Conducting contextualized and real-life product tests: Benefits and experimental challenges

Abstract Striving to obtain reliable data, many researchers aim to combine the realism of Home Use Tests and the precision and control of Central Location Tests. This chapter presents the added value and the challenges of measuring consumer responses in contextualized and real-life environments. We first observe that testing food in a realistic context is seen as a way to increase the validity of collected data whereas many nonfood products must be tested in real life settings because they directly interact with the physical context in which they are used. Their evaluation often necessitates that consumers experience product's functionality under the constraints of their daily lives. From this perspective, we review the different options for recreating contexts using physical means, the cases where real life studies are needed, and the potential of immersive technologies.