Question 1

Focus group reports must translate the qualitative statements of participants into categories and then report the degree of consensus apparent in the focus groups.

Accepted Answer

This statement is true. Focus group reports typically involve categorizing the qualitative statements of participants and reporting on the level of consensus observed among group members.

Question 2

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 3

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 groups. The first is the one described in the statement where focus group members meet in a facility and communicate with clients via the internet. The second form is a virtual focus group where participants join the group remotely from their own computer or device through video conferencing software.

Question 4

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

The sentence completion test is a type of psychological assessment where respondents are provided with incomplete sentences and then asked to complete them in their own words. The goal of the test is to gain insight into the respondent's thoughts, feelings, and experiences related to the topic being explored.

Question 5

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 involves having participants verbalize their thoughts and actions while completing a task. This slows down the decision process and allows for better recall, making it useful in situations where recall may be faulty.

Question 6

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 picture test involves interpreting images, while the "balloon" technique is specific to the Thematic Apperception Test (TAT), where respondents create stories about ambiguous scenes.

Question 7

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 like "Sort Me Up" or "Sort Me Straight" are designed to elicit more emotional and subconscious responses from consumers, encouraging them to bypass their rational controls and engage in deeper, more meaningful dialogues during focus groups.

Question 8

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.

Question 9

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 should allow each participant to see and hear one another, as well as the leader of the group. This promotes open communication and allows for more natural interactions between participants.

Question 10

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

Accepted Answer

Focus groups should be composed of individuals who share similar characteristics such as demographics, lifestyle, and attitudes as it helps to elicit more accurate and valuable feedback.

Question 11

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 still be useful even if the buying process takes place over a long period of time. It involves analyzing the communication, steps, and actions taken during the buying process to identify any areas of improvement or issues that may arise.

Question 12

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

Accepted Answer

Moderators should be involved in the planning stages to understand the objectives, develop questions, and ensure the group is ready for effective facilitation.

Question 13

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 number of participants who are not randomly selected, so they may not accurately represent the views or experiences of a larger population.

Question 14

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

This scenario describes ethnographic research, which involves observing and understanding people in their natural setting and context. In this case, researchers are physically immersed in the seniors' walking groups and listening to their conversations to gain insights into their attitudes and behaviors. This approach allows for a deeper understanding of the seniors' experiences and perspectives than traditional survey or focus group methods.

Question 15

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

Laddering is indeed a technique used in in-depth interviews to identify the underlying values held by consumers and how those values relate to specific product attributes.

Question 16

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

Accepted Answer

An in-depth interview allows the interviewer to ask many additional questions, which can lead to rich and revealing responses from the interviewee.

Question 17

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 are often asked to take on the perspective of a third person and describe how that person would react in a certain situation.

Question 18

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

Accepted Answer

Focus groups are not ideal for predicting or forecasting with precision. They are better for gathering insights and understanding opinions and perceptions.

Question 19

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 as...

Question 20

In-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

In-depth interviews allow for more individualized and personalized responses that are not influenced by group dynamics, making them ideal for understanding decision making at the individual level. Focus groups, on the other hand, rely on group interactions and may not accurately reflect individual decision making.

Quiz 6: Utilizing Exploratory and Qualitative Research Techniques