CH06 Traditional Survey Research Flashcards
define survey research
survey research: the use of a data acquisition form or questionnaire to gather facts, opinions, and attitudes
it is a popular way to gather primary data
why do decision-makers like survey research?
- provides deeper insights into consumer behavior and motivations
- helps understand the decision-making process consumers go through
- provides demographic and lifestyle information about individuals involved in the decision-making process
- assists in identifying causal forces behind consumer actions
- allows for data-driven decision-making based on survey results and market analytics
which 2 major types of error may be encountered in connection with the sampling process?
- random error
- systematic error (aka bias)
what 2 errors fall within sampling errors?
- random error (or random sampling error)
- chance variation
define random error (or random sampling error)
random error (or random sampling error): error that results from chance variation
define chance variation
chance variation: the difference between the sample value and the true value of the population mean
what is a systematic error, or bias?
systematic error, or bias: error that results from problems or flaws in the execution of the research design
sometimes called ‘nonsampling error’
what types of error fall within the systematic error?
- sample design error
- frame error
- population specific error
- selection error
- measurement error
- surrogate information error
- interviewer error
- measurement instrument bias
- input error
- nonresponse bias
- response bias
what is a sample design error?
sample design error: a systematic error that results from an error in the sample design or sampling procedures
define a sampling frame
sampling frame: the list of population elements of members from which units to be sampled are selected
define frame error
frame error: an error resulting from an inaccurate or incomplete sampling frame
what is a population specific error?
population specific error: an error that results from incorrectly defining the population or universe from which a sample is chosen
define selection error
selection error: an error that results from incomplete or improper sample selection procedures or not following appropriate procedures
what is a measurement error?
measurement error: systematic error that results from a variation between the information being sought and what is actually obtained by the measurement process
define surrogate information error
surrogate information error: an error that results from a discrepancy between the information needed to solve a problem and that sought by the researcher
what is an interviewer error, or interviewer bias?
interviewer error, or interviewer bias: an error that results from the interviewer’s influencing–consciously or unconsciously–the answers of the respondent
define measurement information bias
measurement information bias: an error that results from the design of the questionnaire or measurement instrument
also known as ‘questionnaire bias’
what is an input error?
input error: an error that results from the incorrect input of information into a computer file or database
define nonresponse bias
nonresponse bias: an error that results from a systematic difference between those who do and those who do not respond to a measurement instrument
define refusal rate
refusal rate: a percentage of persons contacted who refused to participate in a survey
what is a response bias?
response bias: an error that results from the tendency of people to answer a question incorrectly through either deliberate falsification or unconscious misrepresentation
in relation to response bias, what is deliberate falsification?
deliberate falsification occurs when people purposefully give untrue answers to questions
there are many reasons why people might knowingly misrepresent information in a survey. they may wish to appear intelligent, they may not reveal information that they feel is embarrassing, or they may want to conceal information that they consider to be personal
what are the different types of surveys researchers might want to use?
types of surveys:
- door-to-door interviews
- executive interviews
- mall-intercept interviews
- telephone interviews
- self-administered questionnaires
- mail surveys
define door-to-door interviews
door-to-door interviews: interviews conducted face-to-face with consumers in their homes
what are executive interviews?
executive interviews: industrial equivalent of door-to-door interviewing
define mall-intercept interviews
mall-intercept interviews: interviews conducted by intercepting mall shoppers (or shoppers in other high-traffic locations) and interviewing them face-to-face
what are some disadvantages that come with mall-intercept interviewing?
- it is virtually impossible to get a sample representative of a large metropolitan area from shoppers at a particular mall
- the mall environment is not always viewed as a comfortable place to conduct an interview
- shopping mall traffic has declined dramatically in the past 10 years
list some advantages of telephone interviewing
- telephoning is a relatively inexpensive way to collect data
- the telephone interview has traditionally produced a high-quality sample; 95% of all Americans have some type of phone
what is the disadvantage of telephone interviewing?
main disadvantage: the extremely low completion rate
define call center telephone interviews
call center telephone interviews: interviews conducted by calling respondents fro a centrally located marketing research facility
what is a computer-assisted telephone interview (CATI)?
computer-assisted telephone interview (CATI): they’re call center telephone interviews in which interviewers enter respondents’ answers directly into a computer
what are the advantages of computer-assisted telephone interviews?
advantages of CATIs:
- efficient data entry
- customization of questionnaires
- streamlined skipping and branching
- real-time tabulations
- cost and time savings
- early reporting of survey results
what is a self-administered questionnaire?
self-administered questionnaires: questionnaires filled out by respondents with no interviewer present
what are the general types of mail surveys used in marketing research?
ad hoc mail surveys and mail panels
what are ad hoc mail surveys?
ad hoc mail surveys: questionnaires sent to selected names and addresses without prior contact by the researcher
sometimes called ‘one-shot mail surveys’
what are mail panels?
mail panels: precontacted and prescreened participants who are periodically send questionnaires
how do mail panels operate?
- a sample group is precontacted by letter. In this initial contact, the purpose of the panel is explained, and people are usually offered a gratuity.
- as part of the initial contact, consumers are asked to fill out a background questionnaire on the number of family members, their ages, education level, income, types of pets, types of vehicles and ages, types of appliances, and so forth.
- after the initial contact, panel participants are sent questionnaires from time to time. The background data collected on initial contact enable researchers to send questionnaires only to appropriate households. For example, a survey about dog food usage and preferences would be sent only to dog owners.”
define a longitudinal study
longitudinal study: a study in which the same respondents are resampled over time
what are some tactics employed to increase mail survey response rates?
tactics employed:
- advance postcard e-mail, text message, or telephone call alerting respondent to survey
- follow-up postcard e-mail, text message, or phone call
- monetary incentives (half-dollar, dollar)
- premiums (pencil, pen, keychain, etc.)
- postage stamps rather than metered envelopes
- self-addressed, stamped return envelope
- personalized address and well-written cover letter
- promise of contribution to favorite charity
- entry into drawings for prizes
- emotional appeals
- affiliation with universities or research institutions
- personally signed cover letter
- multiple mailings of the questionnaire
- reminder that respondent participated in previous studies (for mail panel participants)
list the factors that determine the selection of a particular survey methods
determining factors include
- budget: it is important to determine how much money is available for the survey portion of the study. sample size can impact survey error
- need to expose respondent to various stimuli and have respondent perform specialized tasks: taste tests and prototype usage tests usually require face-to-face contact. card sorts, certain visual scaling methods, and the like require either face-to-face contact, the Internet, or mobile
- length of questionnaire: long questionnaires are difficult to do by mail, over the phone, or in a mall
- incidence rate: are you looking for people who make up 1 percent of the total population or 50 percent of the population? if you are looking for a needle in a haystack, you need an inexpensive way to find it. the Internet is probably the best source
- degree of structure of questionnaire: highly unstructured questionnaires, such as IDI, may require data collection by personal interview
- time available to complete the survey: there might not be time to wait for responses via snail mail. the internet or smartphone is the fastest way to go
