stevep,
i agree totally, research staff are key in getting quality insight. they have to ‘read’ and connect with people very quickly, not everyone can do that.
interesting about the bathing suits, but i suppose being interviewed while bathing would take it far out of the normal everyday experience anyway.
high-stepping over the rim of a shower pan while negotiating a doorway on a damp floor can be a dicey act for most anyone. may not be a show-stopper or an ‘exciter’, but that is why research.