PCM Marketing Research & Analysis 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which type of marketing research collects data that has not been gathered before for the specific research problem at hand?
- Secondary research
- Primary research (Correct answer)
- Syndicated research
- Archival research
Correct answer: Primary research
Primary research involves collecting original data directly from sources for a specific research purpose, as opposed to secondary research which uses existing data.
Question 2: A researcher uses a Likert scale in a questionnaire. What is the Likert scale best designed to measure?
- Respondent demographics
- Attitudes and levels of agreement (Correct answer)
- Purchase frequency
- Brand awareness recall
Correct answer: Attitudes and levels of agreement
Likert scales measure respondents' attitudes and degree of agreement or disagreement with a statement, typically on a 5- or 7-point scale.
Question 3: What is the primary distinction between exploratory and conclusive marketing research?
- Exploratory uses surveys; conclusive uses focus groups
- Exploratory clarifies problems; conclusive tests specific hypotheses (Correct answer)
- Exploratory is quantitative; conclusive is qualitative
- Exploratory is more expensive than conclusive research
Correct answer: Exploratory clarifies problems; conclusive tests specific hypotheses
Exploratory research is used to gain insights and define problems, while conclusive research tests specific hypotheses to support definitive decision-making.
Question 4: In a marketing research study, which sampling method ensures every member of the population has an equal chance of being selected?
- Convenience sampling
- Judgmental sampling
- Simple random sampling (Correct answer)
- Quota sampling
Correct answer: Simple random sampling
Simple random sampling gives every population member an equal and independent chance of selection, making it a probability-based method.
Question 5: A company analyzes customer purchase records stored in its CRM to identify buying patterns. This is an example of using:
- Primary qualitative research
- Internal secondary data (Correct answer)
- Ethnographic research
- Experimental research
Correct answer: Internal secondary data
Internal secondary data refers to data that already exists within the organization, such as sales records, CRM databases, and transaction histories.
Question 6: Which research method involves a trained moderator leading a small group discussion to uncover consumer perceptions and motivations?
- Survey research
- Focus group (Correct answer)
- Observational research
- Experimental design
Correct answer: Focus group
A focus group uses a skilled moderator to facilitate discussion among 6–12 participants, generating qualitative insights about attitudes, perceptions, and motivations.
Question 7: What does the term 'validity' refer to in the context of marketing research measurement?
- The consistency of results when the measure is repeated
- The degree to which a measure actually measures what it is intended to measure (Correct answer)
- The size of the sample used in the study
- The ability to generalize findings to the entire population
Correct answer: The degree to which a measure actually measures what it is intended to measure
Validity refers to whether a research instrument truly measures the concept it is designed to measure, distinguishing it from reliability which concerns consistency.
Which type of marketing research collects data that has not been gathered before for the specific research problem at hand?