Deck 5: Research Design

Question 1

What type of research is unstructured and informal?

A) deductive
B) causal
C) exploratory
D) exploitive
E) exhaustive

Answer 1

C

Question 2

Which of the following is true about research design?

A) Research design should be the first consideration in a research project.
B) Research design should be selected after thoroughly considering the problem and research objectives.
C) Research design decisions should be made after data analysis.
D) Research design should be selected during the initial meeting with a client.
E) Research designs should be made after data collection.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

In which of the following situations should exploratory research be used?

A) to measure the relationships among variables
B) when experimentation is needed
C) to define terms
D) in situations in which all of the concepts are clearly defined and measured
E) to determine how variable x causes variable y

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Which of the following is an objective of research?

A) to gain background information
B) to describe marketing phenomena
C) to determine causality
D) all of the above
E) none of the above

Question 5

The process of searching for and interpreting EXISTING information relevant to the research problem can be described as:

A) an experience survey
B) causal analysis
C) exploitive research
D) exhaustive research
E) secondary data analysis

Question 6

Small groups of people brought together and guided by a moderator through an unstructured, spontaneous discussion for the purpose of gaining information relevant to the research problem can be categorized under which type of research design?

A) exploratory research
B) causal research
C) deductive research
D) exploitive research
E) exhaustive research

Question 7

Which of the following is the best description of research design?

A) a set of advance decisions that makes up the master plan specifying the methods and procedures for collecting and analyzing the needed information
B) a marketing term or concept involved in the marketing management problem that will be researched
C) the specific pieces of information are necessary to solve the problem at hand
D) a list from which sample elements are drawn from the sample, which contains all of the elements in the population being studied
E) a set of advance decisions that are made after the data have been collected in order to determine how the data will be analyzed

Question 8

The various types of research design include:

A) exploratory, exploitive, and competitive
B) deductive, descriptive, and exploitive
C) exploratory, causal, and competitive
D) causal, experimental, and exhaustive
E) exploratory, descriptive, and causal

Question 9

Appropriate methods for conducting exploratory research would include:

A) secondary data analysis
B) experiments
C) sample surveys
D) longitudinal research
E) discontinuous panels

Question 10

If the research objective is to gain background information, it is likely that the most appropriate research design would be:

A) exploitive
B) exhaustive
C) deductive
D) exploratory
E) causal

Question 11

Which of the following best illustrates the significance of research design?

A) Because all research problems are different, research designs are applicable only in an academic setting; they cannot be used in the real world.
B) Because research designs may be "matched" to different kinds of problems, the research design may serve as a blueprint for the researcher.
C) Because research designs are like blueprints, they are most helpful during data analysis.
D) Research designs are used after studies are completed and are used to make improvements in future research studies.
E) Research designs are important because clients often decide to fund research if they find the design is pleasing to the eye.

Question 12

What type of research design should a marketing researcher use to find out how many customers there are, what brands they buy and in what quantities, which advertisements they recall, what are their attitudes toward the company, and who is the competition?

A) exploratory research
B) descriptive research
C) causal research
D) explicit research
E) exhaustive research

Question 13

At Momentum Market Intelligence (MMI)a client experiences a 12% decline in market share. Since MMI knows "they don't know what the problem is" the research design they should use is:

A) causal
B) explanatory
C) experimental
D) cross-longitudinal
E) exploratory

Question 14

Which of the following is a type of exploratory research that refers to a review of available information about a former situation(s)that has some similarities to the present research problem?

A) secondary data analysis
B) experience surveys
C) projective techniques
D) case analysis
E) ex post facto studies

Question 15

Which of the following is NOT a situation in which exploratory research should be used?

A) to measure the relationships among variables
B) to clarify problems
C) to establish research priorities
D) to gain background information
E) to clarify hypotheses

Question 16

What is the general purpose of projective techniques?

A) to gain information through small groups of people brought together and guided by a moderator through an unstructured, spontaneous discussion
B) to review available information about a former situation that has some similarities to the present research problem
C) to explore hidden consumer motives for buying goods and services, by asking respondents to project themselves into a situation
D) to gather information from those thought to be knowledgeable on the issues relevant to the projective research problem
E) None of the above; there is no such thing as "projective techniques."

Question 17

What type of research design does the text state should almost always be used in research studies?

A) causal research
B) exploratory research
C) explicit research
D) exhaustive research
E) descriptive research

Question 18

Ray Kroc, a milk shake machine salesman, noticed that one restaurant in California burned up many milk shake machines. He inferred that the restaurant was meeting the needs of the market better than other restaurants. His observation illustrates the use of:

A) observational deduction
B) exploratory research
C) explanatory research
D) causal research
E) discontinuous panel research

Question 19

Experience surveys are used in which of the following ways?

A) to search for and interpret existing information relevant to the research problem
B) to gather information from persons thought to be knowledgeable on the issues relevant to the research problem
C) to review the available information about a former situation(s) that has some similarities to the present research problem
D) to explore hidden consumer motives for buying goods and services by asking participants to project themselves into a situation and then respond to specific questions regarding the situation
E) to use surveys that the researchers have conducted in the past and, therefore, they have experience in how to conduct and interpret the surveys

Question 20

Which of the following is most true about research designs?

A) They follow one another in a step-by-step fashion.
B) It may be that only exploitive research design is appropriate for a given project.
C) Exploitive designs must always follow competitive designs.
D) All designs should include at least some exhaustive research.
E) None of the above is true.

Question 21

Of the following situations, which would be the most appropriate for using a discontinuous panel?

A) to gain insights into changes in consumers' purchases and attitudes
B) to determine if members of the panel switched brands from one time period to the next
C) to measure changes in market shares of brands
D) to measure changes in consumers' price sensitivity
E) to determine how consumers feel about two different product concepts by varying panel questions from one panel measurement to the next

Question 22

An experimental design is a procedure for ensuring that:

A) the change in the dependent variable may be solely attributed to the change in the independent variable
B) the change in the independent variable may be solely attributed to the change in the complex variable
C) the change in the dependent variable may be solely attributed to the change in the extraneous variable
D) any and all effects on all experimental values are measured
E) the manipulation made on the complex variable is measured accurately

Question 23

What type of panel should be used in brand-switching studies?

A) repeatability panel
B) continuous panel
C) inquisitional panel
D) discontinuous panel
E) exploratory panel

Question 24

An experiment is defined as:

A) something men and/or women in white coats do
B) manipulating an independent variable to see how it affects a dependent variable, while also controlling for the effects of additional complex variables
C) manipulating a dependent variable to see how it affects an independent variable, while also controlling for the effects of additional complex variables
D) holding all variables constant to observe any effects of one variable over another over time
E) manipulating an independent variable to see how it affects a dependent variable, while also controlling for the effects of additional extraneous variables

Question 25

Which of the following symbols represents the change or manipulation of the independent variable?

A) I
B) X
C) D
D) C
E) M

Question 26

When a variable exerts influence on the dependent variable and is not an independent variable, we refer to it as a(n):

A) influencing variable
B) extraneous variable
C) unwanted variable
D) complex variable
E) effect variable

Question 27

A panel of respondents is often used in which type of study?

A) longitudinal
B) cross-sectional
C) sample surveys
D) case analysis
E) exhaustive

Question 28

Which of the following designs represents the Before-After with Control Group design?

A) X - O - C
B) E = I X O
C) E = O X O
D) X = E + X + O
E) none of the above

Question 29

Knowledge Networks provides clients with access to Latino households who have agreed to answer research questions sent to them by Knowledge Networks. This service is called:

A) a panel
B) a telephone survey
C) a mail survey
D) an experiment
E) a Latino observation experiment

Question 30

What is the purpose of a market tracking study?

A) to determine if consumers switched brands from one time period to the next
B) to measure some variable of interest, such as market share or unit sales over time
C) to determine the relationship between several variables
D) to search for and interpret existing information relevant to the research problem
E) to keep up with changes competitors are making in their marketing mixes

Question 31

What are the two basic types of studies that are categorized as descriptive research?

A) focus groups and case analysis
B) longitudinal studies and case analysis
C) focus groups and cross-sectional studies
D) case analysis and experiments
E) longitudinal studies and cross-sectional studies

Question 32

Which of the following symbols represents the measurement of the complex variable in an experimental design?

A) O
B) X
C) C
D) Z
E) none of the other answers are correct as there is no such thing as a "complex" variable

Question 33

Longitudinal studies can be described as techniques that:

A) measure the population at only one point in time
B) develop an understanding of a phenomenon in terms of "if-then" conditional statements
C) search for and interpret existing information relevant to the research problem
D) repeatedly measure the same sample units from the population over a period of time
E) studies conducted parallel (longitude) to one another, which allows for comparisons to be made between such studies

Question 34

What type of panel asks the panel members the same questions on each panel measurement?

A) inquisitional panel
B) discontinuous panel
C) repeatability panel
D) continuous panel
E) exploratory panel

Question 35

Which of the following symbols represents the measurement of the dependent variable?

A) D
B) X
C) O
D) C
E) I

Question 36

Which of the following research designs would be considered a quasi-experimental design as discussed in the textbook?

A) Latin Square design
B) One-Group, Before-After design
C) Before-After with Control Group design
D) Prettiest design
E) After-Only design

Question 37

What type of descriptive research study measures a population at only one point in time?

A) sample observations
B) cross-sectional studies
C) longitudinal studies
D) "Point in Time" studies
E) "One Point in Time" studies

Question 38

In an experiment, over which type of variable does a researcher have control and wish to manipulate?

A) dependent variable
B) extraneous variable
C) independent variable
D) complex variable
E) deductive manipulative variables

Question 39

Descriptive studies are conducted to:

A) answer who, what, when, where, and how questions
B) specify the causality in the problem
C) describe previous findings in similar problems
D) answer who, what, when, where, how, and why questions
E) determine if x, then y, relationships

Question 40

What type of research design should a researcher use if he or she wishes to determine the effect of a change in price on the sales of a particular brand?

A) causal
B) exploitive
C) longitudinal
D) exploratory
E) discontinuous

Question 41

Knowledge of research design is helpful because certain designs can be matched with certain problems and this provides a blueprint for the researcher.

Question 42

Research design is confined to predetermining how data are to be analyzed. It is primarily the responsibility of statisticians.

Question 43

Which of the following is a potential use of test marketing?

A) to test the sales potential for a new product
B) to test variations in the marketing mix for a product
C) to test the sales potential for a new service
D) to test variations in the marketing mix for a service
E) all of the above

Question 44

How can it be determined if an experiment is valid?

A) The observed change in the dependent variable is in fact due to the independent variable.
B) The results of the experiment apply to the real world outside the experimental setting.
C) The results do not account for the effects of extraneous variables.
D) The results are reported in well-known news media.
E) A and B are correct.

Question 45

Of the following, which is a potential disadvantage of using a simulated test market?

A) The distribution network may or may not properly represent the firm's actual distribution system.
B) It is often very time consuming.
C) It is often too expensive.
D) It lacks confidentiality.
E) It is not as accurate as full-scale test markets.

Question 46

The four research designs are exploratory, exploitive, descriptive, and longitudinal.

Question 47

What type of experiment involves manipulating the independent variable and measuring the dependent variable in an artificial setting contrived to control extraneous variables?

A) field experiments
B) extraneous experiments
C) laboratory experiments
D) artificial experiments
E) complex variable experiments

Question 48

Which of the following best represents the disadvantages of conducting test markets as discussed by the authors?

A) cost, competitor intervention, and government regulations of test markets
B) infallibility of results, cost, and exposure of product/service to competition and ethical issues
C) cost, delay in getting to the market first, and competitive awareness of the product/service
D) relying on consumers in only one market, using distributors who "know" there is a test, biased results arising from too much executive time being allocated to the test as opposed to normal market conditions
E) Disadvantages were not discussed in the textbook.

Question 49

In experimental designs an R stands for:

A) restricted use of complex variables
B) random assignment of research subjects (e.g., stores) to groups (experimental and control)
C) random assignment of treatments to either the independent or the dependent variables
D) realism; which is appropriate only for studies with external validity
E) There is no R in experimental design terminology.

Question 50

What type of test marketing should be used when a firm wants to test the product and/or marketing mix variables through the company's normal distribution channels?

A) controlled test markets
B) electronic test markets
C) simulated test markets
D) norm test markets
E) standard test markets

Question 51

Which of the following best represents the criteria discussed by the authors to be used in selection of a test market city?

A) representativeness, isolation, and control of distribution and promotion
B) representativeness, isolation, and cost
C) representativeness, existing company presence, and control of promotion
D) representativeness, cost, and control of competitor's intelligence
E) isolation, cost, effectiveness, and control

Question 52

What type of experimental validity is concerned with the extent that the relationship observed between the independent and dependent variable during the experiment is generalizable to the real world?

A) external validity
B) internal validity
C) extraneous validity
D) causal validity
E) confirmed validity

Question 53

What type of experiment involves manipulating the independent variable and measuring the dependent variable in a natural setting?

A) extraneous experiments
B) field experiments
C) laboratory experiments
D) naturalistic experiments
E) eco-experiments

Question 54

Which of the following best illustrates what is meant by "lead country" test marketing?

A) countries should be used as test markets only when they are first (lead) in some demographic characteristic important to the product or service class
B) in situations where a firm wants to evaluate products in the most developed countries first because they are assumed to have the most buying power
C) in situations where the firm is interested in introducing its products and services globally and a single country is used as a test market because it is thought to be similar to the other neighboring countries
D) in situations where there is dominant economic power of one country over those surrounding it
E) in situations where there is dominant political power of one country over those surrounding it

Question 55

Research designs should always be carried out, one after another, in the following order: exploitive, descriptive, and longitudinal.

Question 56

What type of test markets are conducted by outside research firms who guarantee distribution of the product through prespecified types and numbers of distributors?

A) controlled test markets
B) electronic test markets
C) standard test markets
D) simulated test markets
E) guaranteed distribution test markets

Question 57

Marketing research projects vary widely; some are taste tests in "kitchen-like" labs while others may be confined to library research.

Question 58

When are laboratory experiments desirable?

A) when the sample should be representative of the population to which the results are generalized
B) when the experiment's context and conduct are natural so that the subjects behave realistically
C) when the intent of the experiment is to achieve high levels of external validity
D) when the intent of the experiment is to achieve high levels of internal validity
E) when the intent is to achieve high external validity and moderate internal validity

Question 59

Internal validity is concerned with which of the following?

A) the representativeness of the sample test units
B) the extent that the observed relationship between the independent variable and dependent variable is generalizable to the real world
C) the measurement of extraneous variables that are internal to the experimental setting itself
D) the extent to which the change in the dependent variable was actually due to the independent variable
E) the control of the complex variables not having an effect on the independent variable

Question 60

The choice of a research design depends largely upon the research objectives.

Question 61

Discontinuous panels provide data that may be used for brand-switching studies.

Question 62

Descriptive research consists of exploratory research, primary research, and secondary research.

Question 63

Sample surveys are descriptive, cross-sectional studies.

Question 64

Exploratory research is useful in clarifying hypotheses.

Question 65

The advantage of the discontinuous panel is they represent a large group people, stores, or other entity making up the panel that is agreeable to providing information.

Question 66

Exploratory research can be used to help define terms such as "satisfaction with service."

Question 67

Exploratory research is best utilized when little is known about the problem.

Question 68

Projective techniques ask participants to project themselves into a situation and respond to specific questions about that situation.

Question 69

Dirt Devil conducted a one-time survey of consumers and asked them about their attitudes, preferences, and intentions regarding buying vacuum cleaners. This is an example of a cross-sectional study.

Question 70

Longitudinal studies are called such because they are very long, complex surveys. They have large sample sizes and require several months to complete the data analysis.

Question 71

One method of conducting exploratory research is through secondary data analysis.

Question 72

Because descriptive research asks who, what, where, when, and how, it also provides conclusive answers to why.

Question 73

Experience surveys are carried out in order to assess the experience levels of several marketing research firms in order to select the most appropriate firm to conduct the project.

Question 74

Several online research firms such as Information Resources, Inc. (IRI)and ACNielsen use panels as a means of conducting research.

Question 75

Descriptive research is often carried out at the outset of research projects.

Question 76

Focus groups are small groups of people brought together and guided by a moderator through an unstructured, spontaneous discussion for the purpose of gaining information relevant to the research problem.

Question 77

Descriptive or causal research is best used to help gain background information about the problem.

Question 78

Discontinuous panels are sometimes called omnibus panels.

Question 79

Causal research is best utilized to define terms.

Question 80

In the example of brand-switching data provided in the textbook (Pooch Plus dog treats), cross-sectional study analysis provided a totally different conclusion than did the longitudinal data analysis.