49) The primary advantage of quantitative research is that it allows researchers to gather deeper,
richer information from respondents.
50) Any study that is conducted using an observational technique or unstructured questioning
can be classified as qualitative research, which is becoming increasingly unpopular in a number
of research situations
51) Often marketing researchers find that a large-scale survey is inappropriate and, instead, use a
“soft approach” to the research.
52) The majority of marketing researchers have adopted mixed methods research, also known as
pluralistic or hybrid research.
53) Armed with the knowledge that one research method builds on another, the researcher’s
design and execution of the qualitative phase are invariably superior to what they might have
been without the quantitative phase.
54) There are four general ways of making observations: (1) direct versus indirect, (2) overt
versus covert, (3) structured versus unstructured, and (4) in situ versus invented.
55) Direct observation has been used by General Mills to understand how children eat breakfast,
leading to the launch of Go-Gurt, a midmorning snack for schoolchildren.
56) Types of indirect observations include archives and physical traces.
57) A “mystery shopper” who is hired by a retail store chain to record and report on sales clerks’
assistance and courtesy uses overt observation.
58) Structured versus unstructured observation refers to the degree to which the phenomena to be
observed are predetermined
59) Midas improved its service quality by having customers make videos of themselves as they
made car service appointments. This is an example of using in situ observation.
60) Observation is not typically used when the possibility of faulty recall rules out collecting
information by asking the subject.
61) People cannot recall accurately how many times they looked at their wristwatch while
waiting in a long line to buy a ticket to a best-selling movie or which brands of cookies they
looked at while grocery shopping. This is an example of public behavior observation.
62) The advantage of seeing what consumers actually do instead of relying on their self-report of
what they think they do is a characteristic of observational research.
63) Only when feelings are relatively important or are not inferred from the behavior is it
appropriate to use observational research methods.
64) Focus groups represent a useful technique for gathering information from a limited sample of
respondents.
65) The focus group report lists most of the themes that became apparent during the research,
notes any diversity of opinions or thoughts expressed by the participants, and contains
abbreviated excerpts provided as evidence.
66) The traditional size of a focus group is about 6 to 12 people.
67) It is generally believed that the best focus groups are composed of participants who share
heterogeneous characteristics.
68) The rule is to hold as many focus groups as it takes to reach a saturation point in terms of
gaining new information.
69) The selection of focus group participants is determined largely by the purpose of the focus
group and how many participants the research firm can recruit.
70) Focus group results are qualitative and not perfectly representative of the general population.
71) Focus groups are a unique research method because they permit marketing managers to see
and hear the market.
72) Ethnographic research is a term borrowed from archaeology to describe a detailed,
descriptive study of a group and its behavior, characteristics, culture, and so on.
73) Ethnography uses several different types of research, including immersion, participant
observation, and informal and ongoing in-depth interviewing.
74) Mobile ethnography is sometimes called mobile qualitative, or simply mobile qual.
75) Mobile ethnography can be especially useful for documenting public behavior, such as
waking up in the morning or administrating medical treatments.
76) The advantage of mobile ethnography is that it can uncover authentic behavior and feelings
that a researcher might miss, with respondents viewed as the experts of their own lives.
77) A limitation of ethnographic research is that respondents are overly aware of their own
habitual or conscious behaviors as they interact with products and services.
78) Netnography is used to examine the online interactions of individuals and communities on
the Internet, as well as the relationships between people and electronics.
79) Online panels are groups of respondents that are brought together online to interact, provide
opinions and ideas, and complete tasks.
80) Online communities are particularly effective for gaining insights from Millennials, since
these consumers are the most avid users of social media.
81) Participants in marketing research online communities are selected according to their
demographics or interests.
82) The disadvantages of marketing research online communities are that they are relatively
expensive and cannot be assembled quickly.
83) Marketing research online communities allow unique perspectives of consumers’ lives by
providing live examples of how social influences work and allowing researchers a greater
understanding of community dynamics.
84) The objective of protocol analysis is to obtain unrestricted comments or opinions and to ask
questions that will help the marketing researcher better understand the various dimensions of
these opinions as well as the reasons for them.
85) Protocol analysis is a special-purpose qualitative research technique that has been developed
to peek into the consumer’s decision-making processes.
86) Projective techniques are appropriate in situations in which the researcher is convinced that
respondents will be unable or unwilling to relate their true opinions.
87) Socially undesirable behaviors such as smoking or road rage, illegal practices such as betting
on football games, or sensitive behavior such as using deodorant or dieting would not be
appropriate topics for projective techniques.
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88) Neuromarketing is the study of an individual’s involuntary responses to marketing stimuli,
including eye movement, heart rate, and skin conductance, breathing, and brain activity.
89) The notion behind neuromarketing research is that psychological reactions cannot be
consciously controlled, so they possibly reveal reactions that the individual is unaware of or
unwilling to divulge.
90) Neuroimaging, or viewing brain activity, may aid marketing researchers to better understand
consumers’ unconscious as well as conscious emotions.
91) Types of neuromarketing include neuroimaging, eye tracking, and facial coding.
92) Wearable technology, such as Google Glass and Apple Watch, may add to the credibility of
neuromarketing by measuring consumers’ responses to marketing stimuli under more natural
conditions.
93) Describe the differences among qualitative research, quantitative research, and mixed
methods research.
94) Define observation as a qualitative research technique and the different observation
techniques. Describe the differences in these techniques.
95) Focus groups, or moderated small-group discussions, are a popular form of qualitative
research. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of this type of qualitative research.
96) How are focus groups analyzed and what should be included in a report that conveys the
findings of research using this technique?
97) Define and describe ethnographic research. What is mobile ethnolography? What are the
strengths and weaknesses of using mobile ethnography?
98) A popular and growing trend in marketing research is the use of marketing research online
communities (MROC). What are MROCs? Describe the benefits and drawbacks of using this
type of technique. What is the role of the moderator in this setting?
99) What is the objective of the in-depth interview (IDI)? What are the advantages and
disadvantages of using IDIs as a research technique?
100) What is neuromarketing? What are three techniques used in neuromarketing? Why is
neuromarketing considered an emerging but yet controversial research technique?