Chapter 9 Survey Research: An Overview 73

Chapter 9

Survey Research: An Overview

True-False Questions

F 1. The purpose of survey research is to collect secondary data.

175

T 2. An interviewer's appearance and behavior can influence respondents' answers.

183

F 3. Respondents may imply that they have more education than they actually do; this is an
182 example of acquiescence bias.

T 4. People who are not contacted are called nonrespondents.

178

T 5. People who refuse to participate are called nonrespondents.

178

T 6. Quality assurance means more than just meeting minimum standards.

189

T 7. Self-selection bias allows extreme positions to be overrepresented typically while those

178 who are indifferent are typically underrepresented.

T 8. If the National Rifle Association conducts a survey on gun control using its own
183 letterhead, it is likely that auspices bias will occur.

T 9. The people who answer survey questions are called respondents.

175

T 10. Most surveys ask both structured and unstructured questions.

186

T 11. Total quality management is a business philosophy for integrating customer-driven

188 quality throughout an organization.
Chapter 9 Survey Research: An Overview 74

F 12. Many studies have shown that there is little difference between the level of service that
192 customers expect and the way front-line personnel deliver the service.

F 13. Most survey research is causal research.

175

F 14. The purpose of survey research is to collect secondary data.

175

F 15. It is impossible to apply total quality management principles to services, since it is

192 much more difficult to measure the quality of a service than of a tangible product.

F 16. In a longitudinal study, various segments of the population are sampled at a single
187 point in time so that relationships among variables may be investigated by
cross-tabulation.

F 17. The purpose of a cross-sectional study is to examine the continuity of response and to
186 observe changes that occur over time.

T 18. One form of the longitudinal study is the panel study.

187

T 19. A structured question limits the number of responses available to a particular question.
186

T 20. A mistake in the execution of a research design can result in administrative error.
184

T 21. Surveys provide a quick, inexpensive, efficient, and accurate means of accessing
175 information about the population.

T 22. The two major sources or categories of survey error are random sampling error and
175 systematic error.

T 23. Nonsampling error is another name for systematic error.

177

T 24. One way to study the possible self-selection bias in respondents is to compare the
178 demographics of the target group with the demographics of the sample respondents.
Chapter 9 Survey Research: An Overview 75

T 25. The statistical difference between a survey that includes only those who responded and
178 a survey that would also include those who failed to respond would be referred to as
nonresponse error.
T 26. The situation in which a survey is administered can cause bias.
180

T 27. The term "survey" can be defined as a method of data collection based on
175 communication with a representative sample of individuals.

T 28. When respondents misunderstand a question in a survey, they may unconsciously give
181 a biased answer to the question.

T 29. In research on new products, acquiescence bias is a common problem.

182

T 30. A person who is unwilling to answer a survey is called a refusal.

178

F 31. Improper administration of a research design can cause social desirability error.
184

F 32. Systematic error can only occur from some imperfect aspect of research design.
185

T 33. In longitudinal surveys, respondents are questioned at different points in time.

187

T 34. When an interviewer cannot write fast enough to record an answer verbatim, this is
185 called interviewer error.

T 35. Surveys are based on the assumption that the information the marketer requires may be
175 obtained simply by asking people.

T 36. The term sample survey emphasizes that the purpose of contacting respondents in an
175 interview or with a questionnaire is to obtain a representative sample of the target
population.

F 37. When the results to a survey are biased by yea-sayers who are very agreeable to the
182 interviewer asking questions about a new brand, the survey has auspices bias.

T 38. The systematic overreporting of the consumption or purchase of a product with a

183 positive connotation, such as milk, is an example of social desirability bias.
Chapter 9 Survey Research: An Overview 76

T 39. The typical means of analyzing the data from a cross-sectional study is to divide the
186 sample into subgroups.

T 40. Disguised questions may be used to probe sensitive subjects.

186

F 41. Nonresponse errors can only occur in mail surveys because of the methods used to
178 collect the data.

F 42. The statistical difference between a survey that includes only those who responded and
178 a survey that also includes those who failed to respond is referred to as unintentional
error.

T 43. An example of self-selection bias might be the increased likelihood of response by a

178 man who has had his flight reservation bumped and then finds a self-administered
questionnaire left at the airline reservation counter.

T 44. The collection of data from the same households over time is called a panel study.
187

F 45. Self-selection biases a survey because it allows extreme positions to be

178 underrepresented, while those who are indifferent are overrepresented.

T 46. The error caused by an interviewer who fakes the answers to a questionnaire would be
185 administrative error.

T 47. When an interviewer's presence influences a respondent to say he does not have a
183 particular appliance in his home (when he actually does), a social desirability bias has
occurred.

Multiple Choice Questions

B 1. When investigating Americans' eating habits, researchers often find that people
183 exaggerate their consumption of vegetables and fruit, while minimizing their
consumption of fast food. This is an example of:
A. nonresponse error.
B. social desirability bias.
C. self-selection bias.
D. acquiescence bias.
Chapter 9 Survey Research: An Overview 77

A 2. If a respondent wants to make a good impression on the interviewer, this could lead to:
183 A. social desirability bias.
B. semantic confusion.
C. sample selection error.
D. nonresponse error.

A 3. Most survey research represents which type of research?

175 A. Descriptive research
B. Predictive research
C. Causal research
D. Experimental research.

A 4. The total quality management process begins with a(n) stage.

190 A. commitment and exploration
B. benchmarking
C. customer satisfaction analysis
D. initial quality improvement

D 5. Surveys have the advantage that they are:

175 A. quick.
B. relatively inexpensive.
C. accurate.
D. all of the above.

D 6. All of the following are examples of response bias EXCEPT:

182 A. extremity bias.
B. auspices bias.
C. social desirability bias.
D. sample selection error.

C 7. A business owner, contacted at her home office, declines to participate in a telephone

178 survey because she doesn't have time. This is an example of:
A. self-selection bias.
B. a not-at-home.
C. a refusal.
D. extremity bias.

A 8. Which of the following is NOT an example of data processing error?

184 A. choosing an unrepresentative sample
B. typographical errors during data entry
C. accidentally combining answers from two respondents during data entry
D. inaccurate computer software
Chapter 9 Survey Research: An Overview 78

B 9. A is a study in which various segments of a population are sampled and data is

186 collected at a single moment in time.
A. panel study
B. cross-sectional study
C. longitudinal study
D. tracking study

A 10. Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of panel studies?

187 A. Members are selected at random.
B. Panels are expensive.
C. Phone interviews are often used.
D. Diaries are used to aid members' recall.

B 11. All of the following are examples of administrative error EXCEPT:

184 A. data processing error.
B. auspices bias.
C. sample selection error.
D. interviewer cheating.

D 12. Which of the following is an example of response bias?

182 A. Extremity bias
B. Auspices bias
C. Social desirability bias
D. All of the above

D 13. Research on new product development typically includes which type of response bias?
182 A. Interviewer bias
B. Auspices bias
C. Extremity bias
D. Acquiescence bias

C 14. If the use of male interviewers in a study involving personal interviews with female
183 respondents yields less candid responses that would be the case if female interviewers
were used, this is an example of:
A. social desirability bias.
B. extremity bias.
C. interviewer bias.
D. acquiescence bias.
Chapter 9 Survey Research: An Overview 79

C 15. When a respondent is asked to indicate his annual income in one of five categories, this
186 is an example of:
A. an unstructured question.
B. a disguised question.
C. a structured question.
D. an unstructured-disguised question.

D 16. Which of the following characteristics of an interviewer can create interviewer bias in
183 personal interviews?
A. Dress
B. Gender
C. Age
D. All of the above

D 17. A method of primary data collection based on communication with a representative

175 sample of individuals is called
A. conclusive research.
B. scientific observation.
C. an experiment.
D. a survey.

D 18. Which of the following statements does NOT adequately describe surveys?
175 A. Surveys provide a quick, efficient, and accurate means of inferring
information about the population.
B. When surveys are poorly designed, the survey may be worse than none at all
because the sponsor may be misled.
C. Surveys require communication with a respondent.
D. Surveys lack versatility and flexibility with respect to the type of issues,
problems, and concepts that may be investigated.

B 19. Which of the following statements about surveys is FALSE?

175 A. The person who answers an interviewer's question is called a respondent.
B. Surveys can obtain information about attitudes, but not demographic
information.
C. A survey is a method of primary data collection.
D. Surveys may be conducted to quantify certain factual information.
Chapter 9 Survey Research: An Overview 80

C 20. When total error is broken down into two major sources of survey error, they are:
176 A. random sampling error and sample selection error.
B. random sampling error and administrative error.
C. random sampling error and systematic error (bias).
D. sample selection error and response bias.

B 21. If respondents inflate their annul income figures during a personal interviewer in an
183 attempt to please the interviewer, this is an example of:
A. sample selection error.
B. social desirability bias.
C. unintentional error.
D. self-selection error.

D 22. Which of the following statements about surveys is FALSE?

176 A. Most surveys try to represent a cross-section of a particular target population.
B. Surveys require asking people questions. These people are called respondents.
C. Most survey research is descriptive research.
D. With a technically proper probability sample, random sampling error is
eliminated.

A 23. Most survey research is in nature.

175 A. descriptive
B. causal
C. exploratory
D. cross-sectional

B 24. If mall-intercept studies conducted during the morning hours underrepresent working
184 women in the sample, this is an example of:
A. interviewer bias.
B. sample selection error.
C. auspices bias.
D. social desirability bias.

C 25. If an interviewer is unable to write fast enough to record answers verbatim during a
185 personal interview, this is an example of:
A. auspices bias.
B. social desirability bias.
C. interviewer error.
D. random sampling error.
Chapter 9 Survey Research: An Overview 81

C 26. An example of might be the increased likelihood of response by a man who has had
178 his flight reservation bumped and then finds a self-administered questionnaire left at
the airline reservation counter.
A. authority error
B. auspices bias
C. self-selection bias
D. self-administered error

A 27. When an interviewer intentionally skips over questions that deal with sensitive topics
185 during a personal interview, this is an example of:
A. interviewer cheating.
B. auspices bias.
C. social desirability bias.
D. random sampling error.

B 28. A results from some imperfect aspect of the research design that causes respondent
177 error or from a mistake in the execution of the research.
A. design fault
B. systematic error
C. random sampling error
D. none of the above

A 29. If a response to a survey question asks the respondent to say whether he or she is
186 “under 35 or over 35”, this is an example of a(n):
A. structured question.
B. disguised question.
C. cross-sectional question..
D. longitudinal question.

D 30. The error caused by an interviewer who fakes the answers to a questionnaire would be:
185 A. nonresponse error.
B. systemic error.
C. interviewer bias.
D. interviewer cheating.

B 31. At which stage of the total quality management process should the organization
190 determine an initial measure of the frequency of customer problems?
A. Commitment and exploration stage
B. Benchmarking stage
C. Initial quality improvement stage
D. Continuous quality improvement stage
Chapter 9 Survey Research: An Overview 82

Fill in the Blank

1. A(n) error is an error caused by the improper administration or execution of a

184 research task.

administrative

2. If respondents' answers are influenced by the organization conducting the study, this
183 could lead to .

auspices bias

3. If respondents' answers are affected by their desire to appear wealthier than they
183 actually are, this reflects .

social desirability bias

4. If the interviewer somehow influences the responses of people being interviewed, this
183 is called .

interviewer bias

5. The total quality management process begins with a(n) stage, during which
190 management commits to total quality assurance and researchers explore customers'
needs and beliefs. (Answer could be several words).

commitment and exploration

6. During the stage of TQM, researchers establish quantitative measures of quality

190 that can serve as points of comparison to evaluate future efforts.

benchmarking

7. The stage of TQM consists of many consecutive waves with the same purpose--to
190 improve over the previous period. (Answer could be several words).

continuous quality improvement

8. During the stage of TQM, the firm begins to establish quality improvement
190 processes within the organization. (Answer could be several words).

initial quality improvement

Chapter 9 Survey Research: An Overview 83

9. Surveys require asking people, who are called , for information using either verbal
175 or written questioning.

respondents

10. The two major sources of survey error (at the most general level) are error and
176 error.

random sampling, systematic

11. If some aspect of the research design is imperfect, or a mistake is made in the
177 execution of the research, can result.

systematic error

12. The statistical difference between a survey that includes only those that responded and
178 a survey that also includes those who failed to respond is called .

nonresponse error

13. We can break down response bias into two categories: and unconscious
178 misrepresentation.

deliberate falsification

14. If respondents tend to agree with all questions, this could lead to .
183
acquiescence bias

15. When individuals tend to use extremes when responding to questions, we would say
183 that their answers are characterized by .

extremity bias

16. A(n) exists when the results of a sample show a persistent tendency to deviate
177 in one direction from the true value of the population parameter.

sample bias
Chapter 9 Survey Research: An Overview 84

17. Self-selection biases the survey because extreme positions may be represented,
178 while those who are indifferent may be represented.

over, under

18. A survey that samples respondents during daytime hours in shopping centers,
184 excluding working people who mainly shop by mail or by telephone, is an example of
error.

sample selection

19. In designing a questionnaire, limit the number of responses available.

186
structured questions
20. In surveys, respondents are questioned at different points in time.
187
longitudinal

21. When researchers want to investigate different market segments in the same survey,
186 they may choose a(n) study in which all the data are collected at a single point in
time.

cross-sectional

22. A woman who had soup spilled on her at a restaurant is likely to fill out a questionnaire
178 left at the table. This might result in an error of .

self-selection

23. A study that asks the same group of people to keep track of all their purchases for a
187 period of time is called a(n) .

panel study

24. A business philosophy for integrating customer-driven quality throughout an

188 organization is called .

total quality management

Chapter 9 Survey Research: An Overview 85

25. A type of bias which occurs frequently in self-administered questionnaires is called

178 _____ bias.

self-selection

26. The dimension of quality for goods and services which attempts to answer the
193 question: “Will this washing machine work properly each time it is used?” is referring
to ________.

reliability