The Founding Principle of Five Whys
Developed by Japanese inventor and industrialist Sakichi Toyoda, The Five Whys method was employed by Toyota as a problem-solving technique to help the company evolve and improve its manufacturing processes. The idea is that by the time you’ve asked “why” five times when confronted with a problem, you’ve peeled back the layers of surface-level answers to reveal the real issue or truth that leads to the solution. Psychologically, this approach forces us to move beyond automatic, socially acceptable responses into a more reflective, honest space.
While Toyota lays claim to the Five Whys approach, it’s by no means new concept. Go as far back as the ancient Greeks, and you’ll find Plato asking repeated questions to gain more knowledge and Aristotle’s four causes — fundamental types of answers to the question “why.” Whether seeking to build better machines more efficiently, reveal truths to philosophical quandaries, or uncover the driving forces behind respondents’ behaviors, the Five Whys approach allows us to dive far below the surface of immediate responses to expose what lies beneath.
What Each Why Uncovers
In qualitative research, the first answer people give is often what’s expected or easiest to verbalize. But true insights are revealed when participants start reflecting on deeper motivations, emotions, and needs that might others remain buried and hidden. The Five Whys help shift respondents out of their comfort zone and into a space where they reveal the root of their thinking or behavior.
Here’s what typically emerges at each level of the Five Whys method.
First Why: The Surface Answer
This is the most immediate, often practical or socially accepted answer to your first “why.” It’s usually what people think you want or expect them to say, or the most obvious answer. For example, to the question “why did you buy this product,” the reply might be “because it was on sale.” Sure, you’ve gotten a response but no earth-shattering insight. Yet.
Second Why: The Logical Reason
The second “why” may reveal a bit more of the person’s reasoning behind their initial answer, which could be a rational justification or a straightforward, logical explanation. To continue with our previous example, the response to a follow-up “why” might be “I like to buy things on sale because it helps me save money.” Though still logical and practical answer, it starts to expose those deeper motivations behind the behavior
Third Why: The Underlying Value
Here’s where we start to explore the personal principles, preferences, or expectations guiding the individual’s decision-making. At this level, the person might share why they want to save money: “because I try to manage my finances carefully.” Okay, now we’re getting somewhere. We’ve just uncovered deeper values and personal priorities that lead to more meaningful insight.
Fourth Why: Emotional Drivers
At this level of why, we begin to dig into the emotional or subconscious reasons that are often tied to a persona’s identify, fears, or desires. So when pressed, our hypothetical respondent might admit the reason why they feel the need to manage their finances is “because I worry about unexpected expenses.” We now begin to identify the emotional triggers and insecurities that come into play, painting a clearer picture of the person’s motivations.
Fifth Why: The Core Motivation
Welcome to the deepest level, where you uncover the root cause or core belief — often linked to fundamental needs or past experiences — that drives decisions. Take our respondent who tries to save money because they’re worried about unexpected expenses popping up. Why do they feel this way? Their answer to this last why could be something like, “because growing up, my family struggled with money, and I don’t want to face that stress.” Here we learn that the individual’s core motivations are deeply rooted in personal experience and emotions — and that’s where the richest, most valuable insights lie.
