Marketing Research, 8e (Burns/Bush)
Chapter 12 Using Basic Descriptive Analysis, Performing Population Estimates, and
Testing Hypotheses
1) The problem confronting the marketing researcher when faced with a dataset is ________,
which is defined as the process of describing a dataset by computing a small number of statistics
that characterize various aspects of the dataset.
A) data analysis
B) data integrity
C) understanding the data book
D) choosing the data analytical software
2) There are basic types of statistical analyses that can be used by marketing researchers to
reduce a dataset. Which of the following is NOT one of those basic types of statistical analyses?
A) Descriptive analysis
B) Regression analysis
C) Inference analysis
D) Difference analysis
3) Certain measures such as the mean, mode, standard deviation, and range are forms of
________ used by marketing researchers to describe the sample dataset in such a way as to
portray the “typical” respondent and to reveal the general pattern of responses.
A) difference analysis
B) inference analysis
C) descriptive analysis
D) association analysis
4) When statistical procedures are used by marketing researchers to generalize the results of a
sample to the target population that it represents, the process is referred to as:
A) Descriptive analysis.
B) Difference analysis.
C) Relationship analysis.
D) Inference analysis.
5) A researcher may be investigating credit card usage and may want to see if high-income
earners differ from moderate-income earners in how often they use American Express. What
type of analysis might the researcher choose to compare expenditures by high-income earners
versus moderate-income earners?
A) Difference analysis
B) Inference analysis
C) Relationship analysis
D) Association analysis
6) A researcher who wants to see if variables, such as advertising recall scores, positively
associate with intentions to buy the advertised brand would use:
A) Difference analysis.
B) Association analysis.
C) Inference analysis.
D) Relationship analysis.
7) Statistical procedures and models are available to the marketing researcher to help make
forecasts about future events; these fall under the category of:
A) Descriptive analysis.
B) Association analysis.
C) Relationship analysis.
D) Inference analysis.
8) Commonly used ________ reveals central tendency (typical response) and variability
(similarity of responses).
A) association analysis
B) relationships analysis
C) inference analysis
D) descriptive analysis
9) The term ________ applies to any statistical measure used that somehow reflects a typical or
frequent response.
A) central tendency
B) central statistic
C) frequent tendency
D) extreme average
10) There are several measures of central tendency. Which of the following is NOT one of those
measures?
A) Mean
B) Variance
C) Mode
D) Median
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11) The ________ is a descriptive analysis measure defined as that value in a string of numbers
that occurs most often.
A) variable
B) mean
C) mode
D) median
12) When a researcher creates the raw percentages, then computes cumulative percentages and,
by inspecting these, finds where the 50-50 break occurs, they are using which type of descriptive
analysis?
A) Mode
B) Variance
C) Mean
D) Median
13) The third measure of central tendency is the mean, sometimes referred to as the average. It
differs from the mode and the median in that:
A) A computation is necessary.
B) A computation is unnecessary.
C) It is automatically computed.
D) It can be estimated.
14) There are several measures of variability with each measure providing its own unique
version of information that helps to describe the diversity of responses. Which of the following is
NOT one of those measures of variability?
A) Frequency distribution
B) Mode
C) Range
D) Standard deviation
15) Which of the following is a tabulation of the number of times that each different value
appears in a particular set of values?
A) Mean
B) Range
C) Frequency distribution
D) Standard deviation
16) The ________ specifies the difference between the endpoints in a set of values arranged in
order.
A) mean
B) standard deviation
C) mode
D) range
17) What is a measure of the differences of all observations from the mean, expressed as a single
number?
A) Standard deviation
B) Median
C) Mode
D) Range
18) A researcher accumulates the gender of each respondent. Which of the following descriptive
statistic would he or she likely use?
A) Range
B) Frequency and/or percentage distribution
C) Cumulative percentage distribution
D) Standard deviation
19) A researcher asks the question: “Rank these five brands from your first choice to your fifth
choice.” Which of the following descriptive statistic would he or she likely use?
A) Range
B) Frequency and/or percentage distribution
C) Cumulative percentage distribution
D) Standard deviation
20) A researcher asks the question: “On a scale of 1 to 5, how does Starbucks rate on variety of
its coffee drinks?” Which of the following descriptive statistic would the researcher likely use?
A) Range
B) Frequency and/or percentage distribution
C) Cumulative percentage distribution
D) Standard deviation
21) A researcher asks the question: “About how many times did you buy fast food for lunch last
week?” Which of the following descriptive statistic would he or she likely use?
A) Standard deviation
B) Range
C) Frequency and/or percentage distribution
D) Cumulative percentage distribution
22) The scaling assumptions underlying a question determine which ________ is appropriate.
A) inference measure
B) descriptive measure
C) difference measure
D) association measure
23) With a nominal scale, the ________ is the appropriate measure of central tendency, and
variation must be assessed by looking at the distribution of responses across the various response
categories.
A) mean
B) median
C) mode
D) variable
24) When using SPSS DESCRIPTIVES, always bear in mind the ________ being analyzed
should be interval or ratio scaled.
A) mean
B) median
C) mode
D) variables
25) When presenting summarizations of data, the most useful tables are ones where a quick
inspection will ________ of the findings.
A) reveal the basic pattern or patterns or the essence
B) reveal obvious outliers of the findings
C) reveal the complex patterns
D) reveal the need for more inspection
26) Beyond organization, there are guidelines that will ensure that the data presentation tables
strongly imply that they are credible and should be taken very seriously. Which of the following
is NOT one of those guidelines?
A) Use one decimal place unless convention demands otherwise.
B) Always use two-three colors in each table.
C) With scales, include a table footnote that describes the scale.
D) Only report findings that are meaningful or useful.
27) Nominal data are summarized with the following descriptive measures EXCEPT:
A) Percents.
B) Frequencies.
C) Variables.
D) Frequency distribution.
28) Values that are computed from information provided by a sample are referred to as the
sample’s:
A) parameters.
B) errors.
C) variabilities.
D) statistics.
29) Values that are computed from a complete census, which are considered to be precise and
valid measures of the population, are referred to as:
A) Parameters.
B) Errors.
C) Variabilities.
D) Statistics.
30) The set of procedures in which the sample size and sample statistic are used to make an
estimate of the corresponding population parameter is called:
A) Process inference.
B) Statistical inference.
C) Population inference.
D) Parameter inference.
31) What does statistical inference take into account?
A) That small random samples are more precise than are larger ones
B) That multiple small random samples are more accurate than a large one
C) That large random samples are more accurate than are small ones
D) That two large random samples are more accurate than a single small one
32) A ________ is used to approximate the population value (parameter) through the use of
confidence intervals.
A) population estimate
B) statistical estimate
C) survey estimate
D) parameter estimate
33) The comparison of the sample statistic with what is believed to be the population value prior
to undertaking the study is called:
A) Hypothesis testing.
B) Parameter testing.
C) Inference testing.
D) Population testing.
34) Parameter estimation involves the use of three values. Which of the following is NOT one of
the three values?
A) The sample statistic (such as the mean or the percentage)
B) The desired population
C) The standard error of the statistic
D) The desired level of confidence (usually 95% or 99%)
35) A researcher could be examining what percentage of golfers buy only Titleist balls, or might
be looking at what percentage of high school students buy from Taco Bell between meals. In
either case, the mean or percentage is derived from a sample, so it is:
A) The sample error.
B) The standard error.
C) The sample statistic.
D) The parameter.
36) There usually is some degree of variability in a sample (golfers do not use only Titleist balls;
students do not always eat at Taco Bell). The ________ is a measure of the variability in a
sampling distribution.
A) variability factor
B) sample statistic
C) parameter error
D) standard error
37) What is the degree of accuracy desired by the researcher and stipulated as a level of
confidence in the form of a range with a lower boundary and an upper boundary?
A) Confidence intervals
B) Sample intervals
C) Accuracy intervals
D) Statistic intervals
38) Researchers have two options when it comes to reporting confidence intervals to clients or
readers of their marketing research reports. These options are:
A) The general case approach and the findings-specific confidence intervals approach.
B) The data analytics case approach and the general case approach.
C) The hypothesis approach and the findings-specific approach.
D) The general case approach and global findings confidence intervals approach.
39) With all hypothesis tests, the researcher should keep in mind that the ________ is the only
source of current information about the population.
A) survey instrument
B) data analysis
C) sample
D) respondent
40) The hypothesized population parameter value can be determined using:
A) A percentage and a mean.
B) A mean and a median.
C) Both a percentage and a median.
D) Either a percentage or a mean.
41) The ________ says that our sample is one of many theoretical samples that comprise a bell–
shaped curve with the hypothesized value as the mean.
A) sampling distribution concept
B) distribution analysis concept
C) distribution percentage concept
D) theoretical percentage concept
42) ________ is invariably more accurate than a hypothesis.
A) Respondent information
B) Sample information
C) Interviewer information
D) Test market information
43) A ________ gives you the probability of support for your hypothesis based on your sample
evidence and sample size.
A) market test
B) respondent test
C) hypothesis test
D) survey test
44) To ensure that sample information is more accurate than a hypothesis, a researcher must
make sure that the sampling procedure:
A) Adheres strictly to probability sampling requirements.
B) Adheres strictly to quality requirements and assure representativeness.
C) Adheres strictly to survey instrument requirements and assure representativeness.
D) Adheres strictly to probability sampling requirements and assure representativeness.
45) There are several guidelines in the presentation of hypothesis tests. Which of the following
does not represent one of those guidelines?
A) Prepare hypothesis test results in both print and slide formats.
B) State the hypothesis.
C) Perform appropriate hypothesis test computations.
D) Determine if the hypothesis is supported or not supported by comparing the computed level
of confidence