Marketing Research Chapter 3

Contributory Causality

Means that a cause need be neither necessary nor sufficient to bring about an effect.

Absolute Causality

Means that cause is necessary and sufficient to bring about the effect.

Empirical Testing

Means that something has been examined against reality using data.

Manipulation

Means that the researcher alters the level of the variable in specific increments.

Conditional Causality

Means the cause is necessary but not sufficient to bring about an effect.

Unobstructive Methods

Methods in which research respondents do not have to be disturbed for data to be gathered.

Research Program

Numerous related studies that comes together to address multiple, related research objectives.

Symptoms

Observable cues that serve as a signal of a problem because they are caused by that problem.

Nonspurious Association

One of the three criteria for causality; means any covariation between a cause and an effect is true and not simply due to some other variable.

Concomitant Variation

One of the three criteria for causality; occurs when two events "covary" meaning they vary systematically.

Temporal Sequence

One of three criteria for causality; deals with the time order of events--the cause must occur before the effect.

Experimental Variable

Represents the proposed cause which the researcher controls by manipulating its value.

Diagnostic Analysis

Seeks to diagnose reasons for market outcomes and focuses specifically on the beliefs and feelings consumers have about and towards competing products.

Data Analysis

The application of reasoning to understand the data that have been gathered.

Research Objectives

The goals to be achieved by conducting research.

Decision Making

The process of developing and decoding among alternative ways of resolving a problem or choosing from alternative opportunities.

Deliverables

The term used often in consulting to describe research objective to a research client.

Experiment

A carefully controlled study in which the researcher manipulates a proposed cause and observes any corresponding chance in the proposed effect.

Causal Inference

A conclusion that when one thing happens, another specific thing will follow.

Literature Review

A directed search of published works, including periodicals and books, that discusses theory and presents empirical results that are relevant to the topic at hand.

Hypothesis

A formal statement explaining some outcome.

Theory

A formal, logical explanation of some events that includes predictions of how things relate to one another.

Research Design

A master plan that specifies the methods and procedures for collecting and analyzing the needed information.

Survey

A research technique in which a sample is interviewed in some form or the behavior of respondents is observed and describes in some way.

Research Project

A single study that addresses one or a small number of research objectives.

Market Opportunity

A situation that makes some potential competitive advantage possible.

Market Problem

A situation that makes some significant negative consequence more likely.

Focus Group

A small group discussion about some research topic led by a moderator who guides discussion among the participants.

Pilot Study

A small-scale research project that collects data from respondents similar to those to be used in the full study.

Pretest

A small-scale study in which the results are only preliminary and intended only to assist in design of a subsequent study.

Causal Research

Allows causal inferences to be made; seeks to identify cause-and-effect relationships.

Test Market

An experiment that is conducted within actual market conditions.

Exploratory Research

Conducted to clarify ambiguous situations or discover ideas that may be potential business opportunities.

Descriptive Research

Describes characteristics of objects, people, groups, organizations, or environments; tries to "paint a picture" of a given situation.

Backward Linkage

Implies that later steps influence earlier stages of the research process.

Forward Linkage

Implies that the earlier stages of the research process influence the later stages.

Sampling

Involves any procedure that draws conclusions based on measurement of a portion of the population.