Chapter 3 Flashcards
Research is the process of developing and selecting from alternative ways of resolving a problem or choosing from
among alternative opportunities.
False
A market opportunity is a situation that makes some potential competitive advantage possible.
True
The purpose of exploratory research is to provide conclusive evidence for a particular marketing action
False
Descriptive research often helps describe market segments.
True
Descriptive studies are conducted with a considerable understanding of the situation being studied.
True
Concomitant variation is sufficient evidence to determine causality in experiments.
False
Absolute association means that any covariation between a cause and an effect is true and not simply due to some other
variable
False
RATIONALE: Nonspurious association means any covariation between a cause and an effect is true and not
simply due to some other variable.
Terminal causality means the cause is necessary and sufficient to bring about the effect.
False
An experiment is a carefully controlled study in which the researcher manipulates a proposed cause and observes any
corresponding change in the proposed effect.
True
Conditional causality means that a cause is necessary but not sufficient to bring about the effect.
True
Exploratory research is typically conducted in the early stages of decision-making.
True
The first stage in the research process is to plan a research design.
False
Properly defining a problem can be more difficult than solving it
True
The purpose of exploratory research is to refine and narrow the scope of the research topic.
True
A directed search of published works (including periodicals and books) that discusses theory and presents empirical
results relevant to the topic at hand is called a literature review
True
Pilot studies are a formal research method that produce precise results.
False
In its simplest form, a research hypothesis is a “guess” about the outcome of a research study
True
Statistics can be used to prove that a research hypothesis is true
False
One of the major advantages of observation studies is that they record actual behavior rather than relying on reports of
behavior from respondents.
True
There is always one best research design for a marketing research study.
False
A sample of respondents is a subset of the population of interest to the researcher
True
Unobtrusive methods of data gathering are those in which the subjects do not have to be disturbed for data to be
collected.
True
Coding is the application of reasoning to understand the data that have been gathered.
False
Management is most interested in detailed reporting of the research design and statistical findings.
False
A research project refers to numerous related studies that come together to address issues about a single company.
False
\_\_\_\_\_ is the process of developing and selecting from alternative methods of resolving a problem or choosing from among alternative opportunities. a. Marketing b. Marketing research c. Decision making d. Verification
C
Janna discovers a market segment that is underserved by competitors’ products. For Janna’s company, this segment represents a: a. market threat b. market opportunity c. backward linkage d. test market
B
Over the past two years, home values have been decreasing. This is an example of a(n):
a. symptom
b. ambiguous situation
c. descriptive hypothesis
d. causal inference
a
All of the following are types of marketing research EXCEPT ____.
a. exploratory marketing
b. selective marketing
c. descriptive marketing
d. causal marketing
b
Companies, such as Kraft and Procter & Gamble, conduct research to clarify ambiguous situations or discover ideas
that may be potential business opportunities. What type of marketing research is this?
a. inferential
b. causal
c. descriptive
d. exploratory
d
Which type of marketing research address who, what, when, where, why, and how questions?
a. causal research
b. exploratory research
c. descriptive research
d. proscriptive research
c
Which process seeks to diagnose reasons for market outcomes and focuses specifically on the beliefs and feelings
consumers have about and toward competing products?
a. causal research
b. diagnostic analysis
c. concomitant research
d. test-market
b
Which type of research is being conducted when a researcher conducts an experiment to answer the question, “Will
consumers purchase more of our brand if we change the package design?”
a. causal research
b. exploratory research
c. pilot study research
d. descriptive research
a
A conclusion that, when one thing happens, another specific thing will follow is known as a ____.
a. diagnostic analysis
b. manipulation
c. causal inference
d. deliverable
c
Juan has noticed that when the temperature rises, sales at his retail clothing store also rise. This is an example of ____.
a. concomitant variation
b. nonspurious variation
c. diagnostic variation
d. absolute variation
a
Which of the following is the weakest form of causality, but is still a useful concept?
a. absolute causality
b. contributory causality
c. conditional causality
d. secondary causality
b
_____ means that the researcher alters the level of the experimental variable in specific increments.
a. Causality
b. Testing
c. Analyzing
d. Manipulation
d
What is the first stage of the marketing research process?
a. planning a research design
b. defining the research objectives
c. analyzing the data
d. planning a sample
b
What type of research is being conducted to answer the question: "Would this target market be interested in this type of new product?" a. causal research b. exploratory research c. situation analysis research d. descriptive research
b
All of the following are examples of exploratory research techniques EXCEPT:
a. previous research
b. pilot studies
c. case studies
d. experimentation
d
Which procedure refers to a small-scale study in which the results are only preliminary and intended only to assist in design of a subsequent study? a. pretest b. focus group c. primary test d. preliminary study
a
Carol was invited to participate in a research study along with ten other consumers to discuss their experiences using
cleaning products. The group was asked to discuss their experiences and were encouraged to feed on each other’s
comments. What is this type of study called?
a. multivariate research
b. literature review
c. pretest
d. focus group interview
d
A formal, logical explanation of some events that includes descriptions of how things relate to one another is called a(n): a. hypothesis b. theory c. causal statement d. empirical study
b
A statement such as: “Consumers with more favorable attitudes toward our advertising will exhibit more favorable
attitudes toward the brand advertised” is an example of a(n):
a. hypothesis
b. backward linkage
c. forward linkage
d. non-spurious association
a
Which term means that something has been examined against reality using data?
a. causality
b. manipulation
c. empirical testing
d. spurious association
c
When the data from an empirical study are consistent with a hypothesis, we say that the hypothesis is:
a. Rejected
b. Conclusive
c. Supported
d. True
c
Which term refers to a research technique in which a sample is interviewed in some form or the behavior of
respondents is observed and described in some way?
a. experiment
b. observation study
c. survey
d. personal interview
c
All of the following are examples of an observational study EXCEPT:
a. a mystery shopper pretending to be a customer in a McDonald’s outlet
b. a cable laid across the street that records the number of cars that pass a certain intersection
c. scanning and recording bar codes of products purchased
d. a consumer responding to a questionnaire about advertising
d
An employee who pretends to be a customer in order to observe the sales behavior of a clerk at a cosmetics counter in a department store is called a(n): a. secondary data researcher b. mystery shopper c. pilot researcher d. undercover researcher
b
Which refers to any procedure that draws conclusions based on measurements of a portion of the entire population?
a. sampling
b. theorizing
c. segmenting
d. causal inference
a
When drivers are unaware that a machine is recording how many cars pass a certain intersection that is being
considered for a site for a new Wendy’s franchise, this is an example of a(n):
a. obtrusive method
b. unobtrusive method
c. experiment
d. exploratory research study
b
Evan has completed the fieldwork of collecting data, and now he is checking the data collection forms for omissions,
legibility, and consistency in classification. What is Evan doing?
a. analyzing the data
b. editing the data
c. coding the data
d. reporting the results
b
The application of computation, summarizing, and reasoning to understand the information gathered is research is called: a. experimentation b. coding c. theorizing d. analysis
d
When the researcher has only one or a small number of research objectives that can be addressed in a single study, that study is referred to as a: a. research project b. research program c. research assessment d. research snapshot
a
Managers at Procter & Gamble view marketing research at a strategic planning level. Therefore, the company
conducts numerous related studies that come together to help in their product planning decisions. This is referred to as a:
a. research project
b. research program
c. research philosophy
d. research integration
b
The initial stages of a research study that are intended to clarify the nature of the research problem are called
____________________ research.
exploratory
A research design that is intended to describe important characteristics of a population (e.g. age, gender, income) is
called ____________________ research.
descriptive
Research that is conducted to identify cause-and-effect relationships between variables is called
____________________ research.
causal
When two events occur at the same time, we say that they have ____________________ variation.
concomitant
The last stage of the marketing research process is ____________________.
formulating the conclusions and preparing the report
Having an appropriate causal order, or ____________________, is a necessary criterion for causality
temporal sequence
In consulting, the term ____________________ is often used to describe the objectives to a research client.
deliverables
When considering a study, researchers should search for ____________________ reports within the company’s
archives
previous research
A small-scale exploratory research project that collects data from respondents similar to those that will be used in the
full study is called a(n) ____________________ study.
pilot
A formal statement explaining some outcome is called a(n) ____________________
hypothesis
A plan that specifies the methods and procedures that will be used for collecting and analyzing data in a research study
is called a ____________________.
research design
Any procedure that involves selecting a small number of people who are part of a larger population of people is called
____________________.
sampling
Checking the data collection forms to correct omissions, illegibly written responses, and the consistency of answers is
called ____________________.
editing
The application of computation, summarizing, and reasoning to understand the gathered information is called
____________________.
data analysis
The overall series of marketing research projects is called a ____________________.
research program
Compare and contrast exploratory, descriptive, and causal research. Which approach is the best?
Exploratory research is conducted to clarify ambiguous situations or discover ideas that may
be potential business opportunities. It is not intended to provide conclusive evidence from
which to determine a particular course of action. In this sense, it is not an end unto itself, and
researchers usually undertake this form of research with the full expectation that more
research will be needed to provide more conclusive evidence.
Descriptive research describes characteristics of objects, people, groups, organizations, or
environments. It addresses who, what, when, where, why, and how questions. Unlike
exploratory research, descriptive studies are conducted with a considerable understanding of
the situation being studies.
Causal research allows causal inferences to be made. Exploratory and/or descriptive research
usually precedes causal research. In causal studies, researchers typically have a good
understanding of the phenomena being studied and can make an educated prediction about the
cause and effect relationships that will be tested.
No single method is the “best.” The most appropriate type and the amount of research needed
are determined in part by how much uncertainty surrounds the marketing situation motivating
the research. Exploratory research is conducted during the early stages of decision making,
whereas descriptive and causal research are often conducted in the later stages
Explain how a researcher makes causal inferences.
A causal inference can only be supported when very specific causal evidence exists. Three
critical pieces of causal evidence are:
(1) Temporal sequence - deals with the time order of events. The cause must occur before
the effect.
(2) Concomitant variation - occurs when two events “covary,” meaning they vary
systematically. This means that when a change in the cause occurs, a change in the outcome
also is observed.
(3) Nonspurious association - means that any covariation between a cause and an effect is
true and not simply due to some other variable.
List the major stages in the research process
The stages in the marketing research process are:
(1) Defining the research objectives
(2) Planning a research design
(3) Planning a sample
(4) Collecting the data
(5) Analyzing the data
(6) Formulating the conclusions and preparing the report
What is a theory and a hypothesis, and what role do they play in marketing research?
A theory is a formal, logical explanation of some events that includes descriptions of how
things relate to one another. Ultimately, theory plays a role in determining the appropriate
research objectives. A theory is built through a process of reviewing previous findings of similar studies, simple logical deduction, and knowledge of applicable theoretical areas. This
logical explanation helps the researcher know what variables need to be included in the study
and how they may relate to one another. A hypothesis is a formal statement explaining some
outcome. Hypotheses must be testable and should be written as propositions. We often apply
statistics to data to empirically test hypotheses. When the data are consistent with a
hypothesis, we say the hypothesis is supported. When the data are inconsistent with the
hypothesis, we say the hypothesis is not supported. Because our results are based on statistics,
there is always the possibility that our conclusion is wrong, so from an absolute perspective,
statistics cannot prove a hypothesis is true.
Explain the difference between a research project and a research program.
When the researcher has only one or a small number of research objectives that can be
addressed in a single study, this study is referred to as a research project. When numerous
related studies come together to address issues about a single company, it is referred to as a
research program. The program strategy refers to a firm’s overall plan to use marketing
research. It is a planning activity that places a series of marketing research projects in the
context of the company’s marketing plan.
