Question 1

Jamie Sims developed a female public urinal that has the advantage of allowing women to use the restroom much faster. Jamie knows that waiting lines for women's rooms often are present in large, heavily used public facilities such as busy airports or spectator events. She has perfected her urinal and a major plumbing manufacturer is interested in producing and distributing the device. However, the manufacturer wants Jamie to provide some research evidence indicating how receptive women are to using the device. Jamie is concerned about how to conduct the research since the topic is socially sensitive. Given this situation, Jamie should use:

Accepted Answer

Qualitative, projective technique research would be the best choice in this situation. This is because the topic is socially sensitive, and women may not feel comfortable discussing their restroom habits in a group setting. A qualitative approach would allow for in-depth, one-on-one interviews that can explore the nuances of women's attitudes and discomfort with the public restroom. Projective techniques such as role-play or scenario-based questions could also be effective in helping women to express their feelings about using the urinal. Overall, this approach would provide richer, more detailed insights into women's perceptions of the new device.

Question 2

Nissan Motor Corporation sent a Japanese researcher to stay at the home of a California couple as part of a student exchange program. However, the researcher was really spying on the couple to better understand automobile buying behavior. This illustrates:

Accepted Answer

This scenario raises ethical questions because the couple was not aware that they were being observed for research purposes, and their privacy was potentially violated. This highlights the importance of obtaining informed consent from research participants and conducting research in an ethical manner. It is not necessary to disguise observations, and both structured and unstructured observations can be legal and valid research techniques when conducted ethically.

Question 3

Billy Neighbors decides to use a qualitative research technique called "laddering." Which of the following would best describe how laddering could be used by Billy's Pork processing company?

Accepted Answer

Laddering is a qualitative research technique that involves asking a series of questions, starting with the product attributes and moving to the values and goals that those attributes satisfy for the consumer. Therefore, option A describes laddering and how it can be used to determine which specific product attributes (in this case, white meats) are used as a means of achieving the end desired value (good health). Option B only describes determining product attributes, without exploring the values or goals they satisfy for the consumer. Option C describes determining values and goals, but does not include product attributes. Option D describes a step-by-step approach to advertising, which is not specific to laddering. Therefore, the best choice is A.

Question 4

The tax revenue department of a small town located in a dry county decides to sift through collected garbage in the town to assess the amount of alcohol consumed. This is an example of:

Accepted Answer

The tax revenue department is using physical traces (the garbage) to assess the amount of alcohol consumed. This falls under the category of physical traces in research methods. Direct observation would involve directly observing individuals consuming alcohol, and archives would involve analyzing existing records or documents rather than physical traces. Quantitative research refers more to the method of data collection and analysis, rather than the specific type of data being collected.

Question 5

Sue Miller, brand manager for Zippo Cat Foods, wanted to gather some information from cat food buyers. She arranged to conduct several focus groups, each conducted online with as many as 25 to 50 participants. She also wanted to interact with the focus group participants. Sue would be using which type of focus group?

Accepted Answer

Sue is using a nontraditional focus group because it is conducted online and involves a larger number of participants than typical traditional focus groups.

Question 6

Jerri Allen has trained for several months to conduct focus groups. She has just completed her first focus group as the moderator. Which factor should Jerri remember when reporting and using focus group results?

Accepted Answer

When reporting and using focus group results, it is important to categorize qualitative statements and assess the representativeness of the participants. This allows for a better understanding of the findings and how they relate to the broader population. Quantifying all statements or excluding the influence of the moderator are not necessarily required, and focus group reports often consist of more than just videos and audio recordings.

Question 7

A study was conducted on online buyers to determine purchasing differences among buyer segments such as males and females. The research began with a series of focus groups followed by in-depth interviews. Finally, an online survey was conducted of several thousand online buyers. If you had to classify this research, which of the following would be most appropriate?

Accepted Answer

The answer of A study was conducted on online buyers...

Question 8

Physiological measurements are NOT useful when the subject matter is something sensitive and may embarrass persons to the point that they cannot articulate a truthful response.

Accepted Answer

Physiological measurements can sometimes be useful in such situations as they can provide objective data even if the person is unwilling or unable to verbally respond.

Question 9

Earl Chestnut and Ann Arnold were considering conducting a focus group for their company's cookie brand, Oats N' Raisins. Their objective was to understand when and under what circumstances cookies are offered as a snack in households. Earl wanted to recruit 25 people representing the different groups of employers in the city, that is, a medical researcher, a longshoreman, a truck driver, someone from the legal community, and so on. Ann felt it would be better to have a more homogeneous group such as housewives with kids still in school. Which of the following should be chosen?

Accepted Answer

Ann's suggestion of a more homogeneous group of housewives with kids still in school would provide a focused sample to generate in-depth insights on their cookie consumption behavior as a snack. A heterogeneous group may lead to scattered information that does not meet the objective of identifying when and under what circumstances cookies are offered as a snack in households. A combination of the two groups or the use of pluralistic research is not necessary for this particular objective.

Question 10

Wisconsin Research Associates is asked to help name a new product that is a new type of nonfat cheese. Several names are suggested: SkinnyCheese, CheeseSmart, LoFaCheez, and SansCholes. What would be the most appropriate qualitative technique to determine the meanings of these names to customers?

Accepted Answer

A word association test would be the most appropriate qualitative technique to determine the meanings of these names to customers. It would involve presenting each name to customers and asking them to provide the first words that come to mind when they hear the name, which would reveal any connotations or associations with the name. This would provide valuable insights into how customers may perceive each name and which one would be most appealing for the new nonfat cheese product.

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