Chapter 5—Qualitative Research
TRUE/FALSE
1. Qualitative research is subjective in the sense that the results are researcher-dependent.
2. Quantitative research is especially useful when it is difficult to develop specific and actionable
decision statements or research objectives.
3. Quantitative research address research objectives through empirical assessments that involve
numerical measurement and analytical approaches.
4. Qualitative research is objective.
5. Qualitative research is cheaper than quantitative research.
6. Most exploratory research designs produce qualitative data.
7. Probing is an interview technique that tries to draw deeper and more elaborate explanations from the
discussion.
8. Concept testing is a type of exploratory research.
9. Phenomenology represents a philosophical approach to studying human experiences based on the idea
that human experience itself is inherently subjective and determined by the context in which people
live.
10. Studying cultures using methods that involve becoming highly active within that culture is called
phenomenology.
11. Observation is a major way information is gathered in ethnography.
12. Phenomenology represents an inductive investigation in which the researcher poses questions about
information provided by respondents or taken from historical records.
13. Case studies involve documented history of a particular person, group, organization, or event.
14. A primary advantage of the case study is that an entire organization or entity can be investigated in
depth.
15. A focus group typically involves a rigid question-and-answer session among participants.
16. Focus groups, while useful, take considerable time and effort to execute.
17. Leapfrogging is a procedure in which one respondent stimulates thought among the others in a focus
group.
18. The ideal size of a focus group is 20 to 25 people.
19. A focus group moderator needs to be a good talker and dominate the group discussion to keep it on
track.
20. Laddering is an approach to probing, asking respondents to compare differences between brands at
different levels that produces distinctions at different levels.
21. Depth interviews are less expensive than focus group interviews, especially if several depth interviews
are conducted.
22. The sentence completion method is a type of free-association technique.
23. The thematic apperception test (TAT) presents subjects with an ambiguous picture in which consumers
and products are the center of attention.
24. A focus group discussion guide includes written introductory comments, informing the group about
the focus group purpose and rules and then outlines topics or questions to be asked in the group
session.
25. A focus blog is established for the purpose of collecting qualitative data from an informal, continuous
focus group.
26. In online focus group sessions, the moderator’s ability to probe is greater than it is in a face-to-face
focus group session.
27. The application of ethnography to comments made in online communities is called behavioral
tracking.
28. One advantage of qualitative research is that it is highly replicable.
29. The term interpretive research is often used to mean qualitative research.
30. The primary barriers to scientific decisions are time, money, and consensus.
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. Research that addresses marketing objectives through techniques allowing the researcher to provide
elaborate interpretations of market phenomena without depending on numerical measurement is called
_____.
a.
preliminary research
b.
primitive research
c.
qualitative research
d.
secondary research
2. Kodetra is interpreting consumers’ blog postings on the Internet. Which of the following best
describes the type of research Kodetra is conducting?
a.
independent marketing research
b.
dependent marketing research
c.
quantitative marketing research
d.
qualitative marketing research
3. Qualitative research is considered to be _____ because the researcher must extract meaning from
unstructured responses.
a.
researcher-dependent
b.
less valid
c.
less useful
d.
object-dependent
4. All of the following are situations that often call for qualitative research EXCEPT _____.
a.
when it is difficult to develop specific and actionable decision statements or research
objectives
b.
when conclusive evidence is desired
c.
when researchers want to learn how consumers use a product in natural settings
d.
when a fresh approach to studying some problem is needed
5. Research that addresses research objectives through empirical assessments that involve numerical
measurement and analysis approaches is called _____.
a.
quantitative marketing research
b.
qualitative marketing research
c.
extensive marketing research
d.
grounded marketing research
6. Researcher-dependent results are _____.
a.
subjective
b.
objective
c.
primary
d.
secondary
7. Which type of data are not characterized by numbers and instead are textual, visual, or oral?
a.
grounded data
b.
quantitative data
c.
subjective data
d.
qualitative data
8. _____ is an interview technique that tries to draw deeper and more elaborate explanations from a
respondent.
a.
Probing
b.
Interrogating
c.
Clarifying
d.
Testing
9. Which of the following is used when probing?
a.
asking for clarification
b.
pausing
c.
asking a respondent “What has changed?”
d.
all of these choices
10. Asking the decision maker to explain exactly what certain phrases or terms mean is which dimension
of probing?
a.
free form thinking
b.
clarification
c.
contrast
d.
difference
11. _____ is used to screen new, revised, or repositioned ideas.
a.
Concept testing
b.
Phenomenology
c.
Laddering
d.
Piggybacking
12. When consumers in a focus group session are presented with a written description of a possible new
product and are asked what they would be willing to pay for such a product, this is an example of
which of the following?
a.
causal research study
b.
descriptive research study
c.
concept test
d.
case study
13. All of the following are qualitative research orientations EXCEPT _____.
a.
phenomenology
b.
grounded theory
c.
case studies
d.
ANOVA
14. Which qualitative research orientation originated in philosophy and psychology?
a.
phenomenology
b.
grounded theory
c.
ethnography
d.
anthropology
15. Ethnography is a qualitative research orientation originating in _____.
a.
marketing
b.
psychology
c.
anthropology
d.
sociology
16. Which qualitative research orientation originated in sociology?
a.
phenomenology
b.
grounded theory
c.
ethnography
d.
case studies
17. Owen is a researcher who studies human experiences based on the idea that it is inherently subjective
and determined by the context in which people live. He focuses on how a person’s behavior is shaped
by the relationship he or she has with the physical environment, objects, people, and situation. Which
qualitative research orientation is Owen using?
a.
grounded theory
b.
phenomenology
c.
ethnography
d.
case study
18. Which of the following is an important approach used in phenomenology?
a.
netnography
b.
ethnography
c.
grounded theory
d.
hermeneutics
19. Which of the following is an approach to understanding phenomenology that relies on analysis of texts
through which a person tells a story about him- or herself?
a.
hermeneutics
b.
ethnography
c.
psychographics
d.
psychodynamics
20. A text passage from a respondent’s story that is linked with a key theme from within this story or
provided by the researcher is called _____.
a.
trace element
b.
schemata
c.
hermeneutic unit
d.
case study
21. _____ is a way of studying culture through methods that involve becoming highly active within that
culture.
a.
Grounded theory
b.
Ethnography
c.
Phenomenology
d.
Case studies
22. Cindy is an ethnographer who is trying to better understand how mothers take care of toddlers. Being
a mother herself, she was able to join a mother’s group and spent considerable time immersed within
that culture. From this immersion, she is able to draw data from her observations. Cindy is referred
to as a(n) _____.
a.
interloper
b.
participant-observer
c.
moderator
d.
mystery shopper
23. Which qualitative research orientation extracts a theory from whatever emerges from an area of
inquiry?
a.
phenomenology
b.
ethnography
c.
grounded theory
d.
case study
24. What is the distinguishing characteristic of grounded theory?
a.
Culture is analyzed by participant-observation in which the researcher becomes
“grounded” in the culture over a long period of time.
b.
It relies on analysis of texts in which a person tells a story about him- or herself.
c.
The interplay among respondents allows them to piggyback off of each other’s ideas.
d.
It does not begin with a theory but instead extracts one from whatever emerges from an
area of inquiry.
25. _____ represent(s) the documented history of a particular person, group, organization, or event.
a.
Case studies
b.
Phenomenology
c.
netnography
d.
Attribution theory
26. When Schwinn studies its most successful retailer in depth in order to determine some better ideas for
displaying bicycles in its retail stores, this is an example of _____.
a.
an experiment
b.
a test market
c.
a case study
d.
causal research
27. In case studies, _____ are identified by the frequency with which the same term (or a synonym) arises
in the narrative description.
a.
themes
b.
threats
c.
links
d.
ladders
28. An unstructured, free-flowing interview with a small group of people led by a trained moderator is
called a(n) _____.
a.
interaction group interview
b.
focus group interview
c.
depth interview
d.
ethnographic interview
29. Which of the following is the most common size of a focus group?
a.
1-2 participants
b.
3-5 participants
c.
6-10 participants
d.
12-20 participants
30. Betsy and six other women are participating in a research study that is an unstructured, free-flowing
interview. The researcher asked the group their feelings about hair care products in general and asked
them to discuss them freely. Betsy is participating in a _____.
a.
case study
b.
grounded research study
c.
depth interview
d.
focus group interview
31. Which of the following is an advantage of focus group interviews?
a.
provide multiple perspectives
b.
low degree of scrutiny
c.
inexpensive
d.
easy to use for sensitive topics
32. In a focus group discussion, when the comments of one member triggers a stream of comments from
the other participants, this is called _____.
a.
serendipity
b.
piggyback
c.
structure
d.
themes
33. The person who leads a focus group interview and ensures that everyone gets a chance to speak and
facilitates discussion is called a(n) _____.
a.
moderator
b.
interviewer
c.
facilitator
d.
leader
34. Which of the following is a good characteristic for a focus group moderator to possess?
a.
good listener
b.
ability to make people feel comfortable so that they will talk in the group
c.
ability to control discussion without being overbearing
d.
all of these choices
35. When a professional interviewer holds a 90-minute discussion with one member of the target market to
find out why that respondent purchases a particular brand of clothing, this is an example of a _____.
a.
depth interview
b.
concept test
c.
focus interview
d.
hermeneutic analysis
36. Which of the following is a particular approach to probing that asks respondents to compare
differences between brands at different levels?
a.
interrogating
b.
immersion
c.
linking
d.
laddering
37. Which type of qualitative tool is an informal and almost completely unstructured approach in which
the researcher engages a respondent in a discussion of the relevant subject matter?
a.
depth interview
b.
conversation
c.
focus group
d.
free-association
38. Hank is a researcher who is discussing football fan behavior with a respondent. His approach is
almost completely unstructured, and he enters into a discussion with few expectations. What he
wants is for a respondent to tell him about his or her experience as a football fan. Hank will then try
to derive meaning from the resulting dialog. Which qualitative research technique is Hank using?
a.
conversation
b.
focus group
c.
depth interview
d.
case study
39. All of the following are advantages of semi-structured interviews EXCEPT _____.
a.
ability to address more specific issues
b.
responses are usually easier to interpret than other qualitative approaches
c.
questions are administered without the presence of an interviewer
d.
high degree of scrutiny
40. Which qualitative tool simply records a respondent’s first cognitive reaction (top-of-mind) to some
stimulus?
a.
phenomenology
b.
conversations
c.
probing
d.
free-association techniques
41. When the respondent is presented with: “People who watch football on television are ________,” and
asked to fill in the blank, this is an example of a _____.
a.
word association test
b.
concept test
c.
case study
d.
sentence completion test
42. _____ are the researcher’s descriptions of what actually happens in the field and are the text from
which meaning is extracted.
a.
Hermeneutics
b.
Field notes
c.
Discussion guides
d.
Verbatims
43. Stephanie was asked to look at a picture of a woman sitting on a deserted beach and to describe what
was happening in the picture. She was then asked to tell what might happen next. Stephanie was
participating in a(n) _____.
a.
aptitude test
b.
focus interview
c.
thematic apperception test
d.
focus blog
44. A version of the TAT that uses a cartoon drawing in which the respondent suggests a dialog in which
the characters might engage is called _____.
a.
picture completion
b.
picture frustration
c.
scenario test
d.
projective picture
45. When a respondent is asked to project her feelings onto a third party (e.g. “your neighbor down the
street”), this is called a(n) _____.
a.
case study
b.
experience survey
c.
word association test
d.
projective technique
46. The written set of guidelines that describes an outline of topics to be covered by a focus group
moderator is called a _____.
a.
discussion guide
b.
TAT test
c.
concept test
d.
case study
47. Which of the following is a disadvantage of focus groups?
a.
requires objective, sensitive, and effective moderators
b.
may not be useful for discussing sensitive topics
c.
high cost
d.
all of these choices
48. A type of informal, “continuous” focus group established as an Internet blog for the purpose of
collecting qualitative data from participants is referred to as a _____.
a.
net group
b.
market blog
c.
focus blog
d.
focus unit
49. The application of ethnography to comments made in online communities is called _____.
a.
net-demographics
b.
netnography
c.
hermeneutics
d.
focus blog
50. Which of the following means the same conclusion would be reached based on another researcher’s
interpretation of the research?
a.
validity
b.
replicable
c.
homogeneity
d.
scrutiny
COMPLETION
1. Research that addresses marketing objectives through techniques that allow the researcher to provide
elaborate interpretations of marketing phenomena without depending on numerical measurement is
referred to as _____ marketing research.
2. When research is conducted to clarify the nature of a problem, it is called ______ research.
3. When focus group participants are shown a drawing of a new type of car and are asked for their
reactions, this is called a(n) ______ .
4. The typical ethnographic approach requires the use of _____.
5. An in-depth study of a major competitor in order to determine how to improve your organization’s
product line offerings is an example of a(n) _____.
6. An unstructured, free-flowing discussion with a small group of consumers in a session that is
conducted by a moderator is called a(n) ______.
7. In a focus group, when the comments of one member stimulate another member to say what she is
thinking, this is called ________.
8. The person who leads a focus group discussion is called a(n) ______.
9. A one-on-one interview between a professional researcher and a research respondent about why she
purchases a specific cosmetic brand is an example of a(n) ______.
10. When an interviewer reads a list of words and asks the respondent to “say the first thing that comes to
mind after I say each word,” this is an example of a(n) _____ technique.
11. An indirect method of questioning that allows a respondent to project his feelings onto a third-party is
an example of a(n) ______ technique.
12. A written set of guidelines prepared by a moderator that outlines the topics to be discussed in a focus
group session is called a(n) ______.
13. A focus group session that is conducted over the Internet is called a(n) ______ focus group session.
14. The term used to describe a researcher blending in as part of a virtual community to gain access to the
myriad of comments consumers leave behind is _____.
15. Research that is intersubjectively certifiable means that it is _____.
ESSAY
1. Compare and contrast qualitative research and quantitative research and discuss situations in which
qualitative research is useful.
2. Explain the role of qualitative data and quantitative data in exploratory research designs.
3. Name and briefly describe the four qualitative research orientations.
4. Describe a focus group interview and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of this technique.
5. Develop a discussion guide for a focus group on football fan behavior.
6. Explain how the Internet is useful in conducting qualitative research.
7. Do exploratory research approaches using qualitative research tools have a role in scientific inquiry?
Explain why a decision may be based solely on these results.
ANS:
