Marketing Research- ch. 11

Respondent's memory

- Aided and unaided recall tests - Telescoping- believing past events happened more recently than they did - Squishing- believing recent events took place longer ago than they did

Fixed alternative questions

Advantages 1. requires less interviewer skills- interviewer simply gives the possible answer options. 2. less time to answer 3. easier for the respondent to answer- takes them less time and is easier. They have limited options to choose from when answering 4. Provides comparability of answers Disadvantages

Internet Questionnaire layout-radio button

Circular icon that activates one response choice and deactivates others

Internet Questionnaire layout- Drop down box

have a box, click it, and options drop down

Internet Questionnaire layout- status bar

visual indicator; tells the respondent what portion of the survey she has completed

Types of Fixed- Alternative Questions- Determinant- choice question

- Choose one response from several alternatives (A,B, or C) - They can only choose one or multiple choices

Software to make questionnaires interactive- Error trapping software (prompting)

- Gives error message if respondent does something inappropriate

open ended questions

Advantages 1. good for exploratory research 2. may reveal unanticipated reactions toward the product 3. Are good first questions; Allow respondents to warm up to the questioning process Disadvantages 1. high costs- edit, code, and analyze 2. The possibility that interviewer bias will influence the answer 3. Bias introduced by articulate individuals' longer answers

Leading and loaded questions

Leading - Leads people to some response - May be phrased to reflect either a positive or negative aspect of an issue - May use split ballot technique to address- question wording is reversed for 50% of the sample (ex. compact car question) Loaded questions- suggests a socially desirable behavior or emotionally charged; answer may be based on "ideal" behavior - May include counterbiasing statement

Internet Questionnaire layout-check boxes

boxes next to an answers, that a respondent clicks on

What should be asked

- Questionnaire relevancy- all information collected should address a research question - Questionnaire accuracy- information is valid; requires that 1. simple, understandable, unbiased, unambiguous, and nonirritating words 2. should facilitate recall and motivate respondents to cooperate 3. proper question wording and sequencing to avoid confusion and biased answers

Fixed Alternative Questions- disadvantages

1. Error in choosing responses- difficult to choose responses when they are limited 2. Tendency of respondents to choose convenient alternative 3. Respondent may check the more prestigious or socially acceptable answer

Common mistakes

1. avoid complexity: simpler language is better 2.avoid leading and loaded questions - non-exhaustive alternatives is a type of leading question 3. Avoid ambiguity (often, frequently, good, poor) 4. Avoid double barreled questions- when you ask two things in one question 5. Avoid making assumptions (Macy's excellent gift wrapping) 6. Avoid burdensome questions that may tax the respondent's memory

Open ended questions- advantages

1. good for exploratory research 2. may reveal unanticipated reactions toward the product 3. Are good first questions; Allow respondents to warm up to the questioning process

Open ended questions- disadvantages

1. high costs- edit, code, and analyze 2. The possibility that interviewer bias will influence the answer 3. Bias introduced by articulate individuals' longer answers

Fixed alternative questions- advantages

1. requires less interviewer skills- interviewer simply gives the possible answer options. 2. less time to answer 3. easier for the respondent to answer- takes them less time and is easier. They have limited options to choose from when answering 4. Provides comparability of answers

Decisions in questionnaire design

1. what should be asked? 2. how should each question be phased? 3. in what sequence should the questions be arranged? 4. what questionnaire layout will best serve the research objectives? 5. how should the questionnaire be pretested? Does the questionnaire ned to be revised?

Internet Questionnaires

Graphical User Interface (GUI) Software - controls the background, colors, fonts, and other features displayed - creates an attractive and easy to use interface Web publishing companies- Survey Monkey; Zoomerang

Types of Fixed- Alternative Questions

Simple- dichotomy (dichotomous alternative) Question - Two alternatives (yes or no) - has some draw backs Determinant- choice question - Choose one response from several alternatives (A,B, or C) - They can only choose one or multiple choices Frequency- determination question - frequency of occurrence (often, occasionally, or never) - often and occasionally can be interpreted in different ways Checklist Question - type of determinant choice question - respondent may provide multiple answers

Phrasing Questions

The means of data collection will influence the question format and question phrasing - Mail, internet, and telephone surveys must be less complex than personal interviews - Questions need to be kept pretty basic - Telephone and personal interviews should be written in a conversational style

Software to make questionnaires interactive

Variable Piping Software - allows answers from previous questions to be inserted into future questions - May also rotate questions and responses categories Error trapping software (prompting) - Gives error message if respondent does something inappropriate Force answering software - force someone to answer, in order to continue - prevents respondents from skipping questions Interactive help desk - allows you help during the survey - Real time support

Internet Questionnaire layout- push button

dialog box to click to perform a function. Help you move from screen to screen in a paging layout

Internet Questionnaire layout-Heat map question

show someone some figure, allow them to move the cursor to see the advertisement more closely and tell what they like and don't like about ad

Software to make questionnaires interactive- force answering software

- force someone to answer, in order to continue -- prevents respondents from skipping questions

Types of Fixed- Alternative Questions- Frequency- determination question

- frequency of occurrence (often, occasionally, or never) - often and occasionally can be interpreted in different ways

Types of Fixed- Alternative Questions- Simple- dichotomy (dichotomous alternative) Question

- Two alternatives (yes or no) - has some draw backs

Software to make questionnaires interactive- Variable Piping Software

- allows answers from previous questions to be inserted into future questions - May also rotate questions and responses categories

Internet Questionnaire layout-open ended boxes

- boxes to type in open-ended responses - Sometimes only gives you one line

Issues a pretest should address

- can the interviewer/respondent clearly follow - does it flow naturally - are questions clear and easy to understand - are questions easy to answer - expected response rates

Basic considerations in questionnaire design

- critical process - A questionnaire (survey) is only as good as the questions it asks - taks a lot of work - basic criteria of relevance and accuracy

Layout for self administered

- dont overcrowd- makes it look busy and long - good margins- a lot of white space. Make it look like there is not a whole lot there - No widows (question is on one page, answers on another page) or orphans (response category by itself on another page. For example, A-D choices, D is on page by itself) - Avoid putting too many questions on a page - Multiple grid (matrix table) question- several similar questions arranged in a grid format

What is the best question sequence

- order bias- 2 potential sources 1. earlier questions may bias the later questions 2. Order of response options- primacy and recency effects - primacy- respond with first one - recency- respond with most recent option -May use randomized presentations to address second type - Funnel technique - need to avoid break off- when people don't finish survey - Filter question may lead to branching (skip questions) - Pivot question- a filter question, determines which version of a second question will be asked

Internet Questionnaires- Layout issues

- paging layout- going from screen to screen - scrolling layout- entire questionnaire appears on one page - Push button- dialog box to click to perform a function. Help you move from screen to screen in a paging layout - status bar- visual indicator; tells the respondent what portion of the survey she has completed - radio button- Circular icon that activates one response choice and deactivates others - Heat map question- show someone some figure, allow them to move the cursor to see the advertisement more closely and tell what they like and don't like about ad - Drop down box- have a box, click it, and options drop down - Check boxes- boxes next to an answers, that a respondent clicks on - open ended boxes- boxes to type in open-ended responses

Pretesting and Revising Questionnaires

- pretesting process- can be colleagues, students, etc. - Preliminary Tabulation- Tabulation of pretest results to see if it meets research objectives

Ask a sensitive question, get a sensitive answer

- survey researchers believe that the responses that people give are valid - care must be taken with sensitive questions researcher must take care in asking relevant questions in ways the produce the most truthful results

Back translation- for international surveys

- taking a questionnaire that has previously been translated into another language and having a second, independent translator, translate it back to the original language - Equivalent language concepts do not exist - differences in idiom and vernacular

Types of Fixed- Alternative Questions- Checklist Question

- type of determinant choice question - respondent may provide multiple answers

Keys to help avoid break-offs

- visually appealing and easy to read - few questions per page - sensitive and open ended questions encourage break-offs -sophisticated samples increase response rates - pretesting is important