MRA Data Collection & Survey Methods 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which data collection method is most appropriate when the researcher needs to capture non-verbal cues and body language during a consumer interview?
- Mail survey
- Computer-assisted telephone interview (CATI)
- In-person depth interview (Correct answer)
- Online panel survey
Correct answer: In-person depth interview
In-person depth interviews allow the researcher to observe facial expressions, gestures, and other non-verbal communication that phone or online methods miss.
Question 2: A Likert scale item that reads 'The product meets my expectations' with options from 'Strongly Disagree' to 'Strongly Agree' produces data at which measurement level?
- Nominal
- Ordinal (Correct answer)
- Interval
- Ratio
Correct answer: Ordinal
Likert scale data are ordinal because the response options have a meaningful order but equal spacing between points cannot be assumed.
Question 3: Central location testing (CLT) in market research typically involves:
- Mailing product samples to a national probability sample
- Recruiting respondents to a controlled facility to evaluate products (Correct answer)
- Surveying shoppers at the point of purchase via mobile devices
- Conducting focus groups through video conferencing platforms
Correct answer: Recruiting respondents to a controlled facility to evaluate products
CLT brings participants to a neutral facility (e.g., a mall research suite) where controlled conditions allow standardized product evaluation.
Question 4: Which of the following is a primary advantage of Computer-Assisted Personal Interviewing (CAPI) over paper-and-pencil interviewing?
- Lower equipment cost
- Automatic skip-logic routing and real-time data validation (Correct answer)
- Greater anonymity for respondents
- Larger feasible sample sizes
Correct answer: Automatic skip-logic routing and real-time data validation
CAPI software automatically enforces question routing and validates entries as they are made, reducing interviewer error and speeding up data cleaning.
Question 5: In conjoint analysis data collection, respondents are typically asked to:
- Rate individual product attributes independently on Likert scales
- Evaluate or choose among profiles that bundle multiple attributes at varying levels (Correct answer)
- Rank brands from most to least preferred
- Describe ideal product features in open-ended format
Correct answer: Evaluate or choose among profiles that bundle multiple attributes at varying levels
Conjoint analysis presents trade-off scenarios (profiles) so researchers can decompose how much each attribute level contributes to overall preference.
Question 6: When calculating the required sample size for a survey, which factor directly allows a researcher to use a smaller sample without sacrificing precision?
- A larger margin of error allowance (Correct answer)
- A higher confidence level requirement
- Greater population heterogeneity
- Longer questionnaire length
Correct answer: A larger margin of error allowance
Accepting a wider margin of error reduces the required sample size because less precision is demanded from the estimate.
Question 7: An interviewer who unconsciously changes tone of voice or facial expression in response to certain answers is committing:
- Acquiescence bias
- Social desirability bias
- Interviewer bias (Correct answer)
- Order effects bias
Correct answer: Interviewer bias
Interviewer bias occurs when the data collector's behavior influences respondents' answers, threatening the validity of the collected data.
MRA Data Collection & Survey Methods 3
Which data collection method is most appropriate when the researcher needs to capture non-verbal cues and body language during a consumer interview?