Deck 21: Multidimensional Scaling and Conjoint Analysis

Question 1

MDS solutions are subject to substantial random variability.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

The fit of an MDS solution is commonly assessed by the stress measure. Stress is a goodness-of-fit measure; higher values of stress indicate better fits.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

The number of brands or stimuli selected for use in MDS analysis and the specific brands included determines the nature of the resulting dimensions and configurations.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

The direct approaches to collecting perception data are used more frequently than the attribute-based approaches.

Question 5

Perception data may be direct or derived.

Question 6

The metric and non-metric MDS methods often produce vastly different results.

Question 7

Stress values indicate the proportion of variance of the optimally scaled data that is not accounted for by the MDS model.

Question 8

The configuration derived from preference data is very similar to that obtained from similarity data.

Question 9

Spatial maps are computed in such a way that the fit increases as the number of dimensions decreases.

Question 10

Direct approaches to collecting perception data are attribute-based approaches.

Question 11

Derived approaches to collecting perception data require respondents to rate the brands or stimuli on the identified attributes using semantic differential scales or Likert scales.

Question 12

Non-metric MDS procedures assume that the input data are ordinal, and they result in ordinal output.

Question 13

Each dimension determined in MDS represents only one attribute.

Question 14

The objective in MDS is to obtain a spatial map that best fits the input data in the smallest number of dimensions.

Question 15

Gaps in the spatial map may indicate potential opportunities for introducing new products.

Question 16

Suppose a researcher is interested in obtaining consumer perceptions of automobiles, the choice of the number and specific brands or stimuli to be included in the MDS analysis should be based on the statement of the marketing research problem and theory only. The researcher should not bias the research by also using his judgment to determine what should be included in the analysis.

Question 17

The conjoint analysis procedure is based on trade-offs respondents make when evaluating alternatives.

Question 18

In direct approaches to gathering perception data, respondents are asked to make similarity judgments on pairs of various brands or stimuli.

Question 19

The metric MDS procedures assume that input data are metric and the output is also metric.

Question 20

Preference data order the brands or stimuli in terms of respondents' preference for some property.

Question 21

External analysis of preferences is preferred in most situations.

Question 22

If the attribute-based approaches are used to obtain input data, spatial maps can also be obtained by using factor or discriminant analysis.

Question 23

In order to perform internal analysis of preferences, both preference and perception data must be obtained.

Question 24

An assumption of MDS is that the similarity of stimulus A to B is the same as the similarity of stimulus B to A.

Question 25

Internal analysis of preferences allows both brands and respondents to be represented in the same spatial map.

Question 26

Correspondence analysis requires more effort on the part of the respondent than other MDS techniques.

Question 27

Correspondence analysis data is binary or categorical.

Question 28

To develop spatial maps by means of discriminant analysis, the independent variable is the brand rated and the dependent variables are the attribute ratings.

Question 29

Correspondence analysis is an explanatory data analysis technique that is not suitable for hypothesis testing.

Question 30

For metric conjoint analysis input data, the respondents provide ratings.

Question 31

Quantitative data can be mapped using correspondence analysis.

Question 32

The interpretation of results in correspondence analysis is similar to that in principal components analysis.

Question 33

In conjoint analysis, the dependent variable is usually preference or intention to buy.

Question 34

When constructing conjoint analysis stimuli, it is necessary to evaluate all possible combinations of levels of the attributes.

Question 35

The pair-wise approach to conducting conjoint analysis stimuli is more commonly used than the full-profile approach.

Question 36

With the full-profile approach to constructing conjoint analysis stimuli, respondents rank all the stimulus profiles.

Question 37

When conducting conjoint analysis, the attributes selected should be salient in influencing consumer preference and choice.

Question 38

Results in correspondence analysis are interpreted in terms of proximities among rows and columns.

Question 39

For nonmetric conjoint analysis input data, the respondents are typically required to provide rank order evaluations.

Question 40

For Kruskal's stress formula 1, a stress value of zero would indicate a poor fit of the MDS model to the data.

Question 41

Which is an advantage of the direct approach to collecting perception data?

A)It is easier to label the dimensions.
B)It is easy to identify respondents with homogeneous perceptions.
C)The researcher does not have to identify a set of salient attributes.
D)The respondents can be clustered based on the attribute ratings.

Question 42

The text reports on a research project which used MDS to plot the perceived ethics of marketing research firms using a broad-based moral equity dimension (factor 1)and a relativistic dimension (factor 2). Based on the research, internal marketing research departments are perceived to be the most ethical on both dimensions.

Question 43

________ is a lack of fit measure; higher values indicate poorer fits.

A)Attribute levels
B)Stress
C)R-square
D)Relative importance weights

Question 44

In conjoint analysis, the importance of an attribute, I_i, is defined in terms of the range of the part-worths, α_ij, across the levels of that attribute I_i = {max(α_ij)- min(α_ij)}, for each i.

Question 45

________ is a squared correlation index that indicates the proportion of variance of the optimally scaled data that can be accounted for by the MDS procedure.This is a goodness-of-fit measure.

A)Attribute levels
B)Stress
C)R-square
D)Relative importance weights

Question 46

________ requires that the researcher specify the purpose for which the MDS results would be used and select the brands or other stimuli to be included in the analysis.

A)Formulating the problem
B)Obtaining input data
C)Selecting an MDS procedure
D)Deciding on the number of dimensions

Question 47

The derivation and use of ________ lie at the heart of multidimensional scaling.

A)perceptual maps
B)pair-wise tables
C)part-worth functions
D)contrasts

Question 48

In conjoint analysis, the attribute's importance is normalized to ascertain its importance relative to other attributes, W_i.

Question 49

Which is a disadvantage of the derived approach to collecting perception data?

A)The criteria are influenced by the brands or stimuli being evaluated.
B)The researcher must identify all the salient attributes.
C)It may be difficult to determine before analysis if and how the individual respondents' judgments should be combined.
D)It may be difficult to label the dimensions of the spatial map.

Question 50

In ________ approaches to collecting perception data, the respondents are asked to use their own criteria to judge how similar or dissimilar the various brands or stimuli are.

A)direct
B)preference
C)derived
D)Likert

Question 51

Conjoint analysis assumes that consumers evaluate the choice alternatives in terms of the important attributes and make trade-offs.

Question 52

MDS could be used for all of the marketing applications below except ________

A)Market segmentation - position brands and consumers in the same space and thus identify groups of consumers with relatively homogeneous perceptions.
B)Assessing advertising effectiveness-spatial maps can be used to determine whether advertising has been successful in achieving the desired brand positioning.
C)Consumer intention - how do consumer's intentions to buy the brand vary with different price levels?
D)Channel decisions - judgments on compatibility of brands with different retail outlets could lead to spatial maps useful for making channel decisions.

Question 53

Conjoint analysis assumes that the important attributes of a product can be identified.

Question 54

In MDS, at minimum, ________ brands or stimuli should be included so as to obtain a well-defined spatial map.Including more than ________ brands is likely to be cumbersome and may result in respondent fatigue.

A)6; 20
B)6; 25
C)8; 20
D)8; 25

Question 55

If individual-respondent level analysis has been conducted, the estimation sample can be split in several ways to assess the stability of conjoint analysis solutions.

Question 56

For interpreting conjoint analysis, it is helpful to plot the part-worth functions.

Question 57

Which is an advantage of the derived approach to collecting perception data?

A)Respondents make similarity judgments using their own criteria, as they would under normal circumstances.
B)It is easy to identify respondents with homogeneous perceptions.
C)The researcher does not have to identify a set of salient attributes.
D)Both A and C are advantages.

Question 58

________ is a class of procedures for representing perceptions and preferences of respondents spatially by means of a visual display.

A)Conjoint analysis
B)Regression analysis
C)Hybrid conjoint analysis
D)Multidimensional scaling (MDS)

Question 59

In which approach to collecting perception data are respondents often required to rate all possible pairs of brands or stimuli in terms of similarity on a Likert scale?

A)direct
B)preference
C)derived
D)indirect

Question 60

Which is a disadvantage of the direct approach to collecting perception data?

A)The criteria are influenced by the brands or stimuli being evaluated.
B)The researcher must identify all the salient attributes.
C)The spatial map obtained depends upon the attributes identified.
D)Both B and C are disadvantages.

Question 61

________ is a method of configuring a spatial map, such that the ideal points or vectors based on preference data are fitted in a spatial map derived from perception data.

A)Metric analysis of preferences
B)Correspondence analysis
C)Internal analysis of preferences
D)External analysis of preferences

Question 62

Which of the following is not a way to assess reliability and validity of the MDS solution?

A)Collect input data at two different points in time and then determine test-retest reliability.
B)Selectively eliminate stimuli from the input data and then determine the solution from the remaining stimuli.
C)Add a random error term to the input data, subject the resulting data to MDS analysis, and compare the solutions.
D)All of the above are ways to assess reliability and validity.

Question 63

________ data order the brands or stimuli in terms of respondents' preferences for some property.

A)Direct
B)Preference
C)Derived
D)Likert

Question 64

Which statement is true about using factor analysis to create spatial maps?

A)By factor analyzing the data obtained using attribute-based approaches, one could derive, for each respondent, n factor scores for each factor, one for each brand.
B)The dimensions would be labeled by examining the eigenvalues.
C)Discriminant weights can be used to label the dimensions.
D)Both A and B are correct.

Question 65

Which guideline for deciding on the number of MDS dimensions relies on theory or past research to suggest the number of dimensions?

A)a priori knowledge
B)interpretability of the spatial map
C)ease of use
D)elbow criterion

Question 66

Which of the ways below is not a way in which preference data might be obtained?

A)asking respondents to rank brands from the most preferred to the least preferred
B)asking respondents to rate all possible pairs of brands in terms of similarity on a Likert scale
C)asking respondents to make paired comparisons and indicate which brand in a pair they prefer
D)asking respondents for preference ratings for the various brands

Question 67

Which of the following is not a factor influencing the MDS selection procedure?

A)whether some of the original values will be used in subsequent analysis
B)whether perception or preference data are being scaled, or whether the analysis requires both kinds of data
C)the nature of the input data
D)whether the MDS analysis will be conducted at the individual respondent level or at an aggregate level

Question 68

Which guideline for deciding on the number of MDS dimensions warns that it is difficult to interpret configurations or maps derived in more than three dimensions?

A)a priori knowledge
B)interpretability of the spatial map
C)ease of use
D)elbow criterion

Question 69

________ is a method of configuring a spatial map such that the spatial map represents both brands or stimuli and respondent points or vectors and is derived solely from the preference data.

A)Metric analysis of preferences
B)Correspondence analysis
C)Internal analysis of preferences
D)External analysis of preferences

Question 70

Various ways to label dimensions obtained in MDS were mentioned in the text. Which of the ways below was not mentioned in your text?

A)Axes may be labeled for the attributes with which they are most closely aligned.
B)label based on the criteria respondents used in making their evaluations
C)Respondents can be shown their maps and asked to label the dimensions by inspecting the configurations.
D)none of the above

Question 71

Which of the following is a way to interpret the configuration or spatial map?

A)examine dimension centroids
B)profile dimensions in terms of variables that were not used in the MDS procedure
C)examine variables that load high on a factor
D)examine the coordinates and relative positions of the brands

Question 72

Values of .60 or better are considered acceptable values of ________, the index of fit.

A)attribute levels
B)stress
C)R-square
D)relative importance weights

Question 73

Which statement is true about correspondence analysis?

A)The interpretation of results is similar to that in chi-square analysis.
B)An advantage over other MDS techniques is that it reduces the data collection demands put on the respondents because only interval or ratio data are obtained.
C)A disadvantage is that between-set distances cannot be meaningfully interpreted.
D)All of the statements are true.

Question 74

Which statement is true about using discriminant analysis to create spatial maps?

A)Spatial maps are obtained by plotting brand scores on the factors.
B)Input data should be obtained via attribute-based approaches to obtaining perception data.
C)Factor weights can be used to label the dimensions.
D)Both A and C are true.

Question 75

In MDS, when a spatial map is obtained, it is assumed that interpoint distances are ________ scaled and that the axes of the map are multidimensional ________ scaled.

A)interval; interval
B)ratio; interval
C)ordinal; interval
D)interval; ratio

Question 76

________ is a technique that attempts to determine the relative importance consumers attach to salient attributes and the utilities they attach to the levels of attributes.

A)Internal analysis of preferences
B)External analysis of preferences
C)Conjoint analysis
D)Correspondence analysis

Question 77

Which of the Kruskal's stress formula 1 values below represent a perfect fit of the MDS model?

A)1)00
B)0)90
C)0)10
D)0

Question 78

________ is an MDS technique for scaling qualitative data that scales the rows and columns of the input contingency table in corresponding units so that each can be displayed in the same low-dimensional space.

A)Metric analysis of preferences
B)Correspondence analysis
C)Internal analysis of preferences
D)External analysis of preferences

Question 79

Which guideline for deciding on the number of MDS dimensions suggests plotting stress versus dimensionality?

A)a priori knowledge
B)interpretability of the spatial map
C)ease of use
D)elbow criterion

Question 80

Which guideline for deciding on the number of MDS dimensions suggests it is easier to work with two-dimensional maps or configurations than with those involving more dimensions?

A)a priori knowledge
B)interpretability of the spatial map
C)ease of use
D)elbow criterion