Exam 8: Observation, Focus Groups, and Other Qualitative Methods

Focus group moderators are sometimes called Qualitative Research Consultants.

Billy Neighbors decides to use a qualitative research technique called "laddering." Which of the following would best describe how laddering could be used by Billy's Pork processing company?

One of the disadvantages of focus groups is that they do not constitute representative samples of larger populations.

Frito-Lay brand managers want to know which of three proposed end-aisle displays work the best in terms of catching consumers' attention. They set up prototypes of the three displays in three supermarkets and visit each to observe consumers head movements as they approach each display. Which observation technique would the managers be using?

Which of the following qualitative techniques involves determining the amount of attention or interest by measuring the dilation of the pupil in the eye?

Which type of research would be most appropriate if the managers of the Tide brand at Procter & Gamble wanted some ideas as to different ways Tide could be improved?

In ethnographic research, marketing researchers act exactly as anthropologists, in that they enter into an "immersion" state with consumers and observe their behavior by living with them.

Quantitative techniques often use structured questions having predetermined response options and is sometimes referred to as "survey research."

Borrowed from anthropology, which type of research listed requires marketing researchers to directly observe, interview, and audio and video record consumers over time?

Which one of the following was NOT mentioned in the textbook as an advantage of focus groups?

Physiological measurements are NOT useful when the subject matter is something sensitive and may embarrass persons to the point that they cannot articulate a truthful response.

Pluralistic research is losing favor in the marketplace of marketing research because of its extensive and exclusive use of "soft" research methods.

One of the advantages of observational studies is that large numbers of persons may be observed; therefore, representativeness is increased.

The Acme Research firm decides to use a technique that requires a person to place herself in a decision-making setting and to verbalize everything she considers in making the decision. Which qualitative technique will she be using?

The sentence completion test is one in which respondents are given incomplete sentences and then asked to complete them in their own words.

Earl Chestnut and Ann Arnold were considering conducting a focus group for their company's cookie brand, Oats N' Raisins. Their objective was to understand when and under what circumstances cookies are offered as a snack in households. Earl wanted to recruit 25 people representing the different groups of employers in the city, that is, a medical researcher, a longshoreman, a truck driver, someone from the legal community, and so on. Ann felt it would be better to have a more homogeneous group such as housewives with kids still in school. Which of the following should be chosen?

Nissan allegedly placed a Japanese observer in a couple's home, and the couple thought he was there as part of an educational exchange program. Rather, he was observing the couple's automobile buying behavior for Nissan. This example illustrates that there are ethical issues associated with observation studies.

Often, a critical requirement for a focus group meeting place is:

When a "secret shopper" is used to report salespersons' level of customer assistance and courtesy, which type of observation is being used?

The tax revenue department of a small town located in a dry county decides to sift through collected garbage in the town to assess the amount of alcohol consumed. This is an example of: