MAR 4613 Exam 1

Response Bias

Bias that occurs when those who respond tend to answer questions in a way that misrepresents the truth consciously (deliberate falsification) or unconsciously (unconscious misrepresentation)

Theory v. Hypothesis & Empirical Testing

- Theory: a formal, logical explanation of some events that include predictions of how things relate. - Hypothesis: A formal statement explaining some outcome -Empirical Testing: Something that has been examined against reality using data

Uncertainty v. Ambiguity

- Uncertainty: descriptive research is conducted to explain the phenomenon, casual research to establish cause-effect relationship -Ambiguity: exploratory research is conducted to clarify the ambiguity

Data Collection

-Asking respondents to fill out a questionnaire -Phone and personal interviews -Asking respondents to taste a product and give their opinions -Observing how much time shoppers spend in front of the product aisle

Disadvantages of surveys

-Survey error -Communication problems

Self-Administered Surveys

-Surveys in which respondents take the responsibility for reading and answering the questions - Rely on the efficiency of the written word rather than the skill of the interviewer - Paper-based (printed) or electronic (non-printed)

Categories of Response Bias

1. Acquiescence bias 2. Extremity bias 3. Interviewer bias 4. Auspices bias 5. Social desirability bias

Methods for increasing response rate

1. Cover Letter 2. Rewards 3. Interesting questions 4. Advance notification 5. Follow-ups 6. Prestige of sponsoring institution 7. Color of questionnaire paper 8. Type of postage

Stages of the research process

1. Define research objectives 2. Choice of research design (strategy) 3. Measurement/sampling 4. Data gathering 5. Data analysis and interpolation 6. Conclusions and report writing

Data Analysis involves:

1. Editing 2. Coding 3. Data entry 4. Actual analysis of the data - Can be statistical

Advantages of Postal and other printed self-administered surveys

1. Geographic flexibility 2. Lower cost 3. Respondent confidence 4. Respondent anonymity

Disadvantages of Personal Interviews

1. Interviewer influence 2. Respondent cannot be anonymous 3. There may be a need for several callbacks 4. High cost

Disadvantages of Email

1. Lack of security 2. Lack of anonymity 3. Differences in capabilities of respondent's computers and email software 4. Difficulties for email novices

Disadvantages of Postal surveys

1. Loss of control over data collection 2. Respondent can misinterpret questions 3. Takes a long time to receive response 4. Questionnaire has to be short 5. Low response rates 6. No assurance that intended subject actually completed questionnaire

Distribution Methods of Self-Administered Questionnaires

1. Mail (or Postal) Surveys 2. Drop off / Pick-up method 3. Fax surveys 4. Inserts (product packages, magazines) 5. Direct distribution to customers (restaurants, airplanes, banks) 6. Warranty / Owner registration cards

Descriptive Research

Describe characteristics of groups ("Which" questions), estimate population proportions, test specific predictions Data collection: Observation, surveys, secondary data analysis

Which type of marketing research address which group, which one, which place, which way questions?

Descriptive research

Exploratory Research

Discovery, clarification of ambiguity, formulation of hypotheses. Data collection: experience surveys, case studies, focus groups

If the speed of data collection is your most important factor, which of the following should be your survey method?

Email/web survey

Sample Selection Error

Error caused by improper sample design or sampling procedure

Administrative Error

Error caused by the improper administration or execution of the research tasks

Systematic (Non-sampling) Error

Error resulting from: - Imperfections in the research design that leads to respondent error -Mistakes in executing the research -Often leads to sample bias: the tendency of sample results to deviate in one particular direction

Data Processing Error

Errors caused by incorrect data entry, computer programming, or other procedural errors during data analysis

Interviewer Cheating

Errors caused by interviewers filling in fake answers to questions or falsifying entire questionnaires

Interviewer Error

Errors caused by interviewers making mistakes when performing their tasks

Causal Research

Examine cause-effect relationships, need to: establish, concomitant variation, establish time sequence of variables, eliminate alternative causes Data collection: Experimentation, laboratory and field experiments

All of the following are types of marketing research EXCEPT:

Exploitative research

Companies, such as Kraft and Proctor & Gamble, conduct research to clarify ambiguous situations or discover ideas that may be potential business oppurtunities. What type of marketing research is this?

Exploratory

Which of the following is NOT true about "constructs"?

For them, the conceptual definition and operational definition are always identical

Pre-arranged Meetings

Interviewing respondents at other mutually agreed upon places

Door-to-door interviews

Interviews conducted at respondents' doorsteps (in their homes)

Backward Linkages

Knowledge of decisions to be taken during later stages should guide decisions taken during earlier stages.

Which survey research method offers the lowest degree of respondent anonymity?

Mall intercept interview

Advantages of Personal Interviews

1. Opportunity for feedback 2. Opportunity to probe complex questions 3. Willingness of respondents to spend longer time on interview 4. Reduction in rate of item nonresponse (completeness of questionnaire) 5. Possibility of using visual aids and props 6. High response rate / willingness of respondents to participate

Key Concepts in the Definition

1. Primary data 2. Communication 3. Sample 4. Representative

Disadvantages of Telephone Interviews

1. Problems in getting representative samples 2. Problem of answering machines & faxes 3. Need for callbacks 4. Respondent can easily hang up 5. Inability to use visual aids 6. Need for shorter forms of questioning 7. National "do not call list"

Advantages of Telephone Interviews

1. Relatively high speed of data collection 2. Inexpensive compared to personal interviews 3. Better respondent anonymity than personal interviews 4. Relatively higher respondent cooperation 5. Lower nonresponse compared to personal interviews

Types of Administrative Error

1. Sample Selection Error 2. Interviewer Error 3. Interviewer Cheating 4. Data processing error

Advantages of E-mail Questionnaires

1. Speed of Distribution 2. Lower distribution costs 3. Faster turnaround (response) time 4. Greater flexibility 5. Less handling of paper

Reasons for deliberate falsification

1. To appear intelligent 2. To conceal personal information 3. To avoid embarrassment 4. To get rid of the interviewer 5. To please the interviewer

Joseph sent out 120 survey questionnaires and of those 120, 20 were returned as undeliverable. He received 40 completed responses. What is Joseph's response rate? (Hint: Those undeliverables are ineligible people.)

40%

Personal Interview

A form of direct communication in which an interviewer asks respondents questions face-to-face

Survey Research

A method of primary data collection based on communication with a representative sample of individuals (called respondents)

The key difference between uncertainty and ambiguity situations is whether the researcher has:

A set of alternatives

Research Project

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

Pilot studies

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

Sample Survey

A survey that emphasizes contacting respondents who are a representative sample of the target population.

Response rate

Number of completed and returned questionnaires divided by number of eligible people contacted

Research Program

Numerous related studies that come together to address multiple, related research objectives Management should view marketing research at a strategic planning level

Which procedure refers to a small-scale in which the results are only preliminary and intended only to assist in design of a subsequent study?

Pretest

Response Rate

# of Surveys Returned / Total Eligible (total sent out - ineligible)

Classifying survey research methods: By time frame (Temporal classification)

- Cross-sectional surveys -Longitudinal surveys

Communication methods in survey research (Broad classification)

- Interviewer-administered survey methods (interactive) - (Respondent) Self-administered survey methods (Non-interactive) - Mixed-mode surveys

Classifying Survey Research Methods: by method of communication

- Personal interviews -Telephone interviews - Self-administered interviews

Measurement involves:

- Specifying the constructs and/or variables that will be studied to address the research problem (answer the research question) -Specifying the procedures and/or rules by which numbers will be assigned to indicate levels of the variables possessed by different people or objects

Classifying survey research methods: By degree of structure and disguise

- Structured disguised -Structured undisguised -Unstructured disguised -Unstructured undisguised

Which type of scale is regarded as the highest form of measurement?

Ratio scale

Which of the following is an indicator of a measure's internal consistency?

Reliability

_________ is a framework or blueprint for conducting the marketing research project. It specifies the details of the procedures necessary for obtaining the information needed to structure and/or solve marketing research problems.

Research design

Linkages

Research process is cyclical, stages can overlap chronologically

Which type of bias occurs when respondents tend to answer questions with a certain slant?

Response bias

Respondent error

Sample biases that result from the respondent action (response bias) or inaction (non response bias)

You would like to assess how good your measures are. Which one of the following would be the least likely technique to use?

Scalability

Pretesting

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

Which type of bias occurs when a respondent wishes to create a favorable impression or save face in the presence of an interviewer?

Social desirability bias

Advantages of surveys

Speed Cost Accuracy Efficiency

Data Analysis

Stage at which the researcher performs several interrelated procedures to convert data into information, and in a format that will answer management's questions

Random sampling error

Statistical fluctuation due to chance variations in elements selected for the sample

If survey participants are given a set of pre-determined answer choices to choose from, it is a ________ question.

Structured

Cross-sectional studies

Studies in which various segments of a population are sampled and data collected at a single point in time

Over the past several year, the market share of Apple iPhone has been decreasing. This is an example of a(n):

Symptom

Auspices bias

Tendency for knowledge of who is sponsoring the research to affect respondents answers

All of the following are three ways in which the word "scale" is used in marketing research EXCEPT:

The degree to which a measure is free from random error and therefore gives consistent results.

Measurement

The process of assigning numbers to the attributes that objects possess

Nonresponse Error

The statistical differences between a survey that includes only those who responded and a perfect survey that would also include those who failed to respond.

Acquiescence bias

The tendency to agree rather than disagree with items on questionnaires.

Research Project cont.

Uses specific techniques for solving one-dimensional problems, such as: -identifying market segments -selecting the best packaging -test-marketing a new product

Uncertainty

What are the demographics of our current customers? What features do buyers like in our product? Will a change in package design lead to increased sales?

Ambiguity

Why are our sales falling? Why is our brand not performing well in a certain area?

Social desirability bias

a tendency for respondents to give socially acceptable answers rather than the truth

All of the following can be measured using ratio scales EXCEPT: a. gender b. income c. weight d. speed

a. gender

Disguised (indirect) questions

assume the purpose of the study must be hidden from the respondent

Undisguised (direct) questions

assume the respondent is willing to answer

If a survey design includes samples drawn once each from multiple groups of people, they are:

cross-sectional data

Mall Intercept Interviews

interviews conducted by intercepting mall shoppers (or shoppers in other high-traffic locations) and interviewing them face to face

If a market researcher is asking consumers to list their favorite smartphone brands from most favorite to least favorite, the variable is a(n):

ordinal

Longitudinal studies

studies in which data are collected at different points in time using: - successive (different) samples in a tracking study or cohort study - the same sample in a panel study (customer panels, retailer panels)

Interviewer bias

tendency of interviewer's presence to affect respondent's answers

Extremity bias

tendency to use extremes when responding to questions

Which characteristic is a key difference between ratio and interval scales?

Absolute zero

The tendency for respondents to agree with most questions in a survey is known as:

Acquiescence bias

When a hotel customer decides to fill out a customer satisfaction survey to complain about having to wait an hour for room service to deliver his dinner, ____ has occurred. a. random sampling error b. self-selection bias c. auspices bias d. social desirability bias

B. Self-selection bias

Forward Linkages

Decisions taken during early phases of the research process affect decisions that can be taken during later stages

What is the first stage of the marketing research process?

Defining the research objectives

Unstructured Question

does not restrict respondents' answers

When a group of experts agrees that a measuring instrument measures what it is intended to measure, we say that the instrument has ____ validity.

face

Which of the following statements is NOT a proper form of hypothesis? (Should state the relationship between two variables)

iPhone has a good design

Structured Question

imposes a limit on the number of allowable responses

E-commerce growth rate is a:

ratio scale

Systematic error is divided into:

respondent error and administrative error