What people say is not always what they mean.

And sometimes, they aren't being untruthful. They are simply giving you the answer that makes sense to them at that moment.

Ask someone why they didn't buy a product. They may say: "It was too expensive."

That sounds like an answer. But keep listening. Perhaps they weren't convinced it would work, or someone in the family opposed the purchase, or they didn't trust the brand, or buying it would have meant changing a familiar habit, or perhaps “too expensive” is simply the easiest way of expressing a much more complicated hesitation.

This is where a good researcher has to resist the temptation to stop at the first answer.

The important question is often not: “What did they say?” It is: “What does that answer tell me about the way they see the world?”

That is the difference between collecting responses and generating insight. And, in my experience, it is often where the most interesting research begins.