Deck 7: Asking Good Questions

Question 1

Which of the following statements is INCORRECT with respect to a nominally classified variable?

A) Counting is the only permissible operation.
B) The median is a permissible measure of central tendency.
C) The only property conveyed by the number is identity.
D) When members of a sample have been classified along a nominal scale, it is possible to say what percentage of the sample is classified a certain way.
E) The mode is a permissible measure of central tendency.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

For a scale to have ordinal properties, which of the following must be established?

A) If "a" is greater than "b," then "b" is not greater than "a."
B) If "a" is greater than "b" and "b" is greater than "c," then "a" is greater than "c."
C) If "a" is equal to "b" and "b" is equal to "c," then "a" is equal to "c."
D) All of the above.
E) None of the above.

Answer 2

D

Question 3

Which of the following statements is INCORRECT with respect to ordinally scaled variables?

A) The difference between the first- and second-ranked people is the same as the difference between the second- and third-ranked people.
B) Both the median and mode are permissible measures of average.
C) We can transform an ordinal scale in any way we wish as long as we maintain the basic ordering of the objects.
D) The ordinal scale implies identity.
E) The ordinal scale implies relative standing on the measured attributes.

Answer 3

D

Question 4

Which of the following is(are) permissible measure(s) of central tendency with ordinal scales?

A) Arithmetic mean, median, and the mode
B) Geometric and harmonic means
C) Median and mode
D) Arithmetic mean and median
E) Arithmetic mean

Question 5

Which of the following statements about nominal scales is TRUE?

A) The numbers identify the objects.
B) The numbers order the objects.
C) The median can be used as the measure of average.
D) The mean can be used as the measure of average.
E) Both a and c.

Question 6

Which of the following about interval scales is FALSE?

A) An interval scale exhibits the property of order.
B) Absolute magnitudes cannot be compared using an interval scale because the zero point is established arbitrarily.
C) The number of years the respondent has lived at a particular address is an example of an interval scale.
D) Only a and b
E) a, b, and c.

Question 7

Code words, letters, or numbers used by security and intelligence organizations to form secret codes are examples of what type of scales?

A) Nominal
B) Ordinal
C) Interval
D) Ratio
E) Continuous

Question 8

Regarding measurement basics, we measure:

A) objects.
B) quantities of objects.
C) quantities of attributes of objects.
D) variance among objects.
E) variance among attributes.

Question 9

If he/she wanted to use the highest level of measurement possible, the researcher measuring respondent age would most likely suggest using _____ and a(n) _____ scale.

A) an open-ended item; interval
B) an open-ended item; ratio
C) age range categories; ordinal
D) age range categories; interval
E) an open-ended item; nominal

Question 10

Which of the following scales is reflected by an attribute of an object that represents a non-ordered classification?

A) Nominal
B) Ordinal
C) Interval
D) Ratio
E) Continuous

Question 11

Which of the following is(are) permissible measure(s) of central tendency with ratio scales?

A) Arithmetic mean, median, and the mode
B) Geometric mean
C) Median and mode
D) Both a and b
E) a, b, and c

Question 12

The interchanging or switching of scale values among and between objects does not affect the originally intended purpose of the scale when the scale is:

A) nominal.
B) ordinal.
C) interval.
D) ratio.
E) the interchanging of scale values always affects the purpose.

Question 13

The zero scale value found when measuring marketing variables typically represents:

A) the ordinal nature of the variable.
B) an absolute lack of an attribute.
C) the logical existence of a natural zero point.
D) a point of absolute zero magnitude.
E) a point of indifference to which the value zero is arbitrarily attached.

Question 14

Which of the following about ordinal data is TRUE?

A) An ordinal scale implies order but not identity.
B) The attribute being measured must possess the ordinal property to allow ordinal scaling that is meaningful.
C) With an ordinal scale, we can say the difference between the first and second is the same as the difference between the second and the third.
D) The calculation of means is appropriate with ordinal data.
E) Time is a good example of an ordinal scale.

Question 15

As defined in the text, measurement consists of:

A) the assignment of numbers (representing quantities of attributes) to objects according to rules.
B) using a given scale to make comparisons.
C) determining the frequency of a particular attribute.
D) the assigning of numbers (denoting aggregates of properties) solely for identification purposes.
E) numbers which can be assigned to the physical properties of objects.

Question 16

Which of the following is TRUE?

A) The recording of a respondent's social class using the categories upper, middle, and lower represents the use of a nominal scale.
B) An ordinal scale can be transformed in any manner possible, provided that the basic ordering of the objects is maintained.
C) When the scale has an arbitrary zero point, it makes sense to say that A is twice as much as B.
D) Interval scales possess an absolute zero point whereas ordinal scales do not.
E) All the statements are false.

Question 17

The notion that equal differences among scores represent equal differences in the amount of the attribute possessed by the object applies to _____ scales.

A) nominal
B) ordinal
C) interval
D) ratio
E) interval and ratio

Question 18

Which of the following about a nominal scale is FALSE?

A) You are studying the product life cycle phenomenon attempting to classify certain products into the following stages: introduction, growth, maturity, saturation, and decline. This represents nominal scaling.
B) With a nominal scale, the numbers assigned to individuals or categories are arbitrary.
C) The respondent's gender is an example of a nominal scale.
D) Both a and b
E) a, b, and c.

Question 19

The ordinal scale represents a higher level of measurement than the nominal scale in that:

A) the assigned numerals serve to identify the objects.
B) the magnitude of the differences in the objects is shown.
C) the assigned numerals represent the order as well as identifying the object.
D) it has a natural zero.
E) it has an arbitrary zero.

Question 20

Which of the following is the most complete description of permissible measures of central tendency for an interval scale?

A) Arithmetic mean, median, mode
B) Geometric mean, mode, median
C) Median, mode
D) Arithmetic mean, geometric mean
E) Mode, arithmetic mean

Question 21

Which of the following can be measured?

A) Weight
B) Height
C) Attitude
D) Both a and b
E) a, b, and c

Question 22

In a recent survey, individuals who brushed their teeth often under-reported the activity, while individuals who brushed their teeth less frequently over-reported their dental hygiene behavior. The possible cause for differences in scores could best be attributed to:

A) a true difference in the characteristic being measured.
B) differences due to situational factors.
C) differences due to temporary personal factors.
D) true differences in other relatively stable characteristics of the individuals.
E) differences due to variations in administration.

Question 23

The number of "outs" in a baseball game is measured on a(n):

A) ratio scale.
B) interval scale.
C) ordinal scale.
D) nominal scale.
E) categorical scale.

Question 24

Which of the following is FALSE?

A) With a ratio scale, it is possible to have zero amount of some attribute.
B) There are few psychological constructs that can reasonably be assumed to have a natural or absolute zero.
C) When using a ratio scale, it is inappropriate to calculate a mean score.
D) Both a and b
E) a, b, and c.

Question 25

It is reasonable to state that one object has twice as much of the attribute property when it has a score of 60 and the other object has a score of 30 when measurement is on a(n) _____ scale.

A) nominal
B) ordinal
C) interval
D) ratio
E) interval or ordinal

Question 26

Which type of scale assumes an arbitrary zero point?

A) Ratio
B) Median
C) Interval
D) Nominal
E) Ordinal

Question 27

You have been assigned the task of evaluating consumer acceptance of, and favorability toward, a new product that a company has just test marketed in your area. In order to determine the degree to which consumers hold favorable attitudes toward the product, what is the lowest level of scale that you can use?

A) Nominal
B) Ordinal
C) Interval
D) Ratio
E) Need more information

Question 28

Which of the following is NOT true when a scale is a ratio scale?

A) The scale allows for comparison of the absolute magnitude of numbers.
B) The zero point is established arbitrarily.
C) If "a" is greater than "b" and "b" is greater than "c," then "a" is greater than "c."
D) If "a" equals "b" and "b" equals "c," then "a" equals "c."
E) The mode and the median are permissible measures of central tendency.

Question 29

Which of the following is TRUE?

A) Age is an example of a ratio scale.
B) The number of children in the family is an example of an interval scale.
C) Brand names of automobiles owned is an example of an ordinal scale.
D) A person's monthly gasoline expenditure in dollars is an example of a ratio scale.
E) Both a and d.

Question 30

Which of the following is FALSE?

A) Interval scales allow researchers to compare the absolute magnitude of numbers.
B) A ratio scale differs from an interval scale in that the ratio scale has a natural zero.
C) Determination of absolute zero is difficult with measurements in marketing.
D) Both a and b
E) a, b, and c.

Question 31

Validity is:

A) concerned with the relationships of random error with systematic error.
B) equal to the true score plus the systematic error.
C) equal to the true score plus systematic error minus random error.
D) concerned with the extent to which differences in scores reflect true differences in the characteristic.
E) concerned with the extent to which differences in scores reflect instability in the measurements.

Question 32

Which of the following statements concerning measurement is FALSE?

A) Properties of the attributes must first be determined before measurement begins.
B) Numbers are assigned to accurately reflect properties of an attribute.
C) Typically, researchers recognize five "levels" of measurement.
D) Both a and b
E) a, b, and c.

Question 33

Due to a misunderstanding of his instructions, a research assistant consistently entered the upper value of an attitude scale as a "6" instead of a "7" when keypunching data for his boss. This is an example of:

A) systematic error.
B) arbitrary error.
C) random error.
D) scaling error.
E) marginal error.

Question 34

Which of the following statements is FALSE with regard to ratio scales?

A) A ratio scale exhibits the property of identity.
B) With a ratio scale, the comparison of the absolute magnitude of the numbers is legitimate.
C) A ratio scale possesses a natural zero point.
D) The geometric mean is a meaningful measure of average with a ratio scale.
E) A ratio scale allows the comparison of absolute magnitudes but not the differences in magnitudes.

Question 35

With an interval scale:

A) we cannot compare the absolute magnitude of numbers.
B) we cannot state that the difference between 0.25 and 0.50 is the same as the difference between 37.75 and 38.00.
C) there is a naturally-occurring zero point.
D) the median and the mode are the only permissible measures of average.
E) All of the above statements are false.

Question 36

What factor determines which level of measurement is possible?

A) Properties of the attribute
B) Objects being measured
C) Quantities of attributes of objects
D) Quantities of objects being measured
E) Variance among attributes

Question 37

The magnitude of the differences in objects is shown when which types of scales are used?

A) Interval or ordinal
B) Ratio or ordinal
C) Ordinal or nominal
D) Interval or ratio
E) Nominal or interval

Question 38

Which of the following is an example of an interval scale?

A) Female/male
B) Attitude toward an advertisement
C) Social class
D) Income
E) Number of purchasers

Question 39

_____ scales possess an absolute zero.

A) Nominal
B) Ordinal
C) Interval
D) Ratio
E) Continuous

Question 40

What characteristic must a scale possess in order for researcher to compute the ratio of the magnitude of the numbers?

A) It must have an arbitrary zero point.
B) The range of the absolute scale intervals must be divisible by two.
C) It must use only integers.
D) It must have an absolute zero point.
E) The modal ratio must be greater than two.

Question 41

A person scoring 78 out of 100 possible on a Likert scale indicates:

A) the person has a favorable attitude toward the object.
B) the person has an unfavorable attitude toward the object.
C) the person is neutral toward the object.
D) the person has a favorable attitude when compared to the average score of 60.
E) the person's attitude is twice as favorable as a person's whose score was 39.

Question 42

Which of the following is FALSE?

A) If a measure is reliable, it is not heavily influenced by transitory factors that cause random errors.
B) If an item lacks correlation with other scale items measuring the same construct, there is evidence that the item does not belong and should be deleted.
C) Systematic error is due to temporary aspects of the person or measurement situation, which affects the measurement in irregular ways.
D) Reliability is necessary, but not sufficient, for establishing the validity of a measure.
E) If a set of items all measures the same construct, the responses to the items should be correlated.

Question 43

If a respondent says his income is over $100,000 per annum when, in fact, it is $50,000 per annum, the difference between the true and actual measurement of income in this case could be said to LACK:

A) reliability.
B) validity.
C) both a and b
D) neither a nor b.
E) nominal scale.

Question 44

What type of scale would be one way to collect marketing research data in African countries that have a high illiteracy problem and where people cannot converse in English?

A) Semantic-differential scale
B) Stapel scale
C) Faces scale
D) Likert scale
E) Graphic-ratings scale

Question 45

Identify the type of scale from the following data. "What is your gender?" 1 Male 2 Female

A) Nominal scale
B) Ordinal scale
C) Interval scale
D) Ratio scale
E) Likert scale

Question 46

One hundred sports writers are given a survey and asked to rank basketball players in categories such as rebounding, points scored, and assists. The results of the survey indicate that most sports writers agree on the top 10 players, within the given categories. This is evidence of:

A) reliability.
B) concurrent validity.
C) efficacy.
D) predictive validity.
E) construct validity.

Question 47

Consider the following question: How much would you be willing to pay in annual premium for a $100,000 home insurance policy? Check appropriate category:
_____ < $25 per month
_____ $26 to $40 month
_____ $41 to $55 month
_____ > $55 per month
This is an example of a _____ scale.

A) nominal
B) ordinal
C) interval
D) ratio
E) Likert

Question 48

What type of scale is the following? Indicate your opinion about services Continental Airlines provides, by placing an "X" at the appropriate position on the lines below.

A) Stapel scale
B) Likert scale
C) Semantic-differential scale
D) Graphic-ratings scale
E) Summated-ratings scale

Question 49

Identify the type of scale from amongst the following. South Koreans cars are of:

A) Stapel scale
B) Likert scale
C) Summated-ratings scale
D) Graphic-ratings scale
E) Semantic-differential scale

Question 50

Which of the following is TRUE?

A) Three aspects of validity - pragmatic, content, and construct - are not only conceptually independent but are in actual practice rarely related to each other.
B) A measure has been used repeatedly and has produced almost identical answers; therefore this instrument is valid.
C) Random error is less troublesome than systematic error.
D) Both a and b
E) a, b, and c.

Question 51

When the scale type is nominal, the appropriate measure of central tendency is _____. When the scale type is interval or ratio, the appropriate measure of central tendency is:

A) mode; mean.
B) median; mean.
C) mean; mode.
D) mean; median.
E) mode; median.

Question 52

What type of scale is the following? Indicate your overall opinion about Dell computers by circling one of the following categories:

A) Stapel scale
B) Constant-sum scale
C) Comparative-ratings scale
D) Graphic-ratings scale
E) Itemized-ratings scale

Question 53

In a survey, customers are asked to indicate how important courteous service is by placing an "X" in the appropriate box. The boxes are labeled as "not important," "somewhat important," "fairly important," and "very important." These labels are:

A) motherhood attributes.
B) alternatives.
C) reverse-scaled items.
D) comparative-ratings scales.
E) anchors.

Question 54

When we repeat a measurement on an individual or group of individuals and do not get the same score as the first time we did the measurement (assuming the characteristic being measured has not changed), a _____ error is present.

A) systematic
B) researcher
C) random
D) scaling
E) marginal

Question 55

What type of scale is the following? What was your annual gross income (before taxes) last year? $_____.

A) Nominal scale
B) Ordinal scale
C) Interval scale
D) Ratio scale
E) Constant-sum scale

Question 56

A study was done on the campus of a major state institution to measure attitudes of students toward the recent fee increase. One question asks respondents to rank the following five fees on a scale of 1 to 5, where 1 = most willing and 5 = least willing. _____ Computer fee
_____ Library fee
_____ Parking fee
_____ Student Center fee
_____ Kinesiology Building fee
This is an example of a(n) _____ scale.

A) nominal
B) ordinal
C) interval
D) ratio
E) none of the above

Question 57

When using the semantic-differential technique, researchers:

A) watch for observable responses from subjects.
B) ask subjects to memorize facts for future recall.
C) utilize word-association and sentence completion tests.
D) generate a list of bipolar adjectives or phrases.
E) calculate a total score for each subject by averaging the scores across items.

Question 58

Which of the following statements about a Likert scale is FALSE?

A) The Likert scale is one of the most widely used attitude-scaling techniques in marketing research.
B) The subject indicates his/her degree of agreement or disagreement with each statement.
C) Researchers anchor only the endpoints of the scale.
D) A total score for each subject can be calculated by adding or averaging the scores across items.
E) Subjects can indicate the intensity of their feelings.

Question 59

Identify the type of scale from the following data. Indicate your agreement or disagreement with the following statement: Prices at Target are unreasonable (circle one).

A) Stapel scale
B) Likert scale
C) Semantic-differential scale
D) Graphic-ratings scale
E) Constant-sum scale

Question 60

When students of a marketing research course are asked to allocate 100 points among four members of the group to represent the effort put forth by each member, this is an example of what type of scale?

A) Graphic-ratings scale
B) Semantic-differential scale
C) Constant-sum scale
D) Stapel scale
E) Likert scale

Question 61

Error in measurement that is also known as constant error since it affects the measurement in a constant way is called ____________________ error.

Question 62

The four types of scales used to measure an attribute are ____________________, ____________________, ____________________, and ____________________.

Question 63

Sometimes a researcher will include an internal consistency check to ensure that reliable answers are being given by respondents. This is normally carried out by having two different questions that measure the same construct embedded somewhere in the questionnaire.

Question 64

Almost nothing in marketing research can be measured without error.

Question 65

Which of the following is TRUE about a composite measure?

A) It is less diagnostic than a global measure.
B) It provides comprehensive information on the phenomenon being studied.
C) It cannot be used by companies trying to study all aspects of customer satisfaction.
D) It can determine the overall summary judgement of customer feelings.
E) It restricts the use of a wide-ranging set of attitudes.

Question 66

Any scale or other measurement instrument that actually measures what it was intended to measure is said to have ____________________.

Question 67

Hamburger Haven distributes a simple survey to determine the overall summary judgment of customers' feelings about the company by using:

A) a normative standard.
B) a raw score.
C) a global measure.
D) a composite measure.
E) none of the above.

Question 68

Consistency is the hallmark of validity.

Question 69

____________________ is the ability of a measure to obtain similar scores for the same object, trait, or construct across time, across different evaluators, or across he items forming the measure.

Question 70

Discuss in detail the two types of errors that may affect measurement scores.

Question 71

Reliability is necessary but not sufficient for establishing the validity of a measure.

Question 72

A ratio scale allows the comparison of absolute magnitudes but not the differences in magnitude.

Question 73

Random error affects the measurement in a constant way.

Question 74

With an interval scale, the researcher can determine mean scores on measures in addition to median and modal scales.

Question 75

Subjects are instructed to place an "X" on a line to indicate their feeling. They are told to place the "X" closer to the right the more they agree with a specific statement. This is:

A) itemized scale.
B) graphic-ratings scale.
C) thermometer scale.
D) semantic-differential scale.
E) summated-ratings scale.