Chapter 07 - Qualitative Research

Chapter 07

Qualitative Research

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Which type of research includes an array of interpretative techniques which seek to

describe, decode, translate, and otherwise come to terms with the meaning of certain
phenomena?
A. Quantitative
B. Qualitative
C. Statistical
D. Descriptive
E. Causal

Level: Easy

2. The primary concern with using qualitative techniques is that qualitative data are too
_____.
A. Expensive
B. Time-consuming
C. Subjective
D. Objective
E. Structured

Level: Moderate

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3. Which type of research attempts a precise measurement of some behavior, knowledge,

opinion, or attitude?
A. Quantitative
B. Qualitative
C. Exploratory
D. Cross-sectional
E. Longitudinal

Level: Easy

4. Qualitative research seeks to _____ theory while quantitative research _____ it.
A. Examine, interprets
B. Build, tests
C. Test, understands
D. Apply, builds
E. Justify, applies

Level: Moderate

5. Which of the following research purposes are associated with qualitative research?
A. Description
B. Prediction
C. Theory building
D. Theory testing
E. Forecasting

Level: Moderate

6. Which of the following is true of quantitative research?

A. It uses a nonprobability sampling method
B. Results are generalizable
C. Data analysis is ongoing during the project
D. Sample sizes are generally small
E. It uses multiple data collection methods

Level: Moderate

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7. Exercises that prepare participants for individual or group interviews on a topic are called
_____.
A. Calisthenics
B. Projection techniques
C. Homework
D. Pretasking
E. Focused preparation

Level: Easy

8. Which type of sampling technique involves selecting research participants with no attempt
at generating a statistically representative sample?
A. Probability
B. Nonprobability
C. Random
D. Systematic
E. Cluster

Level: Easy

9. All of the following are types of nonprobability sampling techniques except _____.
A. Purposive sampling
B. Snowball sampling
C. Convenience sampling
D. Random sampling
E. All are types of nonprobability techniques

Level: Moderate

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10. Which type of nonprobability sampling technique involves choosing participants

arbitrarily for their unique characteristics, experiences, attitudes, or perceptions?
A. Random sampling
B. Purposive sampling
C. Convenience sampling
D. Snowball sampling
E. Quota sampling

Level: Easy

11. Which type of nonprobability sampling technique involves choosing participants who then
refer others with similar or different characteristics?
A. Random sampling
B. Purposive sampling
C. Convenience sampling
D. Snowball sampling
E. Quota sampling

Level: Easy

12. Snowball sampling is a nonprobability sampling technique in which _____.

A. Participants are chosen arbitrarily for their unique characteristics, experiences, or attitudes
B. Participants are chosen and then refer others with similar or different characteristics
C. Researchers select any readily available individuals as participants
D. Researchers systematically select participants from a sampling frame
E. Researchers chose readily available individuals as participants but seek to ensure a good
mix of demographic characteristics

Level: Moderate

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13. Convenience sampling is a nonprobability sampling technique in which _____.

A. Participants are chosen arbitrarily for their unique characteristics, experiences, or attitudes
B. Participants are chosen and then refer others with similar or different characteristics
C. Researchers select any readily available individuals as participants
D. Researchers systematically select participants from a sampling frame
E. Researchers chose readily available individuals as participants but seek to ensure a good
mix of demographic characteristics

Level: Moderate

14. Which type of nonprobability sampling technique is most useful when individuals with
the desired characteristics, experiences, or attitudes are difficult to identify or reach?
A. Random sampling
B. Purposive sampling
C. Convenience sampling
D. Snowball sampling
E. Quota sampling

Level: Easy

15. Jane is conducting interviews in order to develop a customer profile for her client. She
customizes each interview to each participant and does not ask specific questions. What type
of interview format is Jane using?
A. Structured
B. Semistructured
C. Unstructured
D. Closed-ended
E. Direct interviewing

Level: Moderate

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16. _____ interviews have certain specific questions that are asked of all participants but also
allow the interviewer freedom to probe the respondent based on his or her specific answers.
A. Structured
B. Semistructured
C. Unstructured
D. Closed-ended
E. Direct interviewing

Level: Moderate

17. Which of the following is true of structured interviews?

A. Permits direct comparability of responses
B. Encourages variation in questions
C. Interviewer probes may bias answers
D. Responses are closed-ended
E. All of the above

Level: Moderate

18. Jackson is conducting interviews to identify patterns in consumer decision making for
high-involvement products. Which type of interview should he use if he needs a high degree
of comparability among responses, no question variability, and to maintain his own neutrality
during the interviews?
A. Unstructured
B. Structured
C. Semistructured
D. Closed-ended
E. Briefing

Level: Moderate

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19. Which type of interview requires the least amount of skill and creativity on the part of the
interviewer?
A. Unstructured
B. Structured
C. Semistructured
D. Exploratory
E. Briefing

Level: Easy

20. Which of the following channels of communication would not be used when conducting
interviews?
A. Face-to-face
B. Telephone
C. Chat room
D. Mail
E. Instant messaging

Level: Easy

21. Qualitative methods that encourage participants to reveal hidden or suppressed attitudes,
ideas, emotions, and motives are called _____ techniques.
A. Deceptive
B. Unstructured
C. Projective
D. Focus group
E. Semistructured

Level: Easy

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22. Jack is participating in a research study. The interviewer asks Jack to say the first word
that comes to mind when he hears a product's benefits. What type of projective technique is
this an example of?
A. Thematic apperception test
B. Sentence completion
C. Brand mapping
D. Laddering
E. Word association

Level: Easy

23. When using the _____ projective technique, participants are asked to write the dialog for a
cartoon picture.
A. Word association
B. Picture association
C. Thematic apperception test
D. Empty balloons
E. Laddering

Level: Easy

24. When using the _____, participants are confronted with a picture and asked to describe
how the person in the picture feels and thinks.
A. Word association
B. Picture association
C. Thematic apperception test
D. Empty balloons
E. Laddering

Level: Moderate

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25. When using _____, participants are asked to relate the properties of one thing or person or
brand to another.
A. Imagination exercises
B. Picture association
C. The thematic apperception test
D. Empty balloons
E. Laddering

Level: Easy

26. When using _____, participants are asked to assume that the brand and its users populate
an entire universe, and to describe the features of this new world.
A. Word association
B. Imaginary universe
C. Thematic apperception test
D. Empty balloons
E. Laddering

Level: Easy

27. When using the _____ projective technique, participants are presented with flash cards
containing component features and asked to create new combinations.
A. Component sorts
B. Picture association
C. Thematic apperception test
D. Sensory sorts
E. Laddering

Level: Moderate

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28. When using the _____ projective technique, participants are presented with scents,
textures and sounds, and asked to arrange them by one or more criteria.
A. Brand mapping
B. Sensory sorts
C. Thematic apperception test
D. Component sorts
E. Laddering

Level: Easy

29. In a study of attitudes toward buying fake goods, participants are asked to complete this
sentence: "People who buy fake Louis Vuitton handbags are ¼.." This is an example of a(n)
_____ projective technique.
A. Picture association
B. Empty balloons
C. Sentence completion
D. Imagination exercise
E. Personification

Level: Easy

30. Participants in a study designed to identify symbolic benefits associated with Sutter Home
wines are shown a photograph of a man eating at an upscale restaurant. The man in the picture
is alone and has a glass of wine with his mea. The participants are asked to describe how the
person in the picture feels and thinks. This is an example of a(n) _____ projective technique.
A. Picture association
B. Empty balloons
C. Thematic apperception test
D. Imagination exercise
E. Personification

Level: Moderate

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31. Which term below refers to a trained interviewer used for group interviews such as focus
groups?
A. Therapist
B. Inquisitor
C. Moderator
D. Discussion guide
E. Probe

Level: Easy

32. Interview guides begin with _____ questions, following a hierarchical questioning
structure.
A. Narrow issue
B. Narrow topical
C. Broad issue
D. Narrow interest
E. Any of the above

Level: Moderate

33. The semistructured or structured interview guide designed to qualify prospects for
participation in research project is called a(n) _____.
A. Pretasking exercise
B. Recruitment screener
C. Hierarchical question structure
D. Computer-assisted interview
E. None of the above

Level: Easy

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34. American Airlines is conducting a qualitative study on preferences of business travelers

who fly frequently. Before inviting an individual to participate, the researcher on the project
wants to ensure that all participants travel for business more than pleasure and meet the
American Airlines' definition of frequent flier. What is the best way for the researcher to
ensure that participants will meet these criteria?
A. Use a recruitment screener prior to inviting individuals to participate
B. Delete interviews after the study ends from those who don't meet the qualifications
C. Draw a sample from a list of people with an American Airlines affinity credit card
D. Draw a sample from a list of people with an affinity credit card associated with any airline
E. Contact a travel agency for a list of prospects

Level: Difficult

35. When individual depth interviews are aided by the use of computer-generated visual and
auditory aids, the method is known as _____.
A. Computer-assisted telephone interviewing (CATI)
B. Computer-assisted personal interviewing (CAPI)
C. Online interviewing
D. Group interviewing
E. Computer-aided design (CAD)

Level: Easy

36. Research on service quality frequently uses a technique called _____ in which the
participant describes what led up to an incident, what was effective or ineffective, and the
outcome.
A. Life histories
B. Cultural interviews
C. Sequential interviewing
D. Critical incident technique
E. Oral history

Level: Moderate

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37. How many participants are typically in a mini-group interview?

A. 2
B. 3
C. 2 to 6
D. 6 to 10
E. Up to 20

Level: Moderate

38. A group interview seeking to understand spousal influence on decision making or the
influence of the opinion of a sibling on brand preferences would likely utilize a _____.
A. Dyad
B. Triad
C. Mini-group
D. Small group
E. Supergroup

Level: Moderate

39. Anne is moderating a focus group of university professors to understand how they use
multimedia in the classroom. All of the participants teach classes with more than 100 students
at large, public universities. The composition of this group could be described as _____.
A. Heterogeneous
B. Homogeneous
C. Nonexpert
D. Dyadic
E. None of the above

Level: Easy

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40. Which statement below best reflects the general rule regarding how many group
interviews should be conducted for a given research project?
A. Conduct interviews until no new insight is gained
B. Use at least 3 groups for every geographic region involved
C. Include groups of men only, women only, and men and women combined
D. The more homogeneous the groups, the more groups are needed
E. All of the above are true

Level: Moderate

41. All of the following statements about determining the number of group interviews is true
except _____.
A. The broader the issue, the more groups needed
B. The larger the number of distinct market segments of interest, the more groups needed
C. The greater the level of detail, the more groups needed
D. The more homogeneous the market segment, the more groups needed
E. The larger the number of new ideas desired, the more groups needed

Level: Moderate

42. The focus group moderator uses the principles of _____ to focus the group in an exchange
of ideas, feelings, and experiences on a specific topic.
A. Psychology
B. Sociology
C. Anthropology
D. Group dynamics
E. Communications

Level: Easy

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43. What is the typical length of a focus group?

A. 30 minutes
B. 1 hour
C. 90 minutes
D. 2 hours
E. 4 hours

Level: Easy

44. A telephone focus group is a viable alternative to a traditional focus group when _____.
A. Participants need to handle a product
B. It is difficult to recruit desired participants
C. Sessions will run long
D. Participants are groups of children
E. All of the above

Level: Moderate

45. Focus groups should not be used when _____.

A. Facing a high-risk decision
B. Stimulating new ideas for products
C. Obtaining general background about a topic
D. Uncovering perceptions about a brand
E. Diagnosing problems

Level: Easy

46. The process for measuring semantic content of a communication to develop a qualitative
picture of the respondents' concerns, ideas, attitudes, and feelings is called _____.
A. Brand mapping
B. Component sorts
C. Ethnographic interpretation
D. Word association
E. Content analysis

Level: Moderate

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47. The objective of a(n) _____ is to obtain multiple perspectives of a single organization,
situation, event, or process at a point in time or over a period of time.
A. Life history
B. Oral history
C. Case history
D. Cultural history
E. Semantic map

Level: Easy

48. Which type of research is designed to address complex, practical problems using
brainstorming, followed by sequential trial-and-error attempts until the desired results are
achieved?
A. Case history
B. Action research
C. Causal research
D. Grounded theory
E. Ethnography

Level: Moderate

49. The minimum number of cases used in a cross-case analysis is _____ case(s).
A. One
B. Three
C. Four
D. Fifteen
E. Twenty-five

Level: Easy

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50. Which term below is used to describe the combining of several qualitative methods or
combining qualitative with quantitative methods?
A. Triangulation
B. Dyadic support
C. Inter-rater reliability
D. Projection
E. Component sorts

Level: Moderate

Essay Questions

51. How can researchers increase the confidence business decision makers have in qualitative
data?

There are several actions that improve the trustworthiness of qualitative data. These include
using literature searches, justifying the methods chosen, using a natural setting, choosing
sample participants for relevance to the breadth of the issue, developing and including
questions that reveal the exceptions to a rule or theory, carefully structuring the data analysis,
comparing data across multiple sources and different contexts, and conducting peer-researcher
debriefing on results.

Level: Difficult

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52. Explain the three types of nonprobability sampling techniques commonly used to select
samples for qualitative research studies?

The three types of nonprobability sampling techniques used for qualitative research are
purposive sampling, snowball sampling, and convenience sampling. Purposive sampling
means that researchers choose participants arbitrarily for their unique characteristics,
experiences, attitudes or perceptions. Snowball sampling means that the participants refer
researchers to others how have characteristics, experiences, or attitudes similar to or different
from their own. Convenience sampling means that the researchers select any readily available
individuals as participants.

Level: Moderate

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53. What are some of the responsibilities of interviewers aside from conducting the actual
interviews? Name five of these responsibilities?

There are several possible responsibilities handled by the interviewer. These include
recommending topics and questions for the interview guide, managing the locations and
facilities for the study, proposing criteria for drawing the sample of participants, writing the
recruitment screener and recruiting participants, developing pretasking exercises, supervising
the transcription process, analyzing data and drawing insights, and writing or directing the
writing of the client report.

Level: Moderate

54. List and explain the factors affecting the decision of how many focus groups are needed in
a qualitative research project?

Several factors affect the number of focus groups needed. These include the scope of the
issue, the number of distinct market segments, the heterogeneity of the segments, the number
of new ideas desired, the level of geographic distinction, the level of ethnic distinction, and
the level of detail desired. For each factor, the larger the number, scope, or issue, the more
focus groups needed.

Level: Moderate

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