Question 1

Using the set of symbols commonly used in marketing research to denote experimental designs, which symbol below represents the exposure of a group to an independent variable, treatment, or event?

Accepted Answer

The X symbol is commonly used to represent the exposure of a group to an independent variable, treatment, or event in experimental designs.

Question 2

Experimental design is the set of experimental procedures specifying the test units and sampling procedures and all of the following EXCEPT specifying ________.

Accepted Answer

Experimental design specifies the independent and dependent variables, the plan for data analysis, how to control extraneous variables, and the test stimuli. Therefore, the only option that is not specified by experimental design is the plan for data analysis, making option C the correct answer.

Question 3

Individuals, organizations, or other entities whose responses to independent variables or treatments being studied are called ________.

Accepted Answer

Test units are the individuals, organizations, or other entities whose responses are being studied. Hypotheses are statements that are being tested, independent variables are the variables being manipulated, and dependent variables are the variables being measured. Corollaries are statements that follow from a previously established idea or principle.

Question 4

All of the following are good examples of test units EXCEPT ________.

Accepted Answer

Price levels are not test units; they are variables that can be manipulated or measured in experiments. Test units typically refer to entities like consumers, stores, geographic areas, or households where tests or experiments are conducted.

Question 5

Which experimental design means that two groups of test units were randomly assigned to two different treatment groups at the same time, and the dependent variable was measured in the two groups simultaneously?

Accepted Answer

This experimental design is called a parallel design or two-group posttest-only design. It involves random assignment of test units to two treatment groups (R), followed by the application of the treatment (X1 or X2), and then the measurement of the dependent variable (O1 or O2). The two groups are measured simultaneously, which reduces the potential confounding effects of time or history. This design allows for a comparison of the mean differences between the treatment groups and provides a more rigorous test of the treatment effect.

Question 6

The process of manipulating one or more independent variables and measuring their effect on one or more dependent variables while controlling for the extraneous variables is called a(n)________.

Accepted Answer

The process of manipulating independent variables and measuring their effect on dependent variables while controlling for extraneous variables is the definition of an experiment.

Question 7

All of the following are good examples of dependent variables EXCEPT ________.

Accepted Answer

Consumers are not a dependent variable, as they themselves do not depend on any factor or variable. Rather, they are often considered an independent variable that can affect other dependent variables such as sales, profits, market share, and attitudes.

Question 8

Concomitant ________ occurs when the presumed cause and presumed effect are both present and both vary in a manner predicted by the researcher's hypothesis.

Accepted Answer

Concomitant variation refers to a situation in research where both the presumed cause and effect vary together in the manner predicted by the hypothesis, indicating a potential causal relationship.

Question 9

Variables other than the independent variables that influence the response of the test units are called ________.

Accepted Answer

Extraneous variables are those that are not intentionally varied or controlled by the researcher, but may still have an effect on the response of the test units. These variables are often a source of error and can weaken the validity of the study.

Question 10

The ________ is not exposed to the independent variable manipulation but provides a point of comparison when examining the effects of these manipulations on the dependent variable.

Accepted Answer

The control group is not exposed to the independent variable manipulation but serves as a comparison group to measure the effects of the manipulation on the dependent variable. The other options are not commonly used terms in experimental design.

Question 11

________ refers to whether the cause-and-effect relationships found in the experiment remain the same when replicated in a larger population.

Accepted Answer

External validity refers to the extent to which the findings of a study can be generalized to other populations, settings, and situations. It assesses whether the results obtained in a particular study can be replicated in other samples or contexts. Thus, external validity is concerned with the external validity of a study's results. Internal validity refers to the extent to which the experimental results observed in the study are due to the manipulation of the independent variable and not some other extraneous variable. Extraneous validity refers to the control of extraneous variables that may affect the outcome of the study. Control validity refers to the degree to which experimental variables or factors that can influence the outcome of the study are held constant or controlled. Population validity refers to the degree to which the findings of a study can be generalized to the population from which the sample is drawn.

Question 12

All of the following are good examples of independent variables EXCEPT ________.

Accepted Answer

Sales is not an example of an independent variable, as it is the dependent variable being influenced by the independent variables. The other options (price levels, package designs, advertising themes, and gender) can all be manipulated or varied to observe their effects on the dependent variable.

Question 13

________ is the extent to which a cause, X, and an effect, Y, occur together or vary together in the way predicted by the hypothesis under consideration.

Accepted Answer

Concomitant variation refers to the extent to which a cause and an effect occur together or vary together as predicted by the hypothesis. The other options (A, B, D) are important factors in establishing causality, but they do not directly relate to concomitant variation.

Question 14

________ variables are variables that are manipulated by the researcher and whose effects are measured and compared.

Accepted Answer

Independent variables are manipulated by the researcher in order to observe their effects on the dependent variable. Dependent variables are the ones that are measured and compared as they are affected by the independent variable. Extraneous variables are not directly manipulated by the researcher but can still affect the outcome of the experiment. Interdependent variables refer to variables that are related and affect each other in some way. The term "test unit" is not commonly used in the context of variables in research.

Question 15

Which of the conditions must be satisfied in order to justify the inference of a possible causal relationship between two variables? i. Concomitant variation
Ii) Time order of occurrence of variables
Iii) Absence of other possible causal factors
Iv) Sterile measurement environment

Accepted Answer

Concomitant variation (i) indicates that changes in one variable are associated with changes in another, suggesting a possible causal link. Time order of occurrence (ii) is necessary to establish which variable could be causing the other. The absence of other possible causal factors (iii) helps rule out alternative explanations. A sterile measurement environment (iv) is not a requirement for inferring causality; real-world conditions often involve variables interacting in complex environments.

Question 16

According to the text, a(n)________ is the group exposed to the manipulated independent variable.

Accepted Answer

The experimental group is the group that is exposed to the manipulated independent variable, while the control group is not exposed to this variable. The other answer choices (B, D, E) are not commonly used terms in experimental research design.

Question 17

According to the text, experiments can be described in terms of all of the following EXCEPT ________.

Accepted Answer

The text mentions independent variables, dependent variables, and extraneous variables as key components of experiments. However, it does not mention interdependent variables. Therefore, B is the correct answer. Option E is incorrect because it includes extraneous variables which are actually mentioned in the text.

Question 18

________ implies that the occurrence of X increases the probability of the occurrence of Y.

Accepted Answer

Causality is the philosophical concept that X causes Y, and if X occurs, the probability of Y occurring increases. Probability only suggests the likelihood of an event occurring, whereas causality implies a direct relationship between two variables. Reliability, validity, and true scores are concepts related to the measurement of variables and data analysis.

Question 19

Variables that measure the effect of the independent variables on the test units are called ________.

Accepted Answer

Dependent variables are the variables that measure the effect of the independent variables on the test units. They are called dependent because their value depends on the independent variables being tested. The other options are not relevant to measuring the effect of the independent variables.

Question 20

________ refers to whether the manipulation of the independent variables or treatments actually caused the observed effects on the dependent variables.

Accepted Answer

Internal validity refers to whether the observed effects on the dependent variable are actually caused by manipulation of the independent variable or other extraneous factors. It is the extent to which we can be confident that the results of a study are actually demonstrating what they appear to be demonstrating.

Quiz 6: Experimentation and Causal Research