Marketing Research Exam 2

Qualitative Research

Gain non-statistical understanding of the underlying reasons and motivations

• small number of non representative cases

• data collection is unstructured

• the outcome is to develop an initial understanding

Quantitative Research

To quantify data and generalize the results from the sample to the population of interest.

• large number of representative cases

• data collection is structured

• the outcome is to recommend a final course of action

Direct (Non Disguised)

Focus Groups & Depth Interview

Indirect (Disguised)

• Projective Techniques

• Techniques

Key Qualifications of a Focus Groups

• Kindness with firmness

• Permissiveness

• Involvement

• Incomplete Understanding

• Encouragement

• Flexibility

• Sensitivity

Two Way Focus Groups

This allows one target group to listen and learn from a related group

• A group of physicians viewed a focus group of arthritis patients discussion the treatment they desired

Dual Moderator Group

A focus group conducted by two moderators, one is responsible for the flow of the session, and the other ensures that specific issues are discussed

Dueling-Moderator Group

There are 2 moderators, but they take different sides on the issues discussed

• Good cop, bad cop

Advantages of Online Focus Groups

• Geographical constraints are removed and time constraints are lessened

• Unique opportunity to re-contact group participants at a later date

• Can recruit people not interested in traditional focus groups

• Moderators can carry on side conversations with individual respondents

Disadvantage of Online Focus Groups

• Only people that have access to the internet can participate

• Verifying that a respondent is a member of a target group is difficult

• There is a lack of general control over the respondents environment

• Only audio and visual stimuli can be tested

Depth Interview Technique - Laddering

The line of questioning proceeds from product characteristics to user characteristics. This technique allows the researcher to tap into the consumers network of meanings.

• You are the boss

• Wide body planes > More work done > I accomplish more

Depth Interview Technique - Hidden Issue Questioning

The focus is not socially shared values but rather on personal “sore spots”, not on general lifestyles but on deeply felt personal concerns.

• Communicate aggressiveness, high status, and competitive heritage of the airline

Depth Interview Techniques - Symbolic Analysis

Attempts to analyze the symbolic meaning of objects by comparing them with their opposites

• What it would be like you could no longer use airplanes > without places, I would have to rely on emails, letters, and long distance calls

Projective Technqiues

Unstructured, indirect form of questioning that encourages respondents to project their underlying motivation, beliefs, attitudes, or feelings regarding the issues of concern. Respondents are asked to interpret the behaviors of others.

Word Associations

Respondents are presented with a list of words, one at a time, and asked to respond to each with the first word that comes to mind.

Sentence Completion

Respondents are given incomplete sentences and asked to complete them. Generally, they are asked to use first word or phrases that comes to mind

Story Completion

Respondents are given part of a story, enough direct attention to a particular topic but not to hint at the ending. They are required to give the ending in their own words

Picture Response

Respondents are asked to describe a series of pictures of ordinary as well as unusual events. The respondents interpretation of the pictures gives indications of that individual personality.

Cartoon Tests

Cartoon characteristics are shown in a specific situation related to the problem. The respondents are asked to indicate what one cartoon character might say in response to the comments of another character.

Expressive Techniques

Respondents are presented with a verbal or visual situation and asked to relate the feelings and attitudes of other people in the situation

Role Playing

Respondents are asked to play the role or assume the behavior of someone else

Third Person Technique

The respondent is presented with a verbal or visual situation and the respondent is asked to relate the beliefs and attitudes of a third person rather than directly expressing personal beliefs and attitudes

Advantages of Projective Techniques

• They may elicit responses that subjects would be unwilling or unable to give if they knew the purpose of the study

• When they issues are personal, sensitive, or subject to strong social norms

• Helpful when underlying motivation, beliefs, and attitudes are operating at the subconscious

Disadvantages of Projective Techniques

• Skilled interpretation are also required to analyze the responses

• There is a serious risk for interpretation bias

• They tend to be expensive

Data Reduction

Select which aspects of the data are to be emphasized, minimized, or set aside for the project at hand

Data Display

Develop a visual interpretation of the data with the use of such tools as a diagram, chart, or matrix. The display helps to illuminate patterns and interrelationships in the data

Conclusion drawing and verification

Consider the meaning of analyzed data and assess its implications for research question at hand

Concomitant Variation

Extent to which cause, X, and an effect, Y occur together or vary together in the way predicted by the hypothesis under consideration

Time Order of Occurrence

Condition states that the causing event must occur either before or simultaneously with the effect; it cannot occur afterwards

Absence of Other Possible Casual Factors

The factor or variable being investigated should be the only possible causal explanation

Independent Variable

Variables that are manipulated and whose effects are measured

Dependent Variable

Variables which measure the effect of the independent variables on the test units, sales, profits, and market shares

Test Units

Individuals, Organizations, or other entities who respond to the independent variables that affect the response of the test units

Extraneous Variables

All variables other than the independent variables that affect the response of the test units

Experimental Design

Set of procedures specifying the test units and how these units are to be divided into homogenous subsamples

Internal Validity

Refers to whether the manipulation of the independent variables or treatments actually cause the observed effects on the dependable variables. Happens in a lab, you are in control of extraneous variables in a necessary

External Validity

Refers to whether the cause and effect realtionships found in the experiment can be generalized. To what populations, settings, times, can the results be projected. Happens in the field, you cannot control extraneous variables.

History

Refers to specific events that are external to the experiment but occur at the same time as the experiment

Maturation

Refers to changes in the test units themselves with the passage of time

Testing Effects

Caused by the process of experimentation. Typically these effects are on the experimental of taking measure on the dependent variable

Main Testing Effect

Occurs when prior observation affects a later observation

Interactive Testing Effect

Prior measurement affects the test units response to the independent variable

Instrument

Refers to changes in the measuring instrument

Statistical Regression

Occur when the test units with extreme scores move closer to the average score during the course of the experiment

Selection Bias

Refers to the improper assignment of test units to treatment conditions

Mortality

Refers to the loss of test units while the experiment is in progress

Randomization

The random assignment of test units to experimental groups using random numbers. Treatment conditions are also randomly assigned

Matching

Comparing test units on a set key background variables before assigning them to treatment conditions

Statistical Control

Involves measuring the extraneous variables and adjusting for their effects through statistical control

Design Control

Involves the use of experiments designed to control specific extraneous variables

Pre - Experimental Design

Does NOT employ randomization

True Experimental Design

Researcher can randomly assign test units

Quasi Experimental Design

The researcher is unable to achieve full manipulation

Statistical Design

Series of basic experiments that allow for statistical control and analysis of external variables

Limitations of Experiments

• They can be time consuming, particularly if the researcher is interested in measuring long term affects

• They are often expensive

• Can be difficult to administer

• Competitors may deliberately contaminate the results of a field experiment

Measurement

Means assigning numbers or other symbols to characteristics of objects according to certain pre-specified rules

• Children Hospital pain scale

Scaling

Involves creating a continuum (line) upon which measure objects are located

Nominal

Numbers identity and classify objects

• Social security numbers, assigned numbers to runners, football player number

• Marketing Examples: brand numbers, store types, sex classification

Ordinal

Numbers indicate the relative positions of the objects but not the magnitude of differences between them

• Rank order of winners, quality ranking

• Marketing Examples: preference ranking, market position, social class

Interval

Differences between objects can be compared; no true zero

• Performance rating

• Marketing Examples: attitudes, opinions, index numbers

• Numerically equal distance on the scale

Ratio

Zero point is fixed; ratio of scale values can be computed

• Length weight, time to finish in seconds

• Marketing Examples: age, income, sales, market share

Comparitive Scales

Involve the direct comparison of stimulus objects. Must be interpreted in relative terms and have only ordinal or rank order properties

Non - Comparative Scale

Each object is scales independently of the others in the stimulus set. Resulting data are generally assumed to be interval or ratio scaled

Advantages of Comparative Scales

• Small differences between stimulus objects can be detected

• Same known reference point for all respondents

• Easily understood and can be applied

• Involve fewer theoretical assumptions

Disadvantage of Comparative Scales

• Ordinal nature of the data

• Inability to generalize beyond stimulus objects scaled

Comparative Scaling Techniques Paired Comparison Scaling

• A respondent is presented with 2 objects and asked to select one according to come criterion

• The data obtained in nature

• Paired comparison is the most widely used comparative scaling technique

• Paired comparison taste test

Rank Order Scaling

• Respondents are presented with several objects simultaneously and asked to order or rank them accordingly to some criterion

• It is possible that the respondents may dislike the brand ranked 1 in an absolute sense

Constant Sum Scaling

• Respondents allocate a constant sum of units, such as 100 points to attributes of a product to reflect their importance

• The sum of all points in some number (100), puts a weight on the ranking

Incentives for completing surveys can be…

Monetary or Non Monetary

Diversity of Question and Flexibility of Data Collection

• The flexibility of data collection is determined primarily by the extent to which the respondent can interact with the interviewer and the survey questionnaire. The diversity of questions that can be asked depends upon the degree of interaction the respondent has with the interviewer and the questionnaire.

Use of Physical Stimuli

Use of products, product prototype, commercials or promotional displays during the interview

Sample Control

Sample control is the ability of the survey mode to reach the units specified in the sample effectively and efficiently

Quality of Data

The ability to collect large amounts of data

Response Rate

Survey response rate is broadly defined as the percentage of the total attempted interviews that are completed

Control of the Data Collection Environment

The degree of control a researcher has over the environment in which the respondent answers the questionaire

Perceived Anonymity

Refers to the respondents perceptions that their identities will not be discerned by the interviewer or the researcher

Low Incidence Rate

Refers to rate of occurrence of persons eligible to participates in the study

Respondent Control

Methods that allow respondent control over the interviewing process will solicit greater cooperation and are therefore desirables

Structured Observation

The researcher specifies in detail what is to be observed and how the measurements are to be reordered (Quantitative)

Unstructured Observation

The observer monitors all aspects of the phenomenon that seem relevant to the problem at hand (Qualitiatve)

Disguised Observation

The respondents are unaware that they are being observed

Undisguised Observation

Respondents are aware they are being observed

Natural Observation

Involves observing behavior as it takes places in the environment

Contrived Observation

Respondents behavior is observed in an artificial environment (Test Kitchen)

Personal Observation

• A researcher observes actual behavior as it occurs

• Does not attempt to manipulate the phenomenon

Mechanical Observation

• Doesn’t require respondents direct participation or involvement

Audit

Past Records

• The researcher collects data by examining physical records or performing inventory analysis

• Data are collected personally the researcher

Content Analysis

• the objective, systematic, and quantitative description of the manifest content of a communication

• the unit may be words, characters, space and time measured, or topic

• analytical categories for classifying the units are developed and the communication

Trace Analysis

Data collected is based on physical traces, or evidence, of past behavior

Relative Advantage of Observation

They permit measurement of actual behavior rather than reports of intended or preferred behavior

• There is no reporting bias, and potential bias caused by the interviewer and the interviewing process is eliminated or reduces