MKTG4506 Research Methods Study Guide

Consumer Behavior Study Guide

What is the difference between primary and secondary data?

primary data is collected by a primary source for a specific purpose, while secondary data is collected by an entity for one purpose, while it is used for another purpose

(💡 general rule: collect secondary data first because it is cheaper and already available → then turn to primary data)

What are four common methods for conducting nonexperimental research?

1.) surveys, interviews, focus groups, and observational research (also hybrid of options!)

What is a survey and what are the advantages and limitations of this type of non experimental search?

structured questionnaire on attitudes, beliefs, and choices

• PROS: cost- effective, broad reach, quick data colection

• CONS: limited depth, no follow up

What is an interview and what are the advantages and limitations of this type of non experimental search?

one-on-one conversations to gain insights

• PROS: flexible, can gain detailed responses

• CONS: time-consuming, small sample size

What is a focus group and what are the advantages and limitations of this type of non experimental search?

guided group discussions on perceptions and ideas

• PROS: able to capture diverse views, interactive echange

• CONS: bias, presenting oneself in favorable light

What is observational research and what are the advantages and limitations of this type of non experimental search?

watching consumers in real world settings

• PROS: shows real behaviors

• CONS: doesn’t capture motivations or thought processes (very basic)

What is a hybrid non experimental research method and what are the advantages and limitations of this type of research?

mix of observation and interaction (ie: usability test)

• PROS: combines depth and realism and reveals potential user issues

• CONS: costly, resource-intensive  

Nonexperimental research can reveal causation

What are three limitations of nonexperimental research?

1.) does not show causation

2.) time-consuming

3.) resource intensive

What advantage does experimental research have over nonexperimental research?

able to test direct causation (prove cause and effect relationship)

What are the three core elements of experimental research? (MCR) 

1.) manipulated cause (change in the independent variable to measure effect on the dependent variable)

2.) control conditions (keep everything the same and use a control [no treatment] group or comparison [different treatment] group to assess differences)

3.) randoma assignment (assign participants to conditions randomly to rule out pre-existing differences

What are some advantages of experimental research?

casual inferences (shows cause and effect relationship), control (isolates variables to measure direct impact), replicability (can be repeated to verify results0

What are some limitations of experimental research?

feasibility (experiments may be too difficult or costly to run), ethical constraints (somethings- like testing behavior of offspring of alcoholic mothers- are unethical to test)

What is an independent variable?

variable that does not change over the course of experiments, controlled variable

What is a dependent variable?

variable that does change over experiment (ie: looking to measure influence of motivation if you give money to children → motivation = the dependent variable because study is testing to see if it DEPENDS on the money to be influenced, changes)

What are the 3 main criteria for evaluating research?

1.) does the study show causality?

2.) are the findings reliable?

3.) is the research internally and externally valid?

What is a control/comparison group and why is it important?

the group of an experiment that does not change, shows if there is a direct relationship between independent variable and dependent variable 

What is random assignment and why is it important?

assigning participants to conditions randomly, rules out pre-existing differences (core of experimental research!)

What is the difference between reliability and validity?

reliability shows that findings are stable over time (ie: continue to step on a scale and it shows the same weight, no crazy changes), while validity = is the research testing what it says its testing? (ie: stepping on scale and it shows you lbs → measuring your weight/ math test testing math skills, not reading skills)

What should you look for to determine whether a study is reliable?

sample size (sufficient?) consistency, (were the results replicated in multiple studies and found to be similar?), and consensus (have other researchers found similar results?) 

What is the difference between internal and external validity?

internal validity = the study accurately shows a cause-and-effect relationship within the experiment (ie: students were randomly assigned to practice math to see if it would improve their scores), external validity = the results of the study can be generalized to real-world situations (ie: doing extra practice improves math performance BOTH in lab session and regular classroom setting)

What should you watch for to ensure external validity?

population representatives (what is the extent to which the population you are testing reflects the population you want to report), (bad) operationalizations (do your findings reflect real-world behavior? were they measured in more than one way?- ie: stress being measured by surveys and cortisol levels)

Bias can threaten the internal validity of a study. Describe three kinds of biases.

1.) Hawthorne effect: participants acting different because they know they are being observed (ie: working harder when being watched)

2.) demand characteristics: responding in a favorable light (could participants have responded how they thought the searcher wanted them to? → reporting healthier habits than reality?) 

3.) placebo effect: participants perceiving changes because they belief they are undergoing treatment (ie: feeling pain relief after taking a sugar pill)

How can you reduce and/or overcome placebo effects in experimental studies?

blind the study!

• double blind: when BOTH the experimenter and participants don’t know who is in what study

• single-blind: when only one (usually experimenter) knows what condition the participant is in

What is a confound? How does is affect the internal validity of a study?

variables that influence both the cause and the outcome making it hard to differentiate whether the effects real or due to another variable 

What are the types of confounds? list examples.

third variables: another factor that could explain the results

• ie: testing shopping behavior based on demographic, but could weather be a confounding variable that influences the results?

pre-existing differences; could group difference, not treatment, explain the outcome?

• ie: one group starting with higher income and/or education 

What is an operationalization, and what should you look for to determine whether a study is externally valid?

Operationalizations: Concrete way of representing a theoretical concept in a study, look for population representativeness (check if sample represents population) and operationalization validity (test if measures reflect real world behavior), and perform multiple operationalizations (was teh concept measured in more than one way/variables)