For example, a respondent may not want to talk about sexually-transmitted diseases, but that same respondent may well be very interested in hearing about it," said Tom Mularz, head of Golbal Omnibus, Synovate. "A message communicated via the media could well be the only way you can have a conversation with that consumer about that topic."
In Thailand, the parameters of advertising are shaped as much by Government regulations as by local attitudes, said Steven Britton, director of Synovate Thailand, pointing to recent restrictions imposed on the promotion of alcohol.
