Business Research MethodologyQuestion Bank 1
1. When the marketing department of an organization attempts to determine the amount of time the
managers in this department spend at their computers in their offices each week, this is an example of
which type of research?
a. Pure research
b. Basic research
c. Applied research
d. Causal research
2. High anonymity of respondent, easy follow-up for "call back," and low to moderate response rates are
characteristic of __________ surveys.
a. telephone
b. personal interview
c. mail
d. none of the above
3. Internet surveys allow marketers to do all of the following EXCEPT
a. reach a large audience from around the globe.
b. to personalize individual messages.
c. to secure answers in a simple manner.
d. to share one respondent’s answers with another respondent
4. When a researcher pretends to be a customer on a United Airlines flight between New York and Los
Angeles so that he can complain to a flight attendant about her poor customer service (when, in
reality, the service has been satisfactory), this is an example of:
a. a contrived observation.
b. a mechanical observation.
c. content analysis.
d. response latency.
5. The amount of time that a subject takes to make a choice between two alternatives is called:
a. response latency.
b. scientifically contrived observation.
c. hidden observation.
d. galvanic skin response (GSR).
6. Tracking the percentage of women on the cover of Time magazine over the period 1980-2000 is an
example of:
a. response latency.
b. hidden observation.
c. the use of a mystery shopper.
d. content analysis.
7. Which of the following statements about observation is FALSE?
a.
Observation methods may be utilized to record spatial relations and locations.
b.
Observation methods often are unobtrusive.
c.
Observation allows for the systematic recording of behavioral intentions and attitudes.
d.
Observation studies may amplify the results of other forms of research by providing
complementary or supplemental evidence.
8. All of the following statements adequately describe direct observation EXCEPT:
a. The observer plays a passive role and does not attempt to manipulate a situation.
b. Many types of data may be obtained more accurately than through questioning.
c. The observer is recording events instantaneously.
d. The observer always interacts openly with the subject.
9. "Does the size of the package affect the amount of the product which is consumed?" is a question that
should best be studied through:
a. exploratory research.
b. descriptive research.
c. experimental research.
d. focus group research.
10. An experimenter has some degree of control over the:
a.
independent variable.
b.
correlative variable.
c.
history effect.
d.
All of the above, if the experiment is conducted properly.
11. If a researcher wants to answer the question: "Will adult women (ages 25-49) use more of a cooking
oil when it is in a full container or a half-empty one?", the best type of study to use would be a(n):
a. descriptive study.
b. experimental study.
c. exploratory study.
d. focus group study.
12. In a human resources training study, "manager turnover" is most likely to be a(n):
a. independent variable.
b. dependent variable.
c. control group variable.
d. random assignment variable.
13. In terms of internal validity, a large layoff of middle-level managers during a research study would
have what type of extraneous variable?
a. History
b. Maturation
c. Testing
d. Instrumentation
14. The after-only with control group design eliminates the problems of:
a. selection bias and mortality.
b. mortality and testing.
c. testing and instrumentation.
d. selection bias and testing.
15. An experiment that investigates long-term structural change is:
a. the static group design.
b. the Solomon four-group design.
c. a time series design.
d. a Latin square design.
16. An experimental researcher manipulated advertising (high versus low) and price (high versus low).
When advertising was high and price was high there was not much of an influence on sales volume,
but when advertising was high and price was low, there was a great influence on sales volume. This
indicates:
a. a main effect for advertising.
b. a main effect for price.
c. an interaction effect.
d. a factorial effect.
17. Employee turnover during a research study has the most effect on which of the following factors
which affect the internal validity of the study?
a. Mortality
b. Testing
c. Instrumentation
d. History
18. If the researcher is attempting to answer the question: "Will the test market results in Kansas City
hold true in California?", the researcher is most concerned with:
a. the history effect.
b. internal validity.
c. external validity.
d. mortality.
19. When a prior measurement affects a test unit’s response to the experiment, we might say that
__________ occurs.
a. testing effect
b. sensitizing
c. prioritizing
d. maturation
20. The characteristic that differentiates true experimental design from quasi-experimental design is:
a. the use of a control group.
b. random assignment of subjects to experimental groups.
c. multiple observations.
d. all of the above.
21. From the standpoint of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the term "labor force" is a(n):
a. rule of measurement.
b. concept.
c. interval scale.
d. invalid attribute.
22. A company’s Human Resources department distributes a survey which asks employees to rate their
current benefits as "excellent," "good," "fair," or "poor." This is an example of a(n):
a. nominal scale.
b. interval scale.
c. ratio scale.
d. ordinal scale.
23. When a supervisor is asked to rate each of his subordinates on a 5-point scale where 1 (one) means
that the worker is unsatisfactory and 5 means that the worker is exceptional, this is an example of
which type of scale?
a. Ratio scale
b. Interval scale
c. Ordinal scale
d. Nominal scale
24. "Dollars" represents which type of scale?
a. Nominal scale
b. Ordinal scale
c. Interval scale
d. Ratio scale
25. Which of the following statements about an interval scale is FALSE?
a. It has the properties of an ordinal scale.
b. It uniquely classifies by providing numbers that serve as labels for identification.
c. It has an absolute zero point.
d. It has the properties of a nominal scale.
26. The statement "our brand has a 20 percent market share," implies __________ data.
a. nominal
b. ordinal
c. interval
d. ratio
27. Calculating the mean is permissable for _____ or _____ scales, but is not permissable for _____ or
_____ scales.
a. interval; nominal; ordinal; ratio
b. ratio; interval; nominal; ordinal
c. ordinal; interval; ratio; nominal
d. nominal; interval; ratio; ordinal
28. When several experts say that a measure provides adequate coverage of the concept, a measure has
___________ validity.
a. concurrent
b. content
c. criterion
d. apparent
29. Which of the following is NOT a component of an attitude?
a. Affective
b. Cognitive
c. Behavioral
d. Semantic
30. In constructing a semantic differential scale
a. midpoint descriptors are used.
b. bipolar adjectives are used.
c. (n-l)/2 comparisons must be made.
d. None of the above are used.
31. What type of scale is being used in the following item?
Please tell us how satisfied you are with your purchase of your Ford Escort.
Very
Satisfied
a.
b.
c.
d.
7
6
5
4
3
2
Very
1
Dissatisfied
Likert
Semantic differential
Comparative rating
Numerical
32. What type of scale is being used when a company asks its managers to distribute their benefits so that
they add up to 50 points using the following scale
____ Dental plan
____ Retirement plan
____ Health care plan
____ Child care plan
a.
b.
c.
d.
Likert scale
Semantic differential scale
Constant sum scale
Ranking scale
33. What type of question is the following:
Name four brands of automobile tires that you would consider purchasing if you were in the market
for a new set of tires for your car?
a. Leading question
b. Loaded question
c. Fixed-alternative question
d. Open-ended question
34. When respondents believe that past events happened more recently than they actually did, this is
called __________.
a. squishing.
b. funnel technique.
c. frequency determination.
d. telescoping.
35. The formal, objective measurement and appraisal of the extent to which a given action, activity, or
program has achieved its objectives is called:
a. basic research.
b. evaluation research.
c. scientific research.
d. applied research.
36. The Pure/Basic research is research that:
a. addresses simple issues that are basic and research is not really needed.
b. attempts to expand the limits of knowledge for a discipline.
c. is conducted to make a decision about a specific real life problem.
d. all of the above
37. Which statement best describes the nature of basic research?
a.
b.
c.
d.
Basic research requires the use of experimentation.
The primary purpose of basic research is to facilitate the managerial decision process.
Basic research is conducted to verify the acceptability of a given theory.
Because basic research is exploratory, it does not require the use of scientific methodology.
38. When Colgate-Palmolive Co. tracks the sale of its health and beauty aids in discount stores by
utilizing the information provided by scanners at the checkout lines, this is an example of which type
of research?
a. Basic research
b. Performance-monitoring research
c. Pure research
d. Intuitive research
39. The term __________ research describes research that regularly, perhaps routinely, provides feedback
for evaluation and control of business activity.
a. decision support
b. performance-monitoring
c. causal
d. analysis
40. When Ford Motor Co. brings together representatives from R&D, Finance, Marketing, Sales, and
Marketing Research to work together on the design of a new type of automobile, this is an example of
the use of
a.
basic research.
b.
pure research.
c.
cross-functional teams.
d.
evaluation research.
41. Which type of research study is attempting to answer the question "Would members of this target
market be interested in purchasing this new type of product?"
a. Descriptive research
b. Causal research
c. Exploratory research
d.
Definitive research
42. If we want to clarify the nature of problems, we would conduct __________ research.
a. clarification
b. exploratory
c. descriptive
d. causal
43. The text presents the following quote from the book Zen and the Art of Motorcycle
Maintenance: "In Part One of formal scientific method…the main skill is in stating absolutely no
more than you are positive you know." This describes which step in applying the scientific method?
a .Analysis and evaluation of data
b. Providing explanation and stating new problems raised by the research
c. Assessment of relevant existing knowledge
d. Designing the research to test the hypothesis
44. When comparing the typical door-to-door personal interview with the typical mail survey, personal
interviews are more appropriately described by each of these characteristics EXCEPT
a. greater speed of data collection.
b. higher respondent cooperation.
c. higher possibility of respondent misunderstanding.
d. greater versatility of question format (questioning).
45. Which of the following statements conceding the participation rate for personal interviews, compared
to mail surveys, is FALSE?
a. The presence of an interviewer generally increases the percentage of people willing to
respond.
b. Hispanics, regardless of education, frequently prefer oral to written communication.
c. Certain groups, such as older, retired persons, are often over-represented.
d. Type of residential unit, such as high security apartment buildings, usually has a positive
impact on response rates.
46. If 400 people are mailed a questionnaire and 120 of them return it to the researcher, this survey is said
to have a response rate of
a. 120.
b. 3.33.
c. 30 percent.
d. 400.
47. Which of the following survey methods typically ranks HIGHEST on standardization of questioning?
a. Personal
b. Mail
c. Telephone
d. All rank about the same
48. The type of survey method which typically ranks highest on response rates is
a. Personal.
b. Mail.
c. Telephone.
d. All rank about the same.
49. If 800 people are mailed a survey and 230 of them return it to the researcher, the survey is said to
have a response rate of
a. 230.
b. 800.
c. 3.48.
d. 28.8 percent.
50. A researcher who is investigating consumer reactions to a videotape of a proposed television
commercial is most likely to use
a. telephone interviews.
b. door-to-door interviews.
c. mall intercept interviews.
d. self-administered questionnaires.
51. When comparing telephone interviews to door-to-door personal interviews, telephone interviews are
more appropriately described by each of these characteristics EXCEPT
a. faster speed of data collection.
b. greater geographic flexibility.
c. lower possibility for respondent misunderstanding.
d. easier call-back or follow-up.
52. Which of the following should be included in the cover letter of a mail survey?
a. Assurance of confidentiality of the data
b. An incentive for participation in the study
c. Assurance that the survey will only take a few minutes
d. A description of how the individual was selected to participate
53. The following question:
Should Lord & Taylor continue its excellent gift wrapping program?
____Yes ____ No
a.
b.
c.
d.
is a double-barreled question.
has a built-in assumption.
is a counterbiasing statement.
all of the above.
54. A questionnaire is said to be __________ if no unnecessary information is collected and if the
information needed to solve the business problem is obtained.
a. complete
b. relevant
c. finished
d. correct
55. What type of question is the following?
Did you make any local or long-distance calls from your home last week?
____ yes ____ no
a.
b.
c.
d.
Double-barreled
Leading
Loaded
Funnel
56. Open-ended questions:
a. make good introductory questions during an interview.
b. limit the range of choices available to respondents.
c. increase interviewer bias.
d. require little respondent effort.
57. What type of question is the following?
Do you agree or disagree with this statement: "The recession is caused by inflation and
unemployment."
a.
b.
c.
d.
Leading
Misleading
Double-barreled
Checklist
58. When using the Internet, if you need to click beside either a "Yes" or a "No" response to fill in the
circle that is next to one of these choices to indicate your answer to the question, this type of prompt
is called:
a. a split-ballot prompt.
b. a radio button.
c. a check list button.
d. a complex choice button.
59. In developing a questionnaire, which of the following is NOT a useful guideline:
a. avoid loaded questions.
b. be as general as possible.
c. avoid double-barreled items.
d. use simple, conversational language.
60. Quota sampling
a. involves taking a stratified sample in which the number of sampling units drawn from each
stratum is in proportion to the relative population size of that stratum.
b. ensures that certain characteristics of a population sample will be represented to the exact
extent that the researcher desires.
c. obtains units or people who are most conveniently available.
d. selects an initial starting point by a random process, and then selects every nth number on the
list.
61. Secondary sampling units are
a. units selected during preliminary stages of testing.
b. units that are weeded out due to random sampling error.
c. units selected in the second stage of sampling.
d. samples that consist of inanimate objects only, rather than people.
62. A disproportional stratified sample
a. involves taking a stratified sample in which the number of sampling units drawn from each
stratum is in proportion to the relative population size of that stratum.
b. is a stratified sample in which the sample size for each stratum is allocated according to
analytical considerations.
c. obtains units or people who are most conveniently available.
d. selects an initial starting point by a random process, and then selects every nth number on the
list.
63. If we are experimenting with different forms of advertising copy appeals, the
dependent variable might be defined as:
a. a measure of advertising awareness.
b. recall.
c. change in brand preference.
d. any of these.
64. If, during the course of an experiment, subjects change in some way that will have an impact on the
experimental results, the effect is referred to as:
a. history.
b. maturation.
c. selection.
d. mortality.
65. In a test marketing study of a new type of instant tea, sales volume (as measured by dollar sales) is
most likely to be a(n):
a. Random variable.
b. Independent variable.
c. Control variable.
d. Dependent variable.
66. In a test marketing study, initial trial purchase is most likely to be a(n):
a. independent variable.
b. control variable.
c. dependent variable.
d. external variable
67. If the interviewers are changed during a research study, this would have what type of effect on the
extraneous variables?
a. Testing effect
b. History effect
c. Selection bias
d. Instrumentation
68. An automobile dealer, after a very cold winter, found himself with a very large
inventory. He experimented with offering a free trip to Chicago (X) with every car sold. He recorded
sales (O) after the promotion. This is an example of:
a. an after only design.
b. before-after design.
c. control design.
d. a completely randomized design.
69. A researcher uses a cartoon drawing to which the respondent suggests dialogue that the cartoon
characters might speak. This is an example of:
a. a focus group.
b. sentence completion.
c. thematic apperception testing.
d. None of these
70. Focus groups of employees:
a. should always be led by co-workers.
b. should include employees with their supervisors in the same group.
c. can be a valuable technique for improving a company’s operations.
d. Should be saving lot of time
71. With respect to research design:
a. case studies may be used in both descriptive and exploratory research.
b. experimentation may be used in exploratory research.
c. case studies may be used in both descriptive research and experimentation.
d. descriptive research may be categorized as either conclusive research or experimentation.
72. In which of the following situations would an exploratory study NOT be appropriate?
a. Analyzing selected causes or cases
b. Conversations with individuals who have relevant information
c. Defining relationships so that hypotheses may be formulated
d. Measuring a brand’s share of the market
73. As experiments _____ in naturalism, they approach pure _____ experiments, and as they become
_____
artificial, they approach _____ experiments.
a. increase; field; less; laboratory
b. decrease; field; less; laboratory
c. increase; field; more; laboratory
d. decrease; field; more; laboratory
74. Consider the following question:
"If you own your own home, what is its approximate value?"
Under $50,000
$50,000 – $70,000
$70,000 – $100,000
$100,000 – $150,000
Which of the following is NOT a valid criticism?
a.
b.
c.
d.
Categories are not mutually exclusive.
List of alternatives is not collectively exhaustive.
Two questions are being asked as one.
All are valid criticisms.
75. Calculate the sample mean using the following data:
X
4
5
2
6
4
3
4
The mean is:
a.
7.0
b.
3.0
c.
d.
4.0
none of the above
76. Calculate the sample standard deviation using the following data:
X
4
5
2
6
The sample standard deviation is approximately:
a. 0.84.
b. 1.71.
c. 2.25.
d. none of the above.
77. Calculate the standard deviation using the following data:
X
6
4
3
2
The standard deviation is:
a. 0.84.
b. 1.25.
c. 1.71.
d. none of the above.
78. In attempting to estimate the amount of money which members of a target market segment spend
yearly on toothpaste, a researcher wants to use a Z-value of 1.96 and an error of $0.50. If past
research studies have found that the standard deviation for this type of study on this target market
segment has been approximately $2.34, approximately what sample size should the researcher use in
this study?
a. 123
b. 64
c. 85
d. None of the above
79. If p = .40 for a sample size of 100, the standard error of the proportion is approximately:
a. 0.05.
b. 0.03.
c. 0.07.
d. none of the above.
80. In a percentage cross-tabulation, the total number of respondents or observations may be used as a(n)
__________ for computing the percentage in each cell.
a. index
b. base
c. centroid
d. none of the above
81. Which of the following statements about descriptive analysis is FALSE?
a. For most projects, statistical analysis begins by reducing the raw data into a summary format.
b. Tabulation refers to the orderly arrangement of data in a table or other summary format.
c. Analyzing results by groups or categories is the technique of tabulation.
d. A frequency table is the arrangement of statistical data in a row and column format.
82. A Type II error is caused by failing to reject the __________ when the __________ is true.
a. alternative hypothesis; null hypothesis
b. significance level; hypothesis
c. Type I error; hypothesis
d. null hypothesis; alternative hypothesis
83. If the t-statistic produces a value for t of 2.56 when the critical value of t is 1.96, the decision should
be:
a. to accept the null hypothesis.
b. to accept both the null hypothesis and the alternative hypothesis.
c. to reject the null hypothesis and accept the alternative hypothesis.
d. to reject both the null hypothesis and the alternative hypothesis.
84. If the observed value of t is 1.54 when the critical value of t is 1.96, the decision should be:
a. to reject the null hypothesis and accept the alternative hypothesis.
b. to accept both the null hypothesis and the alternative hypothesis.
c. to reject both the null hypothesis and the alternative hypothesis.
d. to accept the null hypothesis.
85. When the means of more than two groups or populations are to be compared on one independent
variable, __________ is the appropriate statistical tool.
a. the t-test
b. two-way ANOVA
c. one-way analysis of variance
d. a pooled estimate of the standard error
86. The greater the value of F
a. the greater the sample size.
b. the greater the total variation.
c. the greater the probability of accepting the null hypothesis.
d. the greater the probability of rejecting the null hypothesis.
87. The F-test is frequently used in conjunction with
a. chi-square analysis.
b. analysis of variance.
c. t-test of three means.
d. Z-test of three proportions.
88. When the data relating to two variables are simultaneously tabulated by categories, the simplest
procedure to use is
a. ANOVA.
b. regression.
c. correlation.
d. cross-tabulation.
89. The formula below represents the method for calculating the ______ .
a.
b.
c.
d.
Z-test.
F-test.
Chi-square test.
none of the above.
90. In the formula Y = a + X, X represents:
a. the independent variable.
b. the dependent variable.
c. the slope coefficient.
d. the Y-intercept.
91. The case study method has several distinct advantages over other methods of
descriptive research. Which of the following is NOT one of those advantages?
a. Data are often more accurate because of more intimate association between researcher and
respondent.
b. It provides a description of a real situation.
c. It is an objective tool for observing and recording.
d. It gives an in depth details of a subject unit
92. One of the following research methods differs from other methods because it gives the researcher a
high degree of control over the research situation. Which is it?
a. Surveys
b. Experiments
c. Observation studies
d. Secondary data studies
93. Basic research is research that:
a. addresses simple issues that are basic and research is not really needed.
b. attempts to expand the limits of knowledge for a discipline.
c. is conducted to make a decision about a specific real life problem.
d. all of the above
94. Which statement best describes the nature of basic research?
a. Basic research requires the use of experimentation.
b. The primary purpose of basic research is to facilitate the managerial decision process.
c. Basic research is conducted to verify the acceptability of a given theory.
d. Because basic research is exploratory, it does not require the use of scientific methodology.
95. When a marketing manager makes an important decision because there is not sufficient time to
conduct a research project, this is an example of:
a.
a situation in which the value of the research exceeds its costs.
b.
the nature of the type of decision (tactical or strategic) that must be made.
c.
a time constraint.
d.
the availability of data.
96. Which of the following is an example of a major topic for business research?
a.
A buyer behavior research study
b.
A job morale study
c.
A market segment…
