GTP Research Methods & Evidence-Based Practice 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A GTP researcher wants to compare traveler spending between domestic and international trips. Which statistical test is most appropriate for this two-group comparison of continuous data?
- Chi-square test
- Independent samples t-test (Correct answer)
- Pearson correlation
- Factor analysis
Correct answer: Independent samples t-test
An independent samples t-test compares the means of a continuous variable (spending) between two distinct, unrelated groups (domestic vs. international travelers).
Question 2: Which type of question in a traveler survey is most likely to produce socially desirable responses rather than honest answers?
- How many trips did you take last year?
- Which airline do you prefer?
- How often do you research sustainable travel options before booking? (Correct answer)
- What is your approximate annual travel budget?
Correct answer: How often do you research sustainable travel options before booking?
Questions about environmentally responsible behavior often produce socially desirable responses because respondents want to appear conscientious, inflating actual reported rates.
Question 3: In travel market research, 'triangulation' refers to:
- Averaging results from three separate surveys
- Using geographic mapping to identify travel patterns
- Combining multiple data sources or methods to validate findings (Correct answer)
- Dividing a market into three distinct customer segments
Correct answer: Combining multiple data sources or methods to validate findings
Triangulation strengthens research validity by cross-verifying findings through multiple data sources, methods, researchers, or theoretical frameworks.
Question 4: A travel research report claims that 'travelers who use apps book 30% more trips per year.' Without a control group, what can be concluded?
- App usage causes travelers to book more trips
- There is a statistically significant relationship between app use and booking frequency
- An association exists, but causality cannot be established (Correct answer)
- The 30% difference is practically meaningful for the industry
Correct answer: An association exists, but causality cannot be established
Without random assignment to a control group, observed differences may result from pre-existing differences between groups, so only association—not causation—can be inferred.
Question 5: Which method would best capture the lived experience of long-term slow travelers, including their emotional motivations?
- Online quantitative survey
- In-depth phenomenological interviews (Correct answer)
- Telephone poll
- Transactional data analysis
Correct answer: In-depth phenomenological interviews
Phenomenological interviews are designed to deeply explore participants' subjective lived experiences, perceptions, and emotions in their own words.
Question 6: When assessing the quality of a travel industry white paper, which characteristic most strongly supports trustworthiness of the findings?
- The report is lengthy and includes many charts
- The methodology section clearly describes how data were collected and analyzed (Correct answer)
- The sponsoring company has a strong brand reputation
- The conclusions align with current industry trends
Correct answer: The methodology section clearly describes how data were collected and analyzed
Transparent, detailed methodology allows readers to critically evaluate whether the research methods were appropriate and the conclusions are justified.
Question 7: A GTP professional notices that a published airline satisfaction study from 2018 is still being cited as current evidence. What is the primary concern with using this evidence?
- The study used too small a sample size
- Industry conditions have changed, reducing the study's currency and applicability (Correct answer)
- The p-value may no longer be statistically significant
- The study was likely published in a non-peer-reviewed journal
Correct answer: Industry conditions have changed, reducing the study's currency and applicability
Currency of evidence matters in the rapidly evolving travel industry; studies from several years ago may not reflect current traveler behaviors, technologies, or market conditions.
GTP Research Methods & Evidence-Based Practice 3
A GTP researcher wants to compare traveler spending between domestic and international trips.
Which statistical test is most appropriate for this two-group comparison of continuous data?