Question 1

The sentence completion test is one in which respondents are given incomplete sentences and then asked to complete them in their own words.

Accepted Answer

This is a correct description of the sentence completion test.

Question 2

A preferred seating arrangement in a focus group should allow each participant to see the leader of the focus group but not one another.

Accepted Answer

A preferred seating arrangement in a focus group is one where participants can see and interact with one another along with the leader/moderator. This allows for more natural and free-flowing discussions and encourages participants to build on each other's comments.

Question 3

When the decision process is very short and recall may be faulty, protocol analysis may be useful to slow down the process.

Accepted Answer

Protocol analysis is a method used to understand decision-making processes. When the decision process is very short, protocol analysis can be useful in slowing down the process and allowing for more accurate recall of information.

Question 4

Focus groups should be composed of persons who are similar in terms of demographics and other relevant variables.

Accepted Answer

Composing focus groups of persons who are similar in terms of demographics and other relevant variables helps to ensure that the group is representative of the target population and can provide valuable insights and opinions.

Question 5

One of the disadvantages of focus groups is that they do not constitute representative samples of larger populations.

Accepted Answer

Focus groups typically involve a small group of people (usually 8 to 12) who are chosen based on specific criteria, such as their age or occupation. This means that they are not necessarily representative of the larger population, and their opinions may not reflect those of the wider group.

Question 6

Depth interviews are especially useful when the researcher wants to understand decision making at the individual level and the respondent is not influenced by others, as they may be in a focus group.

Accepted Answer

Depth interviews are conducted one-on-one and provide the opportunity for the respondent to express their thoughts and opinions without the influence of others. This makes them particularly useful for understanding individual decision-making processes. Focus groups, on the other hand, may be influenced by group dynamics and social pressure, making it more difficult to understand individual decision-making.

Question 7

A depth interview has the advantages of allowing the interviewer to probe, asking many additional questions. This leads to rich, sometimes revealing responses.

Accepted Answer

A depth interview is designed to allow the interviewer to ask open-ended questions and follow-up questions to gain detailed and insightful responses from the interviewee. This probing can uncover important information or insights that may not be revealed in a more structured interview format.

Question 8

Laddering is a technique used with in-depth interviews which attempts to determine which product attributes are linked to values held by consumers.

Accepted Answer

This statement is true. Laddering is a technique used in market research to uncover the underlying values and motivations that drive consumers' behavior, and it involves asking a series of follow-up questions that help to identify the connections between product attributes, functional benefits, emotional benefits, and ultimately, the underlying values or goals that are being fulfilled by the purchase.

Question 9

In role-playing, participants are asked to pretend they are a "third person," such as a friend or neighbor, and describe how the third person would react in a certain situation.

Accepted Answer

In role-playing, participants take on the role of a character or third person and act out how they would react in certain situations.

Question 10

One of the disadvantages of physiological measurements is that even when the respondent reacts to a stimulus we can't tell if the response is positive or negative.

Accepted Answer

Physiological measurements can only indicate the presence or strength of a response, but not whether it is positive or negative.

Question 11

Focus groups should be used when something must be predicted or forecast with precision.

Accepted Answer

Focus groups are not designed to predict or forecast with precision. They are more geared towards gathering qualitative insights and opinions from a specific target audience. Other research methods, such as surveys or statistical analysis, may be more suitable for predicting or forecasting.

Question 12

There is only one form of online focus group; focus group members meet in a focus group facility and the focus group is communicated via the Internet to clients who may be in remote locations.

Accepted Answer

There are actually two forms of online focus group: synchronous online focus group, where participants meet virtually in real-time through video conferencing software, and asynchronous online focus group, where participants communicate at their own pace through an online platform or forum.

Question 13

Protocol analysis involves placing people in decision-making situations and asking them to verbalize everything they consider when making a decision.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Protocol analysis involves placing people in decision-making...

Question 14

One way to get consumers to bypass their rational controls and strike up a meaningful dialogue in focus groups is through the use of projective techniques such as "Sort Me Up" or "Sort Me Straight."

Accepted Answer

Projective techniques, such as "Sort Me Up" or "Sort Me Straight," are designed to tap into unconscious feelings and associations that consumers may not be able to articulate through traditional questioning methods. This can help to bypass rational controls and promote more meaningful dialogue in focus groups.

Question 15

Protocol analysis is NOT useful when the buying takes place over a long period of time, such as buying a house.

Accepted Answer

Protocol analysis can be useful in buying a house, especially during negotiations and contract discussions. However, it may not be as helpful in analyzing the entire process of buying a house over a long period of time.

Question 16

In ethnographic research, marketing researchers act exactly as anthropologists, in that they enter into an "immersion" state with consumers and observe their behavior by living with them.

Accepted Answer

The answer of In ethnographic research, marketing researchers act exactly...

Question 17

Moderators of focus groups need not be hired until the focus groups are actually ready to begin.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Moderators of focus groups need not be...

Question 18

The picture test, a projective technique, is carried out by asking respondents to fill in "balloons" drawn above the heads of the actors.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The picture test, a projective technique, is...

Question 19

Marketing researchers walking with seniors in their walking groups and listening to them discuss their hopes, fears, worries, health, family and friends would be an example of an application of ethnographic research.

Accepted Answer

Ethnographic research involves observing and interacting with individuals in their natural settings to gain an understanding of their beliefs, behaviors, and experiences. Walking with seniors in their walking groups and listening to their conversations would provide researchers with valuable insights into their lives, which could be used to develop more relevant and effective marketing strategies.

Question 20

McDonald's conducts a study and finds that there is an increase in the number of consumers who value "healthy foods." These consumers link soy-based meat products with a healthy diet. McDonald's decides to reintroduce the McLean burger. This example illustrates the use of a qualitative research technique known as laddering.

Accepted Answer

The scenario provided describes the use of laddering, a qualitative research technique that explores the connection between product attributes and consumer values. In this case, McDonald's conducted research to understand how consumers associate soy-based meat products with a healthy diet and then reintroduced the McLean burger to cater to this growing interest in healthy food options.

Quiz 8: Observation, Focus Groups, and Other Qualitative Methods