Applied Research FINAL

range

difference between highest and lowest in a data set

standard deviation

• Measure of the width of the dispersion

• Small standard deviation= tight and tall

• Large standard deviation= stretched out/ shorter

range

difference between highest and lowest in a data set

standard deviation

• Measure of the width of the dispersion

• Small standard deviation= tight and tall

• Large standard deviation= stretched out/ shorter

Normal Curve

if we reject the null hypothesis, then we accept our hypothesis

Research Questions

ask what/how a relationship exists between variables

open-ended

closed-ended

Hypotheses

Make specific predictions about relationships between variables

Null: there is no relationship

one-tailed: suggests a specific direction to the relationship

two-tailed: suggests relationship but does not specify the direction

Sections of a Research Paper

• Abstract

• Literature review

• Methodology

• Limitations

• Future Research

Quantitative

Numbers, surveys, cheaper

Qualitative

In-depth, words, interviews, take more time

Ethnography (qualitative research methods)

• Immersion in the research process

• Research done from the perspective of the participant 

  • Getting in their shoes

• Requires large time commitment

• Observation, interviews, journal/ note keeping, videos, photos, etc

• EXPENSIVE

• example: professor becomes student in college

Field Observation (qualitative research methods)

• Watching the individual/ behavior in action

  • How do prospective parents/ students act during campus tours?

  • How are decisions made by advertising firms?

  • How does alcohol impact behavior at music festivals?

• Can happen online

  • Studying behaviors of people in the Metaverse

• EXPENSIVE!

Focus Groups (qualitative research methods)

• Sample is important

  • Payment usually required

• Well trained moderator asks questions, guides the session

• Data/ notes analyzed 

• Participants can influence the responses of others 

In-Depth Interviews (qualitative research methods)

• Long interviews with several individuals 

  • Smaller sample size

  • Cast more per individual 

• Can observe nonverbal behavior 

• Customized to be individual 

• Interviewees can become easily bored 

Steps Involved in Qualitative Research

1. determine the researcher’s role

2. set up research

3. observe and record

4. analyze the data

5. report the data

Researcher’s Role in Qualitative Research

Attempt to access the thoughts and feelings of participants. Reduce ethical dilemmas

Issues in Qualitative Research

• Intimacy and trust

  • Emotional and social connections with participants

  • Researcher’s values and beliefs become integrated 

  • Overly influenced by first impressions

  • Trust is person specific

Steps of In-Depth Interviews

• pre-interview contact

• opening

• body

• conclusion

common question pitfalls

bipolar trap, open-to-close switch, double-barreled inquisition, leading push, guessing game, yes/ no response

bipolar trap

• You get a yes or no response when you’re actually interested in specific information

• (“Do you have a…” instead of “How do you feel about…”

  • You can avoid this trap by starting questions with words such as:

    • Explain, how, why, and tell me about

open to closed switch

• You can ask open ended question and then before the person can answer, switch to a closed question

“Why did you park on the sidewalk? Was it because you couldn’t find a parking place?

double barreled inquisitions

• Two or more questions instead of a single pointed question

• Respondents are likely to answer only one part of the question

  • How satisfied are you with your pay and job conditions 

leading push

• You ask unintentionally leading question that suggests how a person out to respond

  • I really enjoy this, how about you?

guessing game

• You guess at a possible answer instead of asking the person a direct questions

  • I think what you’re saying is that… 

how to ask questions

let the person talk at their own pace and use their own words

using probes

using probes allow the interview to get a more detailed response and great for interviewees who are vague and use yes/ no responses

reflective probe

• A question that reflects the answer received to verify or clarify what the respondent intended to say 

nudging probes

• A word or brief phrase that urges a respondent to continue answering 

  • Uh huh

  • And?

  • Next?

  • So?

  • Well?

  • Continue

clearinghouse probe

• A question designed to discover whether previous answers have uncovered everything of importance on a topic or issue 

  • Was there anything else you wanted to mention?

informational probes

• A question designed to obtain additional information when an answer appears to be superficial, vague, or ambiguous 

restatement probes

• A question that restates all or part of the original question that remains unanswered 

silent probe

• When an interviewer remains silent after an answer and may use nonverbal signals to encourage the respondent to continue answering 

mirror probe

• A question that summarized a series of answers to ensure accurate understanding and retention 

advantages of focus groups

• Socially-oriented; useful in problem definition and message testing

• Possible to probe positive or negative reactions

• Relatively inexpensive, quick results

• Flexible 

• Group interaction elicits in-depth throught/ discussion

• Respondents creatively build off one another’s ideas

• Richer data than surveys about the complexities of an intended audience’s thinking and behavior

  • We get to as “why” questions

disadvantages of focus groups

• Can be difficult to control 

• Questionable reliability 

• Difficult to recruit/ assemble

• Should not be used 

  • For statistic projections

  • Confidentiality cannot be assured

  • Findings aren’t generalizable 

• Can be labor intensive and expensive

  • Especially if sessions are conducted in multiple locations

• Group responses don’t necessarily relect individuals’ opinions

• Some individuals may dominate the discussion or influence others opinions

• Each person is limited to about 10 minutes of talking

recruiting for focus groups

• Homogenous group

  • Decide which characteristics are important 

  • Similar demographic characteristics

  • Participants should not know each other or be told the exact subject of discussion in advance to help ensure that the responses will be spontaneous are inhibited

• Focus group participants usually get period

preparing for focus groups

• Identify the major objective 

• Develop questions

• Plan recruiting 

• Remind participants 

developing questions for focus group

• Behaviors– about what a person has done or is doing 

• Opinions/ Values– about what a person thinks about a topic

• Feelings– note that respondents sometimes respond with “I think…” so be careful to note that you’re looking for feelings

• Knowledge– to get facts about a topic

• Sensory– about what people have seen, touched. heard, tasted or smells

definition of strategic communications

helps to deliver the right message to the right target audience through the right channel at the right time with the right desired affect

advertising research

specialized form of marketing research conducted to improve the efficiency of advertising

cognitive dimensions

• Attention

• Awareness

• Exposure

• Recognition

• Comprehension

• Recall

  • Actual Consumer Behavior

    • What do you want to buy?

    • What have you actually purchased?

affective dimensions

attitudes toward the product

advertising research methods

Pre-testing, copy testing, consumer jury, rating scales, portfolio tests, physiological tests, day-after recall tests

pre-testing

• Evaluation of alternative ways for advertisers to present their messages

• “Copy” refers to an entire advertisement, including the verbal message, pictures, colors, and dramatizations

copy testing

• Consumer jury

  • Personal. Interview group assembled and asked to vote based on their preferences, interests, or influences to buy the product

  • Provides a “rating” given by a group of consumers who may represent potential buyers of the product 

rating scales

• Ads are “rated” and a numerical score is obtained

  • Advantages

    • Provides a list against which to check an ad

    • Helps to single out the elements that are good or bad

  • Disadvantages

    • Different judges will rate the ad differently

portfolio test

• Ad is places in dummy copies of newspapers/ magazines

• A group of ads, usually a mixture of test ads and control ads, is placed in a portfolio 

physiological test

• Tests using special lab equipments which record an individual physiological responses to ads

day after recall test

• Research method that tests consumers’ memories the day after they have seen an ad, to assess the ad’s effectiveness

companies that measure audience reach

Nielson Audio

difference between rating/ share

rating: % of the target universe exposed to a TV or radio Spot at a given moment

share: % of the target universe that is watching TV at that moment who are watching that particular show

HUT

Household Using Television

PUT

Persons using television

CPM

cost per thousand impressions

DEC

daily effective circulation (number of vehicles that pass by the billboard as well as the number of pedestrians)

Page Views

the number of times a page is delivered to a browser

impressions

the delivery of an ad to a browser. an opportunity to see the ad

visitors

total number of people visit a website

unique visitors

estimated number of unique persons that visited a site. same as reach