MKT 360 Exam 2 Study Guide

administrative error

(non-sampling error) An error caused by the improper administration or execution of the research task. ex: incorrect data entry, interviewer error, interviewer cheating

affective (emotional) components

(physiological measure) these measures provide: - a means of assessing affect without verbally questioning of the respondent - a gross measure of like or dislike

GSR

(physiological reaction) measure of involuntary changes in the electrical resistance of the skin

facial EMG

(physiological reaction) used to observe emotional reactions via muscle activity around the mouth

eye-tracking

(physiological reaction) used to observe eye movements

social desirability bias

(response bias) Bias in responses caused by respondents' desire, either conscious or unconscious, to gain prestige or appear in a different social role. luxury, high-end goods

interviewer bias

(response bias) The presence of the interviewer influences respondents' answers.

extremity bias

(response bias) some individuals tend to use extremes when responding to questions

acquiescence bias

(response bias) tendency for a respondent to try to agree with the viewpoint of a survey

4 levels of scale measurement

1. Nominal 2. Ordinal 3. Interval 4. Ratio

response rates

The number of questionnaires returned and completed divided by the number of sample members

measurement

The process of describing some property of a phenomenon of interest, usually by assigning numbers in a reliable and valid way.

content analysis

The systematic observation and quantitative description of the manifest content of communication.

attribute

a single characteristic or fundamental feature of an object, person, situation, or issue - the measures of these are often combined to represent some less concrete concept

absolute zero

defining characteristic in determining between ratio and interval scales

disadvantages of surveys

easy to make errors (causes misleading results)

sampling error

error that occurs because the research only has a sample to calculate parameters and not the entire population sample mean is not the same as population mean

confound

extraneous variable that might affect the results of the experiment

placebo

false experimental treatment

experimental group

group in which an experimental treatment is administered

control group

group in which no experimental treatment is administered

true experiment

has both experimental group and control group

experimenter bias

if participants recognize the experimenter's expectation or demand, they are likely to act in a manner consistent with the experimental treatment (even slight nonverbal cues may influence reactions)

brand equity scale

image, value, trust, attachment, performance

relevancy

in relation to a questionnaire, all information collected addresses a research question that will help the decision maker address the current marketing problem

inaccurate responses

inability to respond telescoping- respondent misremembers something averaging- can't remember an exact amount so they try to average what they most likely did omission- completely forgot cannot formulate adequate answer

matching

involves assigning subjects in a way that a particular characteristic is the same in each group

internal validity

is the experimental variable truly responsible for any variance in the dependent variable? Does x really cause y? if you are more concerned about this, lab experiment might be best

disadvantages of online surveys

lack of anonymity, spam filters

experiments (causal research)

marketing experimenter manipulates one or more independent variables and holds constant all other possible independent variables while observing effects on dependent variables

ordinal scale

may be developed by asking respondents to rank order (from most preferred to least preferred) a set of objects or attributes

sample survey

more formal term for a survey emphasizing that respondents' opinions presumably represent a sample of the larger target population's opinion

validity

the accuracy of a measure or the extent to which a score truthfully represents a concept

external validity

the accuracy with which experimental results can be generalized beyond the experimental subjects (if you take the results out of the lab, with they hold up in the real world?) if you are more concerned about this, field experiments might be better

subjects

the name used for respondents in an experiment

randomization

the random assignment of subjects and treatments to groups

laboratory experiment

the researcher maximizes control over the research setting and extraneous variables

paired comparisons

the respondents are presented with two objects at a time and asked to pick the one they prefer

demand characteristic

an experimental design element that unintentionally provides subjects with hints about the research hypothesis

composite scales

assign a value based on a mathematical derivation of multiple variables

index measure

assigns a value based on how much of the concept being measured is associated with an observation - it is often formed by putting several variables together

graphic rating scales

present respondents with a graphic continuum respondents are allowed to choose any point on the continuum to indicate their attitude

operationalization

process that involves identifying scales that correspond to variance in the concept

types of info gathered during surveys

product use, desirables features, media habits assess consumer knowledge and awareness of products, brands, or issues and to measure consumer attitudes, feelings, and behaviors

advantages of surveys

quick, inexpensive, efficient, accurate, flexible

main effect

refers to the experimental difference in means between the different levels of any single experimental variable

ratio scales

represent the highest form of measurement in that they have all the properties of interval scales with the additional attribute of representing absolute quantities; characterized by a meaningful absolute zero

survey

represents a way of describing public opinion by collecting primary data through communicating directly with individual sampling units

nonrespondents

sample members who do not provide input in the research for any number of reasons

factors that affect the choice of survey method

sampling, type of population, question form, question content, response rate, costs, available facilities, duration of data collection

advantages of online surveys

speed, lower cost, faster turn around time, more flexibility, less manual processing

nonresponse bias

statistical difference between a survey that includes those who responded and those who failed to respond

test units

subjects whose responses to the experimental treatment are measured (people are most common)

scales provide:

- A range of values that correspond to different values in the concept being measured - Correspondence rules that indicate that a certain value on a scale corresponds to some true value of a concept, hopefully in a truthful way

interval scales

- Have both nominal and ordinal properties - Capture information about differences in quantities of a concept - do not exactly represent some phenomenon

ordinal scales

- Have nominal properties - Allow things to be arranged based on how much of some concept they possess - Include ranking scales - Are somewhat arbitrary

what can be observed

- Physical movements - Verbal behavior - Expressive behavior and physiological reactions - Spatial tensions and locations - Temporal patterns - Physical objects - Verbal and pictorial records - Neurological activity - Internet activities - Geographical information - Physical distribution

category scales

- Rating scales that consist of several response categories, often providing respondents with alternatives to indicate positions on a continuum - measure attitude with greater sensitivity than a two-point response scale

reliability

- an indicator of a measure's internal consistency - when the measuring process provides reproducible results - a measure is ____ when different attempts at measuring something converge on the same result

ways to reduce demand characteristics

- incorporate experimental disguise (placebo) - isolate experimental subjects - use a "blind" experimental administrator - administer only one experimental condition per subject (non-repeated measures) - paying for performance might create demand effects

behavioral intention

- intentions that represent the behavioral expectations of an individual toward an attitudinal object - the component of interest to marketers is buying intention, a tendency to seek additional information, or plans to visit a showroom

4 important design elements of experiments

- manipulation of independent variable - selection and measurement of the dependent variable - selection and assignment of experimental subjects - control of extraneous variables

multi-attribute approach

- take belief scores assessed with some type of rating scale - multiply each belief scare by an evaluation also supplied using some type of rating scale - sum each resulting product advantages: results can provide management with feedback on the relative attitude scores and identify characteristics that are most in need of being improved

formatting

-decide on open-ended vs closed format -select the format and scale type fo each question

pretesting & correcting problems

-make sure that the respondents understand the directions -time responses -modify poor questions/unclear directions

planning

-revisit the research objectives -find relevant info from other sources -agree on analysis

wording

-simplify vocab -remove double-barreled questions -avoid leading/loaded questions -clarify instructions

sequencing & layout decisions

-use screening questions to avoid inaccurate responses -make sure that the questionnaire has a smooth, logical glow -start with broad questions, then become more specific -place demographic questions at the end of the survey

observer bias

A distortion of measurement resulting from the cognitive behavior or actions of a witnessing observer (in direct observation)

semantic differential

A scale type that has respondents describe their attitude using a series of bipolar rating scales - validity of this depends on finding scale anchors that are semantic opposites

direct observation

A straightforward attempt to observe and record what naturally occurs; the investigator does not create an artificial situation.

typical number of scale categories

5-7 categories

self-administered questionnaires

surveys in which the respondent takes the responsibility for reading and answering the questions without having them stated orally by an interviewer

observation

systematic process of recording the behavioral patterns of people, objects and occurrences as they take place can be a useful part of either qualitative or quantitative research

categorical variables

take on a value to represent some classifiable or qualitative aspect

repeated measures

Experiments that expose an individual subject to more than one level of an experimental treatment involve a repeated measures design one subject is exposed to more than one of the conditions (smaller sample sizes)

self-report scales

Involve gaining a respondent's structured response to some specific query or stimulus Researchers can ask respondents to rank, rate, sort, or choose one of multiple responses

response bias

a bias that occurs when respondents either consciously or unconsciously answer questions with a certain slant that misrepresents the truth 2 categories: deliberate falsification, unconscious misrepresentation

interaction effect

a change in a dependent variable due to a specific combination of independent variables

contrived observation

Observation in which the investigator creates an artificial environment in order to test a hypothesis. ex: secret shoppers

visible observation

Observation in which the observer's presence or mechanical measurement device is obviously known to the subject.

hidden observation

Observation in which the subject is unaware that observation is taking place. these are free from errors such as social desirability bias or memory problems

nominal scales

Represent the simplest type of scale and assign a value to an object for identification or classification purposes - value can be but does not have to be a number since no quantities are being represented

constant-sum scale

Respondents are asked to divide a fixed number fo points among several attributes to indicate their relative importance - if instructions followed correctly, the results will approximate interval measures

likert scale

Respondents indicate their own attitudes by checking how strongly they agree or disagree with statements, ranging from very positive to very negative attitudes - researchers assign scores to each possible response

pretesting

Screening procedure that involves a trial run with a group of respondents to iron out fundamental problems in the survey design.

non-sampling error

all other types of error that could exist (error on researcher, error on respondent) error is observed in both census and sample

central location interviewing

telephone interviews conducted from a central location, allowing firms to hire a staff of professional interviewers and to supervise and control the quality of interviewing more effectively

experimental treatment

term referring to the way an experimental variable is manipulated

attitude

an enduring disposition to respond consistently in a given manner to various aspects of the world, including persons, events, and objects (ABC model)

mechanical observation

can very accurately record behavior that is routine, repetitive, or programmatic types: -television, radio, and digital monitoring -monitoring web traffic -scanner-based research -camera surveillance -smartphones

inventories

counting and recording physical inventories through retail or wholesale audits

demand effect

occurs when demand characteristics actually affect the dependent variable

respondents

people who answer questions during a survey

types of surveys

personal interview (face-to-face) telephone interview self-administered survey (mail, email)

process of questionnaire design

planning formatting wording sequencing & layout decisions pretesting & correcting problems

field experiment

the study takes place in a natural environment (subjects dont know they have taken part in an experiment)

artifacts

the things that people made and consumed within a culture that signal something meaningful about the behavior taking place at the time of consumption

bipolar adjectives

words such as "good" or "bad", "modern" or "old-fashioned", "clean" or "dirty"; anchor both ends (or poles) of the scale

disadvantages of observation

• Behavior can be observed, but motives cannot • Analytical models do better with predicting behavior than explaining it • Observation period is often too short