Studying low-literate consumers through experimental methods: Implications for subsistence marketplaces

Abstract

This paper examines the challenges involved in the design and administration of experiments with low-literate adults in business research, and derives implications for subsistence marketplaces. A brief review of the research methods used for studying low-literate adults in business, as well as other fields such as anthropology, sociology, behavioral economics, education, and health, suggests the lack of experimental approaches. Traditional experiments that employ literate adults are compared with those that employ low-literate adults. Using this review and authors' experiences spanning over a decade, the paper develops insights for using experimental methods to study subsistence marketplaces.