Survey and quantitative observation techniques - VLE 5 Flashcards
Dance the pain away
What is structured data collection?
Structured data collection refers to a formal questionnaire which presents questions in a prearranged order.
What is a fixed response alternative question?
Questions requiring the participant to choose from a set of predetermined answers. For example, ticking a box indicating your degree of agreement with some given statement (Strongly agree, Agree, …
).
What could be reasons for decrease in response rates?
oncerns about confidentiality
the length of interviews
the relevance of questions
the number of requests
when there is no direct benefit to the company
fears of sugging and frugging.
Sugging (Selling Under the Guise of Research): This occurs when an organization pretends to conduct legitimate research but is actually using it as a cover to sell products or services. For example, a “survey” may end with a sales pitch, damaging trust in the research process.
Frugging (Fundraising Under the Guise of Research): This happens when organizations disguise fundraising efforts as research. For instance, asking for donations after a “study” harms the credibility of genuine research efforts.
What are some contact methods for surveys?
telephone interviews
personal (face-to-face) interviews
mail (postal) interviews
electronic surveys.
Out of Telephone, Personal, Mail, and Electronic contact methods, which have high sample control?
Answer: Telephone, Personal.
Out of Telephone, Personal, Mail, and Electronic contact methods, which face challenges due to difficulty in locating participants at home?
Personal
Out of Telephone, Personal, Mail, and Electronic contact methods, which are affected by the inaccessibility of homes?
Personal
Out of Telephone, Personal, Mail, and Electronic contact methods, which struggle due to the unavailability of a large pool of trained interviewers?
Personal
Out of Telephone, Personal, Mail, and Electronic contact methods, which are poorly suited for a large population in rural areas?
Answer: Telephone, Mail, Electronic.
Out of Telephone, Personal, Mail, and Electronic contact methods, which are impacted by the unavailability of maps?
Personal
Out of Telephone, Personal, Mail, and Electronic contact methods, which are hindered by the unavailability of a current telephone directory?
Telephone and Mail
Out of Telephone, Personal, Mail, and Electronic contact methods, which are limited by the unavailability of mailing lists?
Out of Telephone, Personal, Mail, and Electronic contact methods, which are affected by low penetration of telephones?
Telephones and electronic
Out of Telephone, Personal, Mail, and Electronic contact methods, which are affected by the lack of an efficient postal system?
Out of Telephone, Personal, Mail, and Electronic contact methods, which face challenges with low literacy levels?
Telephone, Mail and Electronic
Out of Telephone, Personal, Mail, and Electronic contact methods, which are best for a face-to-face communication culture?
Personal
Out of Telephone, Personal, Mail, and Electronic contact methods, which are affected by poor access to computers and the internet?
Electronic
What are the key
Speed
Cost
Quality of response
Interviewer bias removed
Data quality (validation)
Contacting certain target groups
What can be disadvantages to online surveys?
Representativeness
Controlling for who is responding actually
Motivation
Security
Privacy
Ethics
What are the criteria for evaluating survey methods?
- Control of field force
- Control of the data collection environment
- Cost
- Flexibility of data collection
- Sensitive information
- Perceived participant anonymity
- Interviewer bias
- Rapport building
- Probing
- Quantity of data
- Response rate
- Sample control
- Social desirability
- Speed
- Use of physical stimuli
Control of field force – the ability to control the interviewers and supervisors involved in data collection.
Control of the data collection environment – the degree of control a researcher has over the environment in which the participant answers the questionnaire.
Cost – the total cost of administering the survey and collecting the data.
Diversity of questions – the diversity of questions which can be asked in a survey depends on the degree of interaction the participant has with the interviewer and the questionnaire, as well as the ability to actually see the questions.
Flexibility of data collection – the flexibility of data collection is determined primarily by the extent to which the participant can interact with the interviewer and the survey questionnaire.
Obtaining sensitive information – sensitive information may mean an issue which is personally sensitive, such as the way in which a participant may be classified or the use of hygiene products. What may be deemed ‘sensitive’ varies enormously between different types of participant.
Perceived participant anonymity – perceived participant anonymity refers to the participants’ perceptions that their identities will not be discerned by the interviewer or the researcher.
Potential for interviewer bias – the extent of the interviewer’s role determines the potential for bias.
Potential to build rapport – rapport may be vital to communicate why the survey is being conducted, with a corresponding rationale for the participant to spend time answering the questions.
Potential to probe – though the interviewer has the potential to create bias in the responses elicited from participants, it is balanced somewhat by the amount of probing which can be done.
Quantity of data – the ability to collect large amounts of data.
Response rate – the survey response rate is broadly defined as the percentage of the total attempted interviews which are completed.
Sample control – sample control is the ability of the survey mode to reach the units specified in the sample effectively and efficiently.
Social desirability – social desirability is the tendency of participants to give answers which they feel to be acceptable in front of others, including interviewers.
Speed – the total time taken for administering the survey to the entire sample.
Use of physical stimuli – the ability to use physical stimuli such as the product, a product prototype, commercials or promotional displays during the interview.
What is a quantitative observation?
Quantitative observation involves recording the behavioural patterns of people, objects and events in a systematic manner to obtain information about the phenomenon of interest. The observer does not question or communicate with the people being observed unless he or she takes the role of a mystery shopper. Information may be recorded as the events occur or from records of past events.
What is the difference between structured and unstructured observation?
For structured observation, the researcher specifies in detail what is to be observed and how the measurements are to be recorded – for example, an auditor performing inventory analysis in a store.
In unstructured observation, the observer monitors all aspects of the phenomenon which seem relevant to the problem at hand – for example, observing children playing with new toys.
What is the difference between disguised and undisguised observation?
In disguised observation:
- the participants are unaware that they are being observed
- disguise may be accomplished by using two-way mirrors, hidden cameras or inconspicuous electronic devices
observers may be disguised as mystery shoppers or sales staff.
In undisguised observation, the participants are aware that they are under observation.
What is the difference between natural and contrived observation?
Natural observation involves observing behaviour as it takes places in the environment – for example, one could observe the behaviour of participants eating a new menu option in Burger King.
In contrived observation, participants’ behaviour is observed in an artificial environment, such as a test kitchen.
How would you classify mystery shopping as an observation technique? Why would you classify it in this way?
Mystery shopping should be classified as ‘personal observation’. The mystery shopper observes actual service delivery behaviour as it occurs. The mystery shopper does not attempt to control those who are observed. The mystery shoppers present themselves as ‘customers’ and a service is delivered to them in a ‘natural’ manner. The service is delivered and the mystery shoppers record their observations.
What is personal observation?
a researcher observes actual behaviour as it occurs
the observer does not attempt to manipulate the phenomenon being observed but merely records what takes place
a researcher, for example, might record the time, day and number of shoppers who enter a shop and observe where those shoppers ‘flow’ once they are in the shop.
What is electronic observation?
In electronic observation, electronic devices rather than human observers record the phenomenon being observed. They are used for continuously recording ongoing behaviour for later analysis. Neuromarketing is concerned with the direct measurement of the brain’s conscious and unconscious response to marketing stimuli.
What are some devices that require and that doesn’t require active user participation?
Devices not requiring participants’ direct participation include:
the AC Nielsen audimeter
turnstiles which record the number of people entering or leaving a building
on-site cameras (still, motion picture or video)
Devices requiring participant involvement include:
eye-tracking equipment
pupilometer
psychogalvanometer
voice-pitch analysis
devices measuring response latency.
What is an audit?
In an audit, the researcher collects data by examining physical records or performing inventory analysis. Data are collected personally by the researcher. The data are based on counts, usually of physical objects.
What is trace analysis?
In trace analysis, data collection is based on physical traces, or evidence of past behaviour. For example:
the selective erosion of tiles in a museum could be used to determine the relative popularity of exhibits
the number of different fingerprints on a page could be used to gauge the readership of various advertisements in a magazine
the radio station playing in cars brought in for service could be used to estimate the audience share of various radio stations
the age and condition of cars in a parking lot could be used to assess the affluence of customers
the magazines people donated to charity could be used to determine people’s favourite magazines
internet visitors leave traces which could be analysed to examine browsing and usage behaviour by using a cookie.
What are the factors for observation techniques?
Degree of structure
Degree of disguise
Natural setting
Observation bias
Analysis bias
What is the difference between qualitative and quantitative observation?
Qualitative observation is laden with interpreting the meaning and significance of consumer acts. A much higher level of theoretical input is needed in the analysis of qualitative observations. This contrasts with quantitative observations where the prime means of analysis involves counting the occurrence of phenomena, allowing a whole array of statistical tests.
Describe the relative advantages and disadvantages of observation.
Advantages are the following.
- Observational methods permit the measurement of many forms of consumer behaviour.
- The potential bias caused by the interviewer and the interviewing process is eliminated or reduced.
- Consumers may not remember or be aware of certain behaviour patterns they display; only by observation may these patterns be captured.
- If the observed phenomenon occurs at relatively frequent intervals and is of short duration, observational methods may cost less and be faster than interview methods.
Disadvantages are the following.
- Little can be inferred about the motives, beliefs, attitudes and preferences underlying the observed behaviour – much interpretation and validation are needed to make inferences.
- Selective perception of the observer can bias what is observed and interpreted.
- In some cases the use of observational methods may border on being unethical because consumer behaviour is being monitored without their explicit knowledge or consent.
