MAR5625 Exam #1

Stages in the Research Process

1. Defining the research objectives 2. Planning a research design 3. Planning a sample 4. Collecting the data 5. Analyzing the data 6. Formulating the conclusions and preparing the report

demand characteristics

An experimental design element or procedure that unintentionally provides subjects with hints about the research hypothesis

blocking variable

Categorical variable included in the statistical analysis of experimental data as a way of accounting for variance due to that variable

systematic (non-sampling) error

Error resulting from: imperfections in design creating respondent error, mistakes in executing research. often leads to sample bias

Which of the following is NOT true about "constructs"? For them, the conceptual definition and operational definition are identical. They require multiple measures to capture accurately. They are a subset of concepts. They are abstract in nature.

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

causal research

Marketing research to test hypotheses about cause-and-effect relationships

Mortality Effect (Sample Attrition)

Occurs when some subjects withdraw from the experiment before it is completed.

The two types of systematic (non-sampling) error

Respondent error - sample biases that result from the respondent action (response bias) or inaction (non-response Administrative Error - error in execution of admin tasks of study

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

Scalability

diagnostic analysis

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

Manipulation of the Independent Variable

Several experimental treatment levels (different values of the independent) may be used. More than one independent variable may be examined.

Systematic or nonsampling error

Subject selection, experimental design, and unrecognized extraneous variables

constancy of conditions

Subjects in all experimental groups are exposed to identical conditions except for the differing experimental treatments.

External validity

The accuracy with which experimental results can be generalized beyond the experimental subjects Student Surrogates = Atypical?

Main Effect

The experimental difference in dependent variable means between the different levels of any single experimental variable.

Internal Validity

The extent that an experimental variable is truly responsible for any variance in the dependent variable. --does the manipulation truly cause changes in the specific outcome of interest?

control group

The group of subjects to whom no experimental treatment is administered

experimental confound

When there is an alternative explanation beyond the experimental variables for any observed differences in the dependent variable. Once a potential confound is identified, the validity of the experiment is severely questioned.

covariate

a continuous variable included in the statistical analysis as a way of statistically controlling for variance due to that variable

What is a theory

a formal, logical explanation of some event(s) that includes predictions of how things relate to one another

Maturation effect

a function of time and the naturally occurring events that coincide with growth and experience

Variables included in the statistical analysis ...

blocking variables and covariate

precise measurement requires

careful conceptual definition operational definition of concept assignment rules by which #s or scores are assigned to different levels of the concept that an individual or object possesses

two ways of establishing control

constancy of conditions and counterbalancing

Extraneous variables affecting internal validity

history maturation testing instrumentation selection mortality

What is editing?

involves checking the data collection forms for omissions, legibility, and consistency in classification

Conditional Causality

means that a cause is necessary but not sufficient to bring about the effect

selection effect

the selection effect is a sample bias that results from differential selection of respondents for the comparison groups, or a sample selection error

History effect

Occurs when some change other than the experimental treatment occurs during the course of an experiment that affects the dependent variable.

Experimental Conditions

One of the possible levels of an experimental (independent) variable manipulation.

concept

a generalized idea representing a category of related objects or events

Experimental group

a group of subjects to whom an experimental treatment is administered

cell

a specific treatment combination associated with an experimental group

The tendency for respondents to agree with most questions in a survey is known as _____________________ auspices bias interviewer bias extremity bias acquiescence bias

acquiescence bias

Laboratory experiments - characteristics

artificial: low realism few extraneous variables high control low cost short duration subjects aware of participation

In which experimental research design does each subject receive only one treatment combination? within-subjects design between-subjects design individual-subjects design group-subjects design

between-subjects design

A conclusion that, when one thing happens, another specific thing will follow is known as a _____________. diagnostic analysis manipulation causal inference deliverable

causal infernce

descriptive research

characteristics of objects, people, groups, organizations, or environments. WHO WHAT WHEN WHERE WHY HOW accuracy is critical

explorartory research

clarify ambiguous situations and discover ideas that may be potential business opportunities does not provide conclusive evidence assumes and expects subsequent research

Tim has noticed that when the temperature rises, sales at his retail clothing store also rise. This is an example of _______________.​ concomitant variation nonspurious variation diagnostic variation absolute variation

concomitant variation

Which of the following is the weakest form of causality, but is still a useful concept? absolute causality contributory causality secondary causality conditional causality

contributory causality

Temporal classifications are:

cross-sectional and longitudinal

If a survey design includes samples drawn once each from multiple groups of people, they are ________________. longitudinal data cross-sectional data cross-sectionally designed longitudinal data structured longitudinal data unstructured cross-sectional data

cross-sectional data

certainty

decision maker has all the information needed to make an optimal decision

What is the first stage of the marketing research process?​ planning a research design defining the research objectives analyzing the data planning a sample

defining the research objectives

Which type of marketing research address who, what, when, where, why, and how questions? causal research exploratory research descriptive research exploitative research

descriptive research

interaction effect

differences in dependent variable means due to a specific combination of independent variables

Measures that can take on only one of a finite number of values are called ________________.​ neutral measures discrete measures limited measures continuous measures

discrete measures

Which survey research method is typically the most expensive? telephone interview mall intercept personal interview door-to-door personal interrview

door-to-door personal interview

between-subjects design

each subject receives only one treatment combination usually advantageous although they are usually more costly validity is usually higher

The group receiving the treatment being studied is called the ______________.​ primary group experimental group control group population elements

experimental group

All of the following are types of marketing research EXCEPT: exploratory research exploitative research descriptive research causal research

exploitative research

3 types of marketing research

exploratory, descriptive, causal

Research projects involving experimental manipulations that are implemented in a natural environment are called ______________.​ lab experiments field experiments control group primary experiments

field experiments

Which of the following statements is NOT a proper form of hypothesis? Consumers with more favorable attitudes toward our advertising will exhibit more favorable attitudes toward the brand advertised. R&D affects a firm's revenue positively. iPhone has a good design. A product's price level has a negative impact on its market share.

iPhone has a good design

Experimental results that show that consumers purchased more when a store had bright blue lights than they did when the store had bright orange lights. However, when the lighting was low, there was no difference between blue and orange lights. This illustrates a(n) _________________.​ main effects interaction confound manipulation

interaction

within-subjects design

involves repeated measures because with each treatment the same subject is measured

uncertainty

manager grasps the general nature of desired objectives, but the information about alternatives is incomplete

Anna discovers a market segment that is underserved by competitors' products. For Janna's company, this segment represents a ________________. market threat market opportunity market symptom test market

market opportunity

Which type of effect is a function of time and the naturally occurring events that coincide with growth and experience? history effect testing effect selection effect maturation effect

maturation effect

A researcher for Procter & Gamble selects five states randomly, and then selects 10 supermarket chains randomly within each of these states to call for a phone survey for a test market of a new shampoo. Which type of sampling procedure is being used? quota sampling simple random sampling nonprobability sampling multistage area sampling

multistate area sampling

field experiement - characteristics

natural: high realism many extraneous variables low control high cost long duration subjects unaware of participation

ambiguity

nature of the problem itself is unclear such that objectives are vague and decision alternatives are difficult to define

The head of the marketing research department instructs field interviewers to interview owners of DVD players in a shopping mall such that they each interview 10 Sony owners, 8 Panasonic owners, 6 Toshiba owners, and 4 owners of other brands. Which type of sampling procedure is being used?​ multistage sample area sample quota sample systematic sample

quota sample

Which of the following is an indicator of a measure's internal consistency? Coefficient beta sensitivity validity reliability

reliability

Systematic error is divided into ____. respondent error and administrative error random sampling error and administrative error response bias and interview error primary error and secondary error

respondent error and administrative error

What are codes?

rules for interpreting,c ategorizing, recording, and transferring the data to the data storage media.

sources of confounding

sampling error systematic error later-identified extraneous variables

A researcher wants to study the members of the American Marketing Association and selects a sample from its membership list. The membership list is an example of a _______________.​ reverse directory sampling frame systematic sampling list census

sampling frame

Advantages of surveys

speed - faster data collection cost - relatively inexpensive accuracy - can be very accurate if sampling is properly done efficiency - measured as a ration of accuracy to cost

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. disguised undisguised unstructured structured

structured

Degress of structure and disguise

structured disguised structured undisguised unstructured disguised unstructured undisguised

longitudinal study

studies in which data are collected at different points in time using ;successive samples in a tracking or cohort study. same sample in a panel study.

cross sectional studies

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

A researcher is conducting an experiment in which one group of people is exposed to one advertisement and another group is exposed to another advertisement. Specifically, he is examining the effect of headline font sizes on consumers' attitude toward the brand advertised. The participants in this experimental research are referred to as ___________. respondents control group factorials subjects

subjects

disadvantages of surveys

survey error - potentially larges sources of error in surveys communications problems - each survey method has its own unique problems.

Over the past several years, the market share of Apple iPhone has been decreasing. This is an example of a(n) ________________. symptom ambiguous situation cause management problem

symptom

critical pieces of causality

temporal sequence, concomitant variation, nonspurious association

Absolute Causality

the cause is necessary and sufficient to bring about the effect

Categories of response bias (5 types)

1: Acquiescence bias - tendency to agree 2: extremity bias - tendency to use extremes when responding to quesitons 3: interviewer bias - interviewer's presence to affect respondent's answers. 4: auspices bias - tendency for knowledge of who is sponsoring the research to affect respondent's answers 5: social desirability bias - respondents to give socially acceptable answers rather than the truth.

contributory causality

A cause need be neither necessary nor sufficient to bring about an effect; the weakest form of causality

Cohort effect

A change in the dependent variable that occurs because members of one experimental group experienced different historical situations than members of other experimental groups.

Instrumentation effect

A change in the wording of questions, a change in interviewers, or a change in other procedures causes a change in the dependent variable.

Testing effects

A nuisance effect occurring when the initial measurement or test alerts or primes subjects in a way that affects their response to the experimental treatments.

research project

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

manipulation checks

A validity test of an experimental manipulation to make sure that the manipulation does produce differences in the independent variable.

consumers' favorite smartphone brands is best descrabed as being measured on a _________ scale. ordinal ratio nominal interval

nominal

Response rate

number of completed and returned questionaires divided by number of eligible people contacted.

research program

numerous related studies that come together to address multiple, related research objectives

demand effect

occurs when demand characteristics actually affect the dependent variable

hawthorne effect

people will perform differently from normal when they know they are experimental subjects

Which procedure refers to a small-scale study in which the results are only preliminary and intended only to assist in design of a subsequent study?​ pretest focus group primary test preliminary test

pretest

In which type of sampling does every element in the population have a known, nonzero, equal probability of selection? absolute sampling relative sampling nonprobability sampling probability sampling

probability sampling

nature of measurement

process of assigning numbers or scores to attritbutes of people or objects process of describing some property of a phenomenon of interest by assigning numbers in a reliable and valid way

overcoming sampling errors

-Randomization -Matching -Repeated measures -Control over extraneous variables

Degrees of Causality

-absolute -conditional -contributory

Trade-Offs Between Internal and External Validity

Artificial laboratory experiments usually are high in internal validity, while naturalistic field experiments generally have less internal validity, but greater external validity.

counterbalancing

Attempts to eliminate the confounding effects of order of presentation by varying the order of presentation(exposure) of treatments to subject groups

Ethical Issues in Experimentation

Debriefing experimental subjects -Communicating the purpose of the experiment -Explaining the researcher's hypotheses about the nature of consumer behavior Attempts to interfere with a competitor's test-marketing efforts -Such acts as changing prices or increasing advertising to influence (confound) competitors' test-marketing results are ethically questionable.