CH06 Traditional Survey Research

Question 1

define survey research

Answer 1

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

Question 2

why do decision-makers like survey research?

Answer 2

• 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

Question 3

which 2 major types of error may be encountered in connection with the sampling process?

Answer 3

• random error
• systematic error (aka bias)

Question 4

what 2 errors fall within sampling errors?

Answer 4

• random error (or random sampling error)
• chance variation

Question 5

define random error (or random sampling error)

Answer 5

random error (or random sampling error): error that results from chance variation

Question 6

define chance variation

Answer 6

chance variation: the difference between the sample value and the true value of the population mean

Question 7

what is a systematic error, or bias?

Answer 7

systematic error, or bias: error that results from problems or flaws in the execution of the research design

sometimes called ‘nonsampling error’

Question 8

what types of error fall within the systematic error?

Answer 8

• 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

Question 9

what is a sample design error?

Answer 9

sample design error: a systematic error that results from an error in the sample design or sampling procedures

Question 10

define a sampling frame

Answer 10

sampling frame: the list of population elements of members from which units to be sampled are selected

Question 11

define frame error

Answer 11

frame error: an error resulting from an inaccurate or incomplete sampling frame

Question 12

what is a population specific error?

Answer 12

population specific error: an error that results from incorrectly defining the population or universe from which a sample is chosen

Question 13

define selection error

Answer 13

selection error: an error that results from incomplete or improper sample selection procedures or not following appropriate procedures

Question 14

what is a measurement error?

Answer 14

measurement error: systematic error that results from a variation between the information being sought and what is actually obtained by the measurement process

Question 15

define surrogate information error

Answer 15

surrogate information error: an error that results from a discrepancy between the information needed to solve a problem and that sought by the researcher

Question 16

what is an interviewer error, or interviewer bias?

Answer 16

interviewer error, or interviewer bias: an error that results from the interviewer’s influencing–consciously or unconsciously–the answers of the respondent

Question 17

define measurement information bias

Answer 17

measurement information bias: an error that results from the design of the questionnaire or measurement instrument

also known as ‘questionnaire bias’

Question 18

what is an input error?

Answer 18

input error: an error that results from the incorrect input of information into a computer file or database

Question 19

define nonresponse bias

Answer 19

nonresponse bias: an error that results from a systematic difference between those who do and those who do not respond to a measurement instrument

Question 20

define refusal rate

Answer 20

refusal rate: a percentage of persons contacted who refused to participate in a survey

Question 21

what is a response bias?

Answer 21

response bias: an error that results from the tendency of people to answer a question incorrectly through either deliberate falsification or unconscious misrepresentation

Question 22

in relation to response bias, what is deliberate falsification?

Answer 22

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

Question 23

what are the different types of surveys researchers might want to use?

Answer 23

types of surveys:
- door-to-door interviews
- executive interviews
- mall-intercept interviews
- telephone interviews
- self-administered questionnaires
- mail surveys

Question 24

define door-to-door interviews

Answer 24

door-to-door interviews: interviews conducted face-to-face with consumers in their homes

Question 25

what are executive interviews?

Answer 25

executive interviews: industrial equivalent of door-to-door interviewing

Question 26

define mall-intercept interviews

Answer 26

mall-intercept interviews: interviews conducted by intercepting mall shoppers (or shoppers in other high-traffic locations) and interviewing them face-to-face

Question 27

what are some disadvantages that come with mall-intercept interviewing?

Answer 27

1. it is virtually impossible to get a sample representative of a large metropolitan area from shoppers at a particular mall
2. the mall environment is not always viewed as a comfortable place to conduct an interview
3. shopping mall traffic has declined dramatically in the past 10 years

Question 28

list some advantages of telephone interviewing

Answer 28

1. telephoning is a relatively inexpensive way to collect data
2. the telephone interview has traditionally produced a high-quality sample; 95% of all Americans have some type of phone

Question 29

what is the disadvantage of telephone interviewing?

Answer 29

main disadvantage: the extremely low completion rate

Question 30

define call center telephone interviews

Answer 30

call center telephone interviews: interviews conducted by calling respondents fro a centrally located marketing research facility

Question 31

what is a computer-assisted telephone interview (CATI)?

Answer 31

computer-assisted telephone interview (CATI): they’re call center telephone interviews in which interviewers enter respondents’ answers directly into a computer

Question 32

what are the advantages of computer-assisted telephone interviews?

Answer 32

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

Question 33

what is a self-administered questionnaire?

Answer 33

self-administered questionnaires: questionnaires filled out by respondents with no interviewer present

Question 34

what are the general types of mail surveys used in marketing research?

Answer 34

ad hoc mail surveys and mail panels

Question 35

what are ad hoc mail surveys?

Answer 35

ad hoc mail surveys: questionnaires sent to selected names and addresses without prior contact by the researcher

sometimes called ‘one-shot mail surveys’

Question 36

what are mail panels?

Answer 36

mail panels: precontacted and prescreened participants who are periodically send questionnaires

Question 37

how do mail panels operate?

Answer 37

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.”

Question 38

define a longitudinal study

Answer 38

longitudinal study: a study in which the same respondents are resampled over time

Question 39

what are some tactics employed to increase mail survey response rates?

Answer 39

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)

Question 40

list the factors that determine the selection of a particular survey methods

Answer 40

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