Research Design & Methodology Flashcards

A researcher wants to establish causality between a marketing campaign and sales lift. Which design is most appropriate?

Answer: Randomized controlled experiment

A randomized controlled experiment allows the researcher to isolate the causal effect of the campaign by controlling for confounding variables.

In a between-subjects design, each participant is exposed to:

Answer: Only one experimental condition

In a between-subjects design, different groups of participants are assigned to different conditions rather than experiencing all conditions.

Which sampling method divides the population into mutually exclusive groups and randomly samples from each?

Answer: Stratified sampling

Stratified sampling segments the population into strata (e.g., age groups) and draws random samples from each to ensure representation.

A study collects data from the same respondents at multiple time points to track attitude change. This is a:

Answer: Panel study

A panel study follows the same individuals over time, enabling researchers to measure individual-level change.

Which of the following best defines 'internal validity'?

Answer: The confidence that observed effects are caused by the independent variable

Internal validity refers to the degree to which a study's design rules out alternative explanations for the observed relationship.

A researcher uses existing store transaction records to answer a new research question. This is an example of:

Answer: Secondary data analysis

Secondary data analysis involves using data that were originally collected for a different purpose.

What is the primary purpose of a pilot test in survey research?

Answer: To identify ambiguous questions and design flaws before full deployment

A pilot test is conducted on a small sample to detect problems with question wording, order, or survey length before the main study.