Essentials of Marketing Research 6th Edition By Barry J. Babin – Test Bank

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Chapter 5—Qualitative Research Tools

TRUE/FALSE

1.The focus of qualitative research is on producing “numbers” that can be used in statistical tests.

ANS: F

Qualitative marketing research addresses marketing objectives through techniques that allow the researcher to provide elaborate interpretations of marketing phenomena without depending on numerical measurement.

REF: Introduction: What is Qualitative Research? NAT: BUSPROG: Analytic

2.Qualitative research is subjective in the sense that the researcher must extract meaning from open-ended responses.

ANS:TREF:Introduction: What is Qualitative Research?

NAT: BUSPROG: Analytic

3.Quantitative research is especially useful when it is difficult to develop specific and actionable decision statements or research objectives.

ANS: F

This is a situation in which qualitative research is useful.

REF: Introduction: What is Qualitative Research? NAT: BUSPROG: Analytic

4.Quantitative research usesempirical assessments that involve numerical measurement and analytical approaches.

ANS:TREF:Contrasting Qualitative with Quantitative Methods

NAT: BUSPROG: Analytic

5.Qualitative research is objective.

ANS: F

Qualitative research is subjective.

REF: Contrasting Qualitative with Quantitative Methods NAT: BUSPROG: Analytic

6.Qualitative research is cheaper than quantitative research.

ANS: F

This is not necessarily so.Although fewer respondents have to be interviewed, more researcher involvement in both the data collection and analysis can drive up the costs of qualitative research.

REF: Contrasting Qualitative with Quantitative Methods NAT: BUSPROG: Analytic

7.Quantitative research is used most often in exploratory research.

ANS: F

Qualitative research is most often used in exploratory research.

REF: Contrasting Qualitative with Quantitative Methods NAT: BUSPROG: Analytic

8.Concept testing is a type of exploratory research.

ANS:TREF:Qualitative Research and Exploratory Research Designs

NAT: BUSPROG: Analytic

9.Anthropology represents a philosophical approach to studying human experiences based on the idea that human experience itself is inherently subjective.

ANS: F

Phenomenology represents a philosophical approach to studying human experiences based on the idea that human experience itself is inherently subjective and determined by the context in which people live.

REF: Qualitative Research Orientations NAT: BUSPROG: Analytic

10.Hermeneutics is an approach to understanding phenomenology that relies on analysis of texts in which a person tells a story about him- or herself.

ANS:TREF:Qualitative Research Orientations

NAT: BUSPROG: Analytic

11.Studying cultures using methods that involve researchers becoming highly active within that culture is called ethnography.

ANS:TREF:Qualitative Research Orientations

NAT: BUSPROG: Analytic

12.Observation plays a key role in ethnography.

ANS:TREF:Qualitative Research Orientations

NAT: BUSPROG: Analytic

13.Prospect theory represents an inductive investigation in which the researcher poses questions about information provided by respondents or taken from historical records.

ANS: F

Grounded theory represents an inductive investigation in which the researcher poses questions about information provided by respondents or taken from historical records.

REF: Qualitative Research Orientations NAT: BUSPROG: Analytic

14.Phenomenology refers to the documented history of a particular person, group, organization, or event.

ANS: F

A case study is the documented history of a particular person, group, organization, or event.

REF: Qualitative Research Orientations NAT: BUSPROG: Analytic

15.A primary advantage of the case study is that an entire organization or entity can be investigated in depth.

ANS:TREF:Qualitative Research Orientations

NAT: BUSPROG: Analytic

16.A focus group typically involves a rigid question-and-answer session among participants.

ANS: F

A focus group interview is an unstructured, free-flowing interview with a small group of people.

REF: Common Techniques Used in Qualitative Research NAT: BUSPROG: Analytic

17.Focus groups are relatively fast and easy to execute.

ANS:TREF:Common Techniques Used in Qualitative Research

NAT: BUSPROG: Analytic

18.Piggybacking is a procedure in which one respondent stimulates thought among the others in a focus group.

ANS:TREF:Common Techniques Used in Qualitative Research

NAT: BUSPROG: Analytic

19.The ideal size of a focus group is 20 to 25 people.

ANS: F

The ideal size is 6 to 10 people.

REF: Common Techniques Used in Qualitative Research NAT: BUSPROG: Analytic

20.A focus group moderator needs to be a good listener.

ANS:TREF:Common Techniques Used in Qualitative Research

NAT: BUSPROG: Analytic

21.Laddering is an approach to probing, asking respondents to compare differences between brands at different levels that produces distinctions at different levels.

ANS:TREF:Common Techniques Used in Qualitative Research

NAT: BUSPROG: Analytic

22.Depth interviews are less expensive than focus group interviews, especially if several depth interviews are conducted.

ANS: F

The costs are similar if only one to two interviews are conducted.However, if a dozen or more interviews are conducted, the costs are higher than focus group interviews due to the increased interviewing and analysis time.

REF: Common Techniques Used in Qualitative Research NAT: BUSPROG: Analytic

23.The sentence completion method is based on free-association principles.

ANS:TREF:Common Techniques Used in Qualitative Research

NAT: BUSPROG: Analytic

24.The grounded theory technique (GTT) presents subjects with an ambiguous picture in which consumers and products are the center of attention.

ANS: F

A thematic apperception test (TAT) presents subjects with an ambiguous picture in which consumers and products are the center of attention.

REF: Common Techniques Used in Qualitative Research NAT: BUSPROG: Analytic

25.In online focus group sessions, the moderator’s ability to probe is greater than it is in a face-to-face focus group session.

ANS: F

The moderator’s ability to probe and ask additional questions on the spot is reduced in online focus groups.

REF: Preparing a Focus Group Online NAT: BUSPROG: Analytic

MULTIPLE CHOICE

1.Kodetra is interpreting consumers’ blog postings on the Internet.Which term best describes thetype of research that Kodetra is conducting? 

a.	independent marketing research
b.	dependent marketing research
c.	quantitative marketing research
d.	qualitative marketing research

ANS:DREF:Introduction: What is Qualitative Research?

NAT: BUSPROG: Analytic

2.Which situation is LEAST conducive for qualitative research?

a.	when developingdifficult but actionable decision statements
b.	when needing conclusive evidenceto be drawn from data
c.	when learning how consumers use a product in natural settings
d.	when needing a fresh approach to studying some problem

ANS:BREF:Introduction: What is Qualitative Research?

NAT: BUSPROG: Analytic

3.Research that addresses research objectives through empirical assessments that involve numerical measurement and analysis approaches is called ____.

a.	quantitative marketing research
b.	qualitative marketing research
c.	extensive marketing research
d.	grounded marketing research

ANS:AREF:Introduction: What is Qualitative Research?

NAT: BUSPROG: Analytic

4.When the researcher must extract meaning from open-ended responses, the results are:

a.	subjective
b.	objective
c.	primary
d.	secondary

ANS:AREF:Contrasting Qualitative with Quantitative Methods

NAT: BUSPROG: Analytic

5.Research that is conducted to clarify the nature of a research problem is called _____ research.

a.	exploratory
b.	judgmental
c.	descriptive
d.	convenience

ANS:AREF:Qualitative Research and Exploratory Research Designs

NAT: BUSPROG: Analytic

6.Qualitative research ____.

a.	tests specific research hypotheses
b.	typically has a large number of participants
c.	yields objective data
d.	has an unstructured approach to data collection

ANS:DREF:Contrasting Qualitative with Quantitative Methods

NAT: BUSPROG: Analytic

7.Consumers in a focus group session are presented with a written description of a possible new product and are asked what they would be willing to pay for such a product. These consumers are participating in a(n) ____.

a.	causal research study
b.	descriptive research study
c.	concept test
d.	case study

ANS:CREF:Qualitative Research and Exploratory Research Designs

NAT: BUSPROG: Analytic

8.All of the following are qualitative research orientations EXCEPT ____.

a.	phenomenology
b.	grounded theory
c.	case studies
d.	regression analysis

ANS:DREF:Qualitative Research Orientations

NAT: BUSPROG: Analytic

9.Which qualitative research orientation originated in philosophy and psychology?

a.	phenomenology
b.	grounded theory
c.	ethnography
d.	anthropology

ANS:AREF:Qualitative Research Orientations

NAT: BUSPROG: Analytic

10.Ethnography is a qualitative research orientation originating in ____.

a.	marketing
b.	psychology
c.	anthropology
d.	sociology

ANS:CREF:Qualitative Research Orientations

NAT: BUSPROG: Analytic

11.Owen is a researcher who studies human experiences based on the idea that it is inherently subjective and determined by the context in which people live.He focuses on how a person’s behavior is shaped by the relationship he or she has with the physical environment, objects, people, and situation.Which qualitative research orientation is Owen using?

a.	grounded theory
b.	phenomenology
c.	ethnography
d.	case study

ANS:BREF:Qualitative Research Orientations

NAT: BUSPROG: Analytic

12.Which of the following is an approach to understanding phenomenology that relies on analysis of texts through which a person tells a story about him- or herself?

a.	hermeneutics
b.	ethnography
c.	psychographics
d.	psychodynamics

ANS:AREF:Qualitative Research Orientations

NAT: BUSPROG: Analytic

13.Cindy is an ethnographer who is trying to better understand how mothers take care of toddlers.Being a mother herself, she was able to join a mother’s group and spent considerable time immersed within that culture.From this immersion, she is able to draw data from her observations.Cindy is referred to as a(n) ____.

a.	interloper
b.	participant-observer
c.	moderator
d.	mystery shopper

ANS:BREF:Qualitative Research Orientations

NAT: BUSPROG: Analytic

14.Which qualitative research orientation extracts a theory from whatever emerges from an area of inquiry?

a.	phenomenology
b.	ethnography
c.	grounded theory
d.	case study

ANS:CREF:Qualitative Research Orientations

NAT: BUSPROG: Analytic

15.Schwinn studies its most successful retailer in depth in order to determine some better ideas for displaying bicycles in its retail stores. As such, the company is engaging in ____.

a.	an experiment
b.	a test market
c.	a case study
d.	causal research

ANS:CREF:Qualitative Research Orientations

NAT: BUSPROG: Analytic

16.In case studies, _____ are identified by the frequency with which the same term (or a synonym) arises in the narrative description.

a.	themes
b.	threats
c.	links
d.	ladders

ANS:AREF:Qualitative Research Orientations

NAT: BUSPROG: Analytic

17.Betsy and six other women are participating in a research study that is an unstructured, free-flowing interview.The researcher asked the group their feelings about hair care products in general and asked them to discuss these freely.Betsy is participating is ____.

a.	case study
b.	grounded research study
c.	depth interview
d.	focus group interview

ANS:DREF:Common Techniques Used in Qualitative Research

NAT: BUSPROG: Analytic

18.One advantage of focus group interviews is that they ____.

a.	provide multiple perspectives
b.	have a low degree of scrutiny
c.	are inexpensive and easy to run
d.	encourage discussion of sensitive topics

ANS:AREF:Common Techniques Used in Qualitative Research

NAT: BUSPROG: Analytic

19.A professional interviewer holds a 90-minute discussion with one member of the target market to find out why that respondent purchases a particular brand of clothing. This is an example of a ____.

a.	depth interview
b.	concept test
c.	focus interview
d.	hermeneutic analysis

ANS:AREF:Common Techniques Used in Qualitative Research

NAT: BUSPROG: Analytic

20.Which approach to probing asks respondents to compare differences between brands at different levels?

a.	interrogating
b.	elaborating
c.	linking
d.	laddering

ANS:DREF:Common Techniques Used in Qualitative Research

NAT: BUSPROG: Analytic

21.Hank, a researcher, is discussing football fan behavior with a respondent.His approach is almost completely unstructured, and he enters into a discussion with few expectations.Hank’s primary goal is for a respondent to tell him about his or her experience as a football fan, after which he will try to derive meaning from the dialog.Which qualitative research technique is Hank using?

a.	conversation
b.	focus group
c.	depth interview
d.	case study

ANS:AREF:Common Techniques Used in Qualitative Research

NAT: BUSPROG: Analytic

22.All of the following are advantages of semi-structured interviews EXCEPT for the ____.

a.	ability to address more specific issues
b.	often easier interpretation of responses
c.	ability to administer questions without an interviewer
d.	high degree of scrutiny

ANS:DREF:Common Techniques Used in Qualitative Research

NAT: BUSPROG: Analytic

23.Respondentsare presented with the statement:“People who watch football on television are __________,” and asked to fill in the blank. This is an example of a ____.

a.	word association test
b.	concept test
c.	case study
d.	sentence completion test

ANS:DREF:Common Techniques Used in Qualitative Research

NAT: BUSPROG: Analytic

24.Which term refers to the researcher’s descriptions of what he or she actually observes and the text from which meaning is extracted?

a.	hermeneutics
b.	field notes
c.	discussion guides
d.	expositions

ANS:BREF:Common Techniques Used in Qualitative Research

NAT: BUSPROG: Analytic

25.Stephanie is asked to look at a picture of a woman sitting on a deserted beach and to describe what was happening in the picture.She is then asked to tell what might happen next.Stephanie is participating in a(n) ____.

a.	aptitude test
b.	focus interview
c.	thematic apperception test
d.	focus blog

ANS:CREF:Common Techniques Used in Qualitative Research

NAT: BUSPROG: Analytic

26.A version of the TAT that uses a cartoon drawing in which the respondent suggests a dialog in which the characters might engage is called ____.

a.	picture completion
b.	picture frustration
c.	scenario test
d.	projective picture

ANS:BREF:Common Techniques Used in Qualitative Research

NAT: BUSPROG: Analytic

27.An indirect method of questioning in which a research participant ascribes his or her feelings and beliefs to a third party is called a(n) ____.

a.	case study
b.	experiential survey
c.	laddering interview
d.	projective technique

ANS:DREF:Common Techniques Used in Qualitative Research

NAT: BUSPROG: Analytic

28.The written set of guidelines that describes an outline of topics to be covered by a focus group moderator is called a(n) ____.

a.	discussion guide
b.	survey instrument
c.	thematic guide
d.	ethnographic structure

ANS:AREF:Preparing a Focus Group Outline

NAT: BUSPROG: Analytic

29.A type of formal “continuous” group established as an online forum for the purpose of collecting qualitative data from participant comments is called a(n) ____.

a.	thematic exploration
b.	laddering site
c.	focus blog
d.	real-time survey

ANS:CREF:Exploratory Research in Science and in Practice

NAT: BUSPROG: Analytic

30.When another researcher would get the same result by conducting the same research procedures, the research is said to be ____.

a.	valid
b.	replicable
c.	homogeneous
d.	scrutinized

ANS:BREF:Exploratory Research in Science and in Practice

NAT: BUSPROG: Analytic

COMPLETION

1.Research that addresses marketing objectives through techniques that allow the researcher to provide elaborate interpretations of marketing phenomena without depending on numerical measurement is referred to as ____________________ marketing research.

ANS: qualitative

REF: Introduction: What is Qualitative Research? NAT: BUSPROG: Analytic

2.Research that is conducted to clarify the nature of a problem is called ____________________ research.

ANS: exploratory

REF: Qualitative Research and Exploratory Research Designs NAT: BUSPROG: Analytic

3.When focus group participants are shown a drawing of a new type of car and are asked for their reactions, this is called a(n) ____________________.

ANS: concept test

REF: Qualitative Research and Exploratory Research Designs NAT: BUSPROG: Analytic

4.The typical ethnographic approach involves the use of ____________________.

ANS:

participant-observation

participant observation

REF: Qualitative Research Orientations NAT: BUSPROG: Analytic

5.An in-depth study of a major competitor in order to determine how to improve your organization’s product line offerings is an example of a(n) ____________________.

ANS: case study

REF: Qualitative Research Orientations NAT: BUSPROG: Analytic

6.An unstructured, free-flowing discussion with a small number of consumers in a session that is conducted by a moderator is called a(n) ____________________.

ANS: focus group

REF: Common Techniques Used in Qualitative Research NAT: BUSPROG: Analytic

7.The procedure in which one focus group participant stimulates thought among the others is called ____________________.

ANS: piggybacking

REF: Common Techniques Used in Qualitative Research NAT: BUSPROG: Analytic

8.The person who leads a focus group discussion is called a(n) ____________________.

ANS: moderator

REF: Common Techniques Used in Qualitative Research NAT: BUSPROG: Analytic

9.A 90-minute discussion between an interviewer and a consumer about why the consumer purchases the brand of toothpaste that the consumer uses is an example of a(n) ____________________.

ANS: depth interview

REF: Common Techniques Used in Qualitative Research NAT: BUSPROG: Analytic

10.An interviewer who reads a list of words and asks the respondent to “say the first thing that comes to mind after I say each word” is using a(n) ____________________ technique.

ANS:

free-association

free association

REF: Common Techniques Used in Qualitative Research NAT: BUSPROG: Analytic

11.A respondent is shown a new television commercial and is asked to write the answer to this stimulus:“The man in the commercial____.” This is an example of the ____________________ technique.

ANS: sentence completion

REF: Common Techniques Used in Qualitative Research NAT: BUSPROG: Analytic

12.An indirect method of questioning that allows a respondent to ascribe his feelings to a third-party is a(n) ____________________ technique.

ANS: projective

REF: Common Techniques Used in Qualitative Research NAT: BUSPROG: Analytic

13.The manual that outlines the topics to be discussed in a focus group session is called a(n) ____________________.

ANS: discussion guide

REF: Preparing a Focus Group Online NAT: BUSPROG: Analytic

14.A focus group session that is conducted over the Internet is called a(n) ____________________ focus group session.

ANS: online

REF: Modern Techniques and Qualitative Research NAT: BUSPROG: Analytic

15.Research that is intersubjectively certifiable means that it is ____________________.

ANS: replicable

REF: Exploratory Research in Science and in Practice NAT: BUSPROG: Analytic

ESSAY

1.Compare and contrast qualitative research and quantitative research and discuss situations in which qualitative research is useful.

ANS:

Qualitative marketing research is research that addresses marketing objectives through techniques that allow the researcher to provide elaborate interpretations of market phenomena without depending on numerical measurement.Its focus is on discovering true inner meanings and new insights.It is less structured than most quantitative approaches and does not rely on self-response questionnaires containing structured response formats.Instead, it is more researcher-dependent in that the researcher must extract meaning from unstructured responses such as text from a recorded interview or a collage representing the meaning of some experience.The researcher interprets the data to extract its meaning and converts it to information.Qualitative research is useful in these situations:

(1) Developing specific and actionable decision statements or research objectives is difficult.

(2) The research objective is to develop an understanding of some phenomena in greater detail and in much depth.

(3) The research objective involves learning how consumers use a product in its natural setting or learning how to express some concept in colloquial terms

(4) Some behavior the researcher is studying is particularly context-dependent.

Quantitative marketing research can be defined as marketing research that addresses research objectives through empirical assessments that involve numerical measurement and analysis approaches.It is more apt to stand on its own in the sense that it requires less interpretation.

REF:Introduction: What is Qualitative Research?

NAT: BUSPROG: Analytic |BUSPROG: Communication

2.Name and briefly describe the four qualitative research orientations.

ANS:

Major categories of qualitative research:

(1)Phenomenology – originating in philosophy and psychology.It represents a philosophical approach to studying human experiences based on the idea that human experience itself is inherently subjective and determined by the context in which they live.

(2)Ethnography – originating in anthropology.It represents ways of studying cultures through methods that involve becoming highly involved within that culture (e.g., participant-observer).

(3)Grounded theory – originating in sociology. It represents an inductive investigation in which the researcher poses questions about information provided by respondents or taken from historical records.

(3)Case studies – originating in psychology and in business research.It refers to the documented history of a particular person, group, organization, or event, and cases are analyzed for important themes.

REF:Qualitative Research Orientations

NAT: BUSPROG: Analytic |BUSPROG: Communication

3.Describe a focus group interview and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of this technique.

ANS:

A focus group interview is an unstructured, free-flowing interview with a small group of people (i.e., 6-10).Focus groups are led by a trained moderator who follows a flexible format encouraging dialogue among respondents.A moderator begins by providing some opening statement to broadly steer discussion in the intended direction.Ideally, discussion topics emerge at the group’s initiative, not the moderator’s.

Focus groups offer several advantages: they are (1) relatively fast, (2) easy to execute, (3) allow respondents to piggyback off each other’s ideas, (4) provides multiple perspectives, (5) offer flexibility to allow more detailed descriptions, and (6) have a high degree of scrutiny.

Some disadvantages are that they (1) require objective, sensitive, and effective moderators, (2) may not be representative of the entire target market, (3) may not be useful for discussing sensitive topics, and (4) are expensive.

REF:Common Techniques Used in Qualitative Research

NAT: BUSPROG: Analytic |BUSPROG: Communication

4.List the elements of a focus group discussion guide.

ANS:

A focus group discussion guide consists of the following elements:

1.Welcome and introductions should take place first.

2.Begin the interview with a broad icebreaker that does not reveal too many specifics about the interview.

3.Questions become increasingly more specific as the interview proceeds.

4.If there is a very specific objective to be accomplished (i.e., explaining why a respondent would either buy or not buy a product), that question should probably be saved for last.

5.A debriefing statement should be provided providing respondents with the actual focus group objectives and answering any questions any may have.

REF:Preparing a Focus Group Online

NAT: BUSPROG: Analytic |BUSPROG: Communication

5.What role do exploratory research approaches using qualitative research tools have in scientific inquiry?Explain why a decision may be based solely on these results.

ANS:

Objectivity and replicability are two characteristics of scientific inquiry, and many would question whether exploratory research using qualitative research tools can satisfy these.A focus group or a depth interview or a TAT alone does not best represent a complete scientific inquiry.However, if the thoughts discovered through these techniques survive preliminary evaluations and are developed into research hypotheses, they can be further tested.Thus, exploratory research approaches using qualitative research tools are very much a part of scientific inquiry.In practice, many marketing decisions are based solely on the results of exploratory research as a scientific decision process is not always justified.However, as the risk increases, the confidence that comes along with a rigorous research and decision process becomes well worth the investment.The primary barriers to scientific decisions are (1) time, (2) money, and (3) emotion.

REF:Exploratory Research in Science and in Practice

NAT: BUSPROG: Analytic |BUSPROG: Communication