Consumer Behavior, 12e (Schiffman/Wisenblit)
Chapter 16 Consumer Research
1) The purpose of studying consumer behavior is to enable marketers to anticipate how they
might better meet consumer needs by ________.
A) improving profit margins
B) consistently beating competitors’ prices
C) offering consumers more suitable products and marketing messages
D) convincing consumers that they need the products the company can produce
E) pushing consumers to purchase products that they need but are reluctant to buy
2) ________ is the process and tools used to study consumer behavior.
A) Behavioral targeting
B) Consumer research
C) Psychoanalysis
D) Ethnography
E) Dynamic marketing
3) In consumer research, ________ is information that has already been collected for some other
purpose, and is often helpful in designing a new research project.
A) primary research
B) secondary data
C) experimentation
D) negativism
E) positivism
4) In consumer research, ________ is new research especially designed and collected for
purposes of a current research problem.
A) primary research
B) secondary information
C) experimentation
D) negativism
E) positivism
5) Focus groups and depth interviews are examples of ________ research.
A) quantitative
B) empirical
C) experimental
D) physiological
E) qualitative
6) The most difficult step in the consumer research process is ________.
A) accurately defining the objectives of the research
B) collecting and evaluating secondary data
C) collecting primary data
D) analyzing primary data
E) preparing a report of the findings of primary data
7) Ashley is a marketer for Barry’s Ice Cream Sandwiches. Barry’s is considering reducing the
number of sandwiches in a pack from 12 to 10 without reducing the price. In order to anticipate
consumers’ response to this kind of effective price increase, Ashley is reviewing records of
customer complaints received two years ago, when Barry’s reduced its packs from 15 to 12
sandwiches. These records constitute ________.
A) external secondary data
B) primary data
C) a focus group
D) a test market
E) internal secondary data
8) ________ is already existing information that was originally gathered for a research purpose
other than the present research.
A) Explanatory data
B) Primary data
C) Qualitative data
D) Test data
E) Secondary data
9) ________ is original data collected by individual researchers or organizations to meet specific
objectives.
A) Reliable data
B) Valid data
C) Secondary data
D) Objective data
E) Primary data
10) Data collected by government bodies or their agencies, such as census or economic data, is
an example of ________.
A) external secondary data
B) primary data
C) focus group data
D) test market data
E) internal secondary data
11) While obtaining secondary data before engaging in primary research offers many
advantages, it also has some limitations. Which of the following is an example of these
limitations?
A) Secondary data is more expensive to obtain than primary data.
B) Secondary data takes longer to obtain than primary data.
C) Secondary data is inappropriate for use in exploratory research.
D) Secondary data may not be accurate because of errors in gathering or analyzing the data for
the original study.
E) Secondary data makes it challenging to identify difficulties that are likely to arise during the
full-scale study.
12) While obtaining secondary data before engaging in primary research has its limitations, it
also offers many advantages. Which of the following is an example of these advantages?
A) Secondary data is always categorized in units that match those that the researcher seeks.
B) Secondary data rarely exhibits bias.
C) Secondary data can provide ideas for the methods to be used and the difficulties that are likely
to occur during a full-scale study.
D) Secondary data is generally current and up-to-date.
E) Secondary data is always accurate.
13) ________ are households that are paid for recording their purchases and/or media viewing
habits in diaries that are combined with data from thousands of households and analyzed by data
providers.
A) Consumer panels
B) Data generators
C) Quota samples
D) Probability samples
E) Lifetime value profiles
14) ________ include acquisition costs, profits generated from the individual sales to each
customer, the costs of handling customers and their orders, and the expected duration of the
relationship.
A) Consumer panels
B) Data generators
C) Quota samples
D) Probability samples
E) Lifetime value profiles
15) Which of the following is most likely to be used to generate new ideas, like for positioning
or repositioning a product?
A) applied economics
B) complaint analysis
C) controlled statistics
D) quantitative research
E) qualitative research
16) Which of the following is most likely to be used to gather descriptive and numerical
information?
A) motivational research
B) complaint analysis
C) controlled statistics
D) quantitative research
E) qualitative research
17) The central tenet of ________ is that consumers are not always consciously aware of why
they make the decisions they do.
A) attitudinal research
B) complaint analysis
C) controlled experimentation
D) test marketing
E) motivational research
18) Which of the following is a key research tool used in motivational research?
A) mail surveys
B) focus groups
C) test markets
D) mystery shopping
E) mechanical observation
19) Which of the following is true of qualitative research?
A) Sample sizes are generally quite large, which allows findings to be generalized to larger
populations.
B) Sample sizes are generally small, which allows findings to be generalized to larger
populations.
C) Sample sizes are generally small, which prevents findings from being generalized to larger
populations.
D) Sample sizes are generally quite large, which prevents findings from being generalized to
larger populations.
E) Findings of quantitative research may typically be generalized to larger populations,
regardless of the size of the study.
20) A(n) ________ is a somewhat lengthy non-structured discussion between a single respondent
and a highly trained researcher.
A) experiment
B) survey
C) focus group
D) metaphor analysis
E) depth interview
21) During a depth interview, which of the following is NOT part of the interviewer’s strategy?
A) Provide as much time as possible for the consumer to express his or her thoughts and
behaviors.
B) Give the consumer an opportunity to respond to specific verbal and visual materials.
C) Talk as much as possible to ensure the consumer gives the answers s/he wants.
D) Establish an atmosphere that encourages the consumer respondent to relax and open up to
provide valuable insights.
E) Probe the respondent and encourage him/her to talk freely about the product category and/or
brand under study.
22) ________ include written concept statements, drawings, photos of new products, actual
product samples, and rough renditions of ads that help respondents express their inner thoughts
and encourage a more precise or accurate response to what is being investigated.
A) Cluster samples
B) Complaint analyses
C) Consumer panels
D) Stimulus materials
E) Mystery shops
23) In a ________, 8 to 10 participants are encouraged to discuss their reactions to product and
service concepts, or new advertising or marketing communications campaigns.
A) focus group
B) depth interview
C) survey
D) metaphor analysis
E) controlled experiment
24) Some marketers prefer ________ because they feel that the dynamic interaction between
participants that takes place tends to yield a greater number of new ideas and insights.
A) consumer panels
B) depth interviews
C) mail surveys
D) mystery shopping
E) focus groups
25) Contemporary qualitative consumer research grew out of ________.
A) the belief that consumers generally select those products and services that give them the
highest satisfaction
B) the belief that consumers generally select those products and services that carry the lowest
cost
C) the belief that consumers always know what they want
D) the belief that consumers always understand why they do the things they do
E) the need to uncover consumers’ subconscious or hidden motivations in the context of buying
and consumption.
26) If the purpose of a research study is to get new ideas, then a ________ is often undertaken;
alternatively, if descriptive information is sought, then some form of ________ is likely to be
undertaken.
A) quantitative study; qualitative study
B) motivational study; descriptive study
C) qualitative study; motivational study
D) motivational study; quantitative study
E) qualitative study; quantitative study
27) Qualitative and quantitative research are ________.
A) used independently
B) complementary
C) always used simultaneously
D) interdependent
E) mutually exclusive
28) ________ are three basic designs used in quantitative research.
A) Observational, causal, and survey research
B) Interviews, focus groups, and metaphor analysis
C) Focus groups, observation, and survey
D) Survey, interviews, and experimentation
E) Metaphor analysis, survey, and observation
29) When Walmart uses technology in its product audits, enabling them to monitor the sales of
their products, this is an example of ________.
A) momentary observation
B) mechanical observation
C) complaint analysis
D) experimentation
E) physiological observation
30) An electronic eye camera used to monitor the eye movements of subjects looking at a series
of advertisements would be considered a tool for ________.
A) mechanical observation
B) momentary observation
C) physiological observation
D) human observation
E) behavioral observation
31) Physiological observation devices ________.
A) electronically monitor product inventory
B) tabulate sales and revenue
C) describe interactions between people
D) evaluate customer satisfaction
E) monitor respondents’ patterns of information processing
32) Examples of ________ include tests of different sales appeals of package designs, prices, or
copy themes, and identify cause and effect.
A) motivational research
B) causal research
C) trial and error
D) internal secondary data
E) behavioral research
33) A form of quantitative research that requires manipulating one variable at a time is called
________.
A) focusing
B) experiments
C) trial and error
D) Likert scaling
E) validation
34) A controlled experiment ensures that differences in outcomes of different test groups are due
to ________.
A) demographic differences between test subjects
B) multiple factors in the test environment
C) differences in test environment
D) differences in test administrator
E) different treatments of the variable under study
35) ________ a major application of causal research, in which, prior to launching a new product,
elements such as package, price, and promotion are manipulated in a controlled setting in order
to predict sales and possible responses to the product.
A) Surveys are
B) Focus groups are
C) Secondary research is
D) Test marketing is
E) One-on-one interviewing is
36) Customer surveys can be conducted in several popular ways. Which of these is as easy and
quick to distribute around the world as it is to distribute it down the block?
A) mail surveys
B) telephone interview surveys
C) personal interviews
D) email surveys
E) mall intercepts
37) Surveys take several forms. Which of the following is the most expensive interview method?
A) mail surveys
B) telephone interview surveys
C) personal interview surveys
D) online surveys
E) email surveys
38) Which of the following survey methods has the highest response rate?
A) mail surveys
B) email surveys
C) personal interview surveys
D) online surveys
E) postage surveys
39) Which of the following survey methods runs the greatest risk of interviewer bias?
A) mail surveys
B) email surveys
C) personal interview surveys
D) online surveys
E) postage surveys
40) Interview surveys most often take place in a public space or in retail shopping areas. The
latter are referred to as ________.
A) mystery shops
B) mall intercepts
C) shopping experience surveys
D) shop stops
E) focus groups
41) Respondents are most hostile when administered ________ surveys.
A) mail
B) online
C) telephone
D) personal interview
E) focus group
42) A study is ________ if it collects the appropriate data needed to answer the research
objective.
A) reliable
B) subjective
C) legitimate
D) objective
E) valid
43) A study is ________ if the same questions, asked of a similar sample, produce the same
findings.
A) valid
B) reliable
C) subjective
D) legitimate
E) objective
44) For quantitative research, the primary data collection instrument is the ________.
A) questionnaire
B) interview
C) focus group
D) consumer panel
E) metaphor analysis
45) On a questionnaire, a(n) ________ question is one where the respondent merely checks the
appropriate answer from a list of options.
A) open-ended
B) closed-ended
C) disguised
D) undisguised
E) exploratory
46) ________ represents the biggest challenge in constructing questionnaires.
A) Sequencing questions
B) Wording questions
C) Identifying appropriate respondents
D) Reaching the appropriate respondents
E) Deciding on a delivery method
47) Researchers often present respondents with a list of products or product attributes for which
they are asked to indicate their relative feelings or evaluations. The instruments most frequently
used to capture this evaluative data are called ________.
A) mechanical observations
B) attitude scales
C) consumer panels
D) metaphor analyses
E) focus groups
48) The ________ is the most popular form of attitude scale because it is easy for researchers to
prepare and to interpret, and simple for consumers to answer.
A) semantic differential scale
B) Likert scale
C) customer value profile
D) behavior intention scale
E) rank-order scale
49) Survey X asks respondents to express their impression of a given price for Product Y on a
continuum between expensive and inexpensive. This type of attitude scale is known as a
________.
A) Likert scale
B) bipolar scale
C) semantic differential scale
D) behavior intention scale
E) rank-order scale
50) The ________ asks consumers to make subjective judgments regarding their future behavior.
A) Likert scale
B) semantic differential scale
C) rank-order scale
D) bipolar scale
E) behavior intention scale
51) Depth interviews are 20- to 60-minute, non-structured interviews between the interviewer
and the respondent in which ________.
A) the interviewer actively directs and leads the respondent in certain directions
B) the respondent answers a series of prepared questions in brief
C) the interviewer minimizes his or her own participation
D) the respondent is encouraged to be positive about the topic of discussion
E) the respondent is asked to answer a series of multiple choice questions
52) Projective techniques are designed to ________.
A) identify the best distribution chain for a particular product
B) encourage consumers to buy a product
C) illuminate the unconscious underlying motives of the consumer
D) encourage discussion within a group about a particular product
E) identify consumer impressions of product price
53) Tests containing ambiguous stimuli, such as word-association tests and incomplete
sentences, are examples of ________.
A) observational techniques
B) projective techniques
C) depth interviews
D) mechanical observation tests
E) physiological observation tests
54) Professional observers who pose as customers in order to evaluate the quality of a company’s
service are known as ________.
A) undercover agents
B) mystery shoppers
C) verification officers
D) acting researchers
E) drive-by shoppers