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
