Q&A Hero

Q: A source of error in observation studies is in the interpretation of the meaning of the observation data.

Q: In observation research, a distortion of measurement resulting from the cognitive behavior or actions of the witnessing observer is called selectivity bias.

Q: Since the observer does not interact with the subject in observation studies, observation is an error-free method of data collection.

Q: In some instances, observation is the only method possible for collecting data.

Q: Direct observation is a straightforward attempt to observe and record what naturally occurs.

Q: In a phenomenological approach, the researcher does not interact with those he or she is observing.

Q: Response interval is the amount of time it takes to make a choice between two alternatives.

Q: Observation allows for the interpretation of nonverbal behavior to supplement information from interviewers.

Q: Hidden, unobtrusive observation minimizes respondent error.

Q: Mechanical observation best suits a situation or behavior that is not easily predictable in advance of the research.

Q: Researchers can observe people or events with human observers or with machines.

Q: One limitation of observation as a research method is that the observation period is generally short.

Q: Attitudes can be observed.

Q: It is typical in observation studies for the observer to ask questions of the person who is being observed.

Q: Name and define the techniques for measuring physiological reactions.

Q: Name and describe the way researchers observe online behavior.

Q: Explain how a researcher might use observation to determine the favorableness or unfavorableness consumers might exhibit toward a brand?

Q: Discuss the ethical issues particular to research using observation. What should a researcher consider when collecting observational data?

Q: Explain why a researcher might want to use contrived observation instead of direct observation.

Q: Discuss the role of observation as a marketing research method and discuss four of the many types of observable phenomena, giving an example of each.

Q: A machine that allows one to measure what portions of the brain are active at a given time is called a(n) _____ device.

Q: Measuring voice frequency as a measure of emotional reactions is called ______ analysis.

Q: A mechanical device that measures a subject's galvanic skin response (GSR) is called a(n) ______.

Q: A mechanical device that is used to record changes in the diameter of a pupil in a subject is called a(n) ______.

Q: A mechanical device that is used to track eye-movements during television commercials is called a(n) ______ monitor.

Q: A panel of consumers using a special ID card whenever they purchase items from their local supermarket so that purchase behavior is matched with the demographic dimensions of each household is participating in a(n) ______ panel.

Q: ____ is a measure of Internet postings that involve a specific name or term.

Q: A _____ is the percentage of people who are exposed to an Internet advertisement who actually click on the corresponding hyperlink which takes them to the company's website.

Q: Objects that consumers throw away in the trash are examples of ______.

Q: When a researcher creates an artificial situation in order to observe the reactions of a subject in that type of situation, this is an example of ______ observation.

Q: Observation that requires the observer to record events subjectively may result in _____ bias.

Q: When an observer observes a subject in a natural setting, this is an example of ______ observation.

Q: The time it takes a subject to make a choice between the appeal of two advertisements is a type of ______.

Q: When the presence of an observer is known to the subject, this is called ______ observation.

Q: The systematic process of recording the behaviors of people as they occur is called ______.

Q: All of the following are problems with physiological reaction measures EXCEPT _____. a. subjects are usually placed in artificial settings b. calibration of measuring devices c. devices are expensive d. they are not effective in measuring physiological reactions

Q: Which of the following allows a researcher to measure what portions of the brain are active at a given time? a. magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) b. psychogalvanometer c. pupilometer d. wave tracking monitor

Q: Which of the following measures involuntary changes in the electrical resistance of the skin? a. eye-tracking monitor b. psychogalvanometer c. epidermal monitor d. voice-pitch analysis

Q: A website designer is interested in how people look at a website. He wants to know where they look first when a page comes up. Which mechanical device would be appropriate for finding this out? a. pupilometer b. eye scanner c. eye-tracking monitor d. psychogalvanometer

Q: All of the following measure physiological reactions EXCEPT _____. a. eye-tracking monitor b. pupilometer c. scanning systems d. voce-pitch analysis

Q: Which of the following measures physiological reactions? a. pupilometer b. at-home scanning systems c. click-through counter d. all of these choices

Q: All of the following are improvements of scanner data over standard mail diary panel data EXCEPT _____. a. scanner data measure observed (actual) purchase behavior rather than reported behavior b. scanner measures are obtrusive c. more extensive purchase data can be collected with scanner data d. scanner data are collected mechanically, resulting in improved accuracy over mail diary panel data

Q: A researcher gave Janis and her husband a bar-coded card, like a frequent-shopper card, that they give to the checkout clerk at the grocery store. Their code number is coupled with the purchase information recorded by the scanner. This family is participating is a(n) _____. a. scanner-based consumer panel b. obtrusive observation study c. phenomenological study d. ethnographic study

Q: A researcher who measures the amount of Internet postings that involve a client's company name is measuring _____. a. page views b. click-through rate c. conversation volume d. buzz factor

Q: All of the following are flaws with using click-through rate as a measure of the amount of interest or attention a website is receiving EXCEPT _____. a. does not differentiate between a lot of activity by a few visitors and a little activity by many visitors b. some hits are likely made by mistake c. researcher lacks information about the meaning behind the numbers d. does not adequately measure the number of times an ad is clicked on

Q: Which of the following represents the percentage of people who are exposed to an Internet advertisement who actually click on the corresponding hyperlink which takes them to a company's website? a. conversion transaction rate (CTR) b. page views c. cost per click (CPC) d. click-through rate (CTR)

Q: Which website traffic monitoring metric may be used to track the path or sequence of pages that each visitor follows? a. click-through b. hits c. page views d. unique pages

Q: With respect to website traffic monitoring, a hit represents _____. a. a single, discrete click to load individual pages of a website b. mouse clicks on a single page of a website c. the proportion of people exposed to an Internet ad who actually click on its hyperlink to enter the website d. a count of the initial access to the site but not multiple visits to the site

Q: Which of the following companies use a television monitoring system for estimating national television audiences? a. ACNielsen b. Mediamark c. Infoscan d. TVtrack

Q: When Walgreen's uses cables across the road as "traffic counters" to determine the density of traffic near a possible retail store location, this is an example of what type of observation? a. contrived observation b. mechanical observation c. human observation d. content analysis

Q: When a researcher counts the percentage of African Americans who have appeared on the cover of Newsweek during the past decade, this is an example of what type of observation? a. contrived analysis b. ethnic analysis c. indirect analysis d. content analysis

Q: When a researcher analyzes the content of advertisements appearing in cartoons on a Saturday morning in terms of the types of characters that appear in the ads, this is an example of what type of observation? a. contrived analysis b. content analysis c. indirect analysis d. entrapment

Q: Which of the following obtains data by observing and analyzing the contents of advertisements, newspaper articles, television programs, websites, and the like? a. contrived analysis b. content analysis c. indirect analysis d. response latency analysis

Q: _____ is the systematic observation and quantitative description of the manifest content of communication. a. Descriptive analysis b. Schemata analysis c. Hermeneutic analysis d. Content analysis

Q: _____ are things that people made and consumed within a culture that signal something meaningful about the behavior taking place at the time of consumption. a. Trace elements b. Artifacts c. Inventories d. Physiological responses

Q: Which of the following is a question that can be asked to help address the question of whether or not a subject's privacy is violated? a. Has the person been adequately notified that their behavior is being observed? b. Is the behavior being observed commonly performed in public where it is expected that others can observe the behavior? c. Is the behavior performed in a setting in which the anonymity of the person being observed is assured? d. all of these choices

Q: When an employee who works at McDonald's headquarters outside Chicago travels around the U.S. and observes franchises to see if they are acting in the best interests of McDonald's good name in terms of friendly service, cleanliness, and quality of food, this observer is acting as a(n) _____. a. mystery shopper b. indirect observer c. mechanical observer d. scanner-based consumer panel

Q: When an airline passenger (who is really an employee of the airline) complains loudly about his not being served a vegetarian meal so that he can note the behavior of the flight attendant in this type of situation, this is an example of what type of observation? a. content analysis b. indirect c. contrived d. response latency

Q: Observation in which the investigator creates an artificial environment in order to test a hypothesis is called _____. a. contrived observation b. biased observation c. secondary observation d. pseudo observation

Q: All of the following are errors associated with direct observation EXCEPT _____. a. subjectively b. entrapment c. accuracy d. interpretation

Q: A researcher was observing consumers' facial expressions as they looked over the menu at a restaurant. One consumer forgot her reading glasses, so she was having trouble reading the menu and had to squint her eyes, causing her to look mad. The researcher interpreted this to mean she didn"t like what she was seeing on the menu because he didn"t know she couldn"t see the words. The researcher's misreading the consumer's facial expression as dissatisfaction is an example of _____. a. response latency b. contrived observation c. response bias d. observer bias

Q: A distortion of measurement resulting form the cognitive behavior or actions of a witnessing observer is called _____. a. response latency b. researcher error c. observer bias d. entrapment

Q: When the manager of a shopping mall records the counties listed on the license plates on cars parked at the mall in order to determine where the shoppers come from, this is an example of _____. a. direct observation b. indirect observation c. contrived observation d. response latency

Q: _____ is a straightforward attempt to observe and record what naturally occurs. a. Visible observation b. Primary observation c. Reflective observation d. Direct observation

Q: John is measuring the amount of time it takes for people to make a choice between two options regarding what to select for lunch to infer the strength of their preferences for one alternative over the other. The recorded choice time is referred to as _____. a. response lag b. response interval c. response latency d. response bias

Q: _____ is the amount of time it takes to make a choice between two alternatives and is used as a measure of the strength of preference. a. Response latency b. Decision interval c. Temporal analysis d. Temporal pattern

Q: All of the following are examples of nonverbal behavior EXCEPT _____. a. smiling b. nodding c. raised eyebrows d. talking

Q: Observation in which the subject is unaware that observation is taking place is called _____ observation. a. ethnographic b. hidden c. indirect d. invisible

Q: A researcher was observing how children play on playground equipment at a public park. The observers were out in the open and parents were told that their children were being observed. This type of observation is called _____ observation. a. visible b. primary c. ethnographic d. obtrusive

Q: A situation in which an observer's presence, or the mechanical device doing the recording, is easily known to the subject involves _____. a. obtrusive observation b. visible observation c. primary observation d. first-order observation

Q: Customers going through the drive-thru at Starbucks were being watched to see how long they look at the menu before ordering. They are unaware that they are being observed. This type of observation is referred to as _____ observation. a. unobtrusive b. visible c. invisible d. indirect

Q: When the subject is unaware that he is being observed, this represents what type of observation? a. contrived b. indirect c. content analysis d. unobtrusive

Q: Which of the following is a term referring to the study of human movements within an environment? a. tracking b. stalking c. meandering d. way-finding

Q: Having observers record the brand names of items found in a kitchen pantry of a consumer panel is an example of what type of observation? a. physical actions b. verbal behavior c. physical objects d. pictorial records

Q: Using a stopwatch to determine the average waiting time for a customer at a drive-through location at McDonald's is an example of what type of observation? a. verbal behavior b. temporal pattern c. physical action d. physical objects

Q: A marketing research company has been commissioned to conduct an Internet survey with 5,000 potential respondents. Explain how a researcher can uncover potential problems with a survey design before launching it.

Q: Explain how response rates are determined for surveys and discuss ways to increase response rates for mail surveys.

Q: Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of mail surveys.

Q: Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of conducting surveys using personal interviews.

Q: Discuss the different ways researchers conduct surveys and explain which one you think is the best approach.