Introduction

Marketing research is "the process or set of processes that links the

consumers, customers, and end users to the marketer through information.
Information used to identify and define marketing opportunities and
problems; generate, refine, and evaluate marketing actions; monitor
marketing performance; and improve understanding of marketing as a
process. Marketing research specifies the information required to address
these issues, designs the method for collecting information, manages and
implements the data collection process, analyzes the results, and
communicates the findings and their implications

SCOPE
Marketing research is the function that links the consumer with the organization
through information and involves a systematic and objective search and analysis of
information that can be used for evolving some marketing decisions. The function
of marketing research is to look at the particular decision area where research
results are used.
Sales Analysis: Sales analysis considers types of consumers that constitute the
potential market, size and location of the market, growth and concentration of the
market over a certain period of time, purchase habits of key market segments, the
consumers preference to buy some particular brands.
Sales Methods and Polices: Marketing research studies focus their attention to
evaluate the effectiveness of the present distribution system likely to be used in
establishing or revising sales territory boundary, compensation to sales forces,
physical distribution and analysis of cost of distribution cost.
Product Management: Every marketer tries to formally or informally utilize
information to manage the existing and new products and examines market
feedback about competitive offerings. Marketing research studies have been
conducted to monitor the performance of the test brand launched in the selected
market.

Significance

Market Information

Insight into Existing Customers

Identifying Potential Customers

Customer Needs

Customer Behavior Patterns

Competitor Analysis

Resolving Business Problems

Develop Business Strategies

And many more

Limitations

Marketing Research (MR) is not an exact science though it uses the techniques of
science. Thus, the results and conclusions drawn upon by using MR are not very
accurate.
The results of MR are very vague as MR is carried out on consumers, suppliers,
intermediaries, etc. who are humans. Humans have a tendency to behave artificially
when they know that they are being observed. Thus, the consumers and respondents
upon whom the research is carried behave artificially when they are aware that
their attitudes, beliefs, views, etc are being observed.
MR is not a complete solution to any marketing issue as there are many dominant
variables between research conclusions and market response.
MR is not free from bias. The research conclusions cannot be verified. The
reproduction of the same project on the same class of respondents give different
research results.
Inappropriate training to researchers can lead to misapprehension of questions to be
asked for data collection.

Cont
Many business executives and researchers have ambiguity about the research problem
and its objectives. They have limited experience of the notion of the decision-making
process. This leads to carelessness in research and researchers are not able to do
anything real.
There is less interaction between the MR department and the main research executives.
The research department is in segregation. This all makes research ineffective.
MR faces time constraint. The firms are required to maintain a balance between the
requirement for having a broader perspective of customer needs and the need for quick
decision making so as to have competitive advantage.
Huge cost is involved in MR as collection and processing of data can be costly. Many
firms do not have the proficiency to carry wide surveys for collecting primary data, and
might not also able to hire specialized market experts and research agencies to collect
primary data. Thus, in that case, they go for obtaining secondary data that is cheaper to
obtain.
MR is conducted in open marketplace where numerous variables act on research
settings.

Ethics in Marketing
Research

Objectivity in Interpretation
purposely withholding information
changes in wording from original survey
Overstating of findings
Integrity in Data Collection
false data
failure to abide by agreed-upon data
collection procedures

Cont

Proper treatment of subjects

lack of privacy in responses
harmful treatment of subjects
copying anothers survey instrument
reporting anothers results as your
own

MIS

Introduction
Marketing was the first functional area
to exhibit an interest in MIS
The marketing information system has
three subsystems; the accounting
information system, marketing research,
and marketing intelligence
Functional information systems: the
conceptual systems should be "mirror
images" of the physical systems

Functional Information Systems Represent

Functional Physical Systems
Functional information systems
Marketing
information
system

Manufacturing
information
system

Finance
information
system

Human resource
information
system

Information
resource
information
system

Marketing
function

Manufacturing
function

Finance
function

Human
resources
function

Information
Services
function

Physical system of the firm

The Marketing Information System

(MKIS)
Kotler's marketing nerve center
3 information flows
Internal Information
Marketing Intelligence (from
environment)
Marketing Communications (to
environment)

Kotlers Information Flows

Marketing intelligence
Internal
marketing
information

Environment

Firm

Marketing communications

Marketing Information System

(MKIS) Definition
A computer-based system that
works in conjunction with other
functional information systems to
support the firm's management in
solving problems that relate to
marketing the firm's products.

The components of a computerised

MKIS

Data Bank

Statistical
Bank

MKIS

Model
Bank

Display
unit

Marketing
Manager

The components of a computerised

MKIS
Data bank - raw data e.g historical
sales data, secondary data
Statistical bank - programmes to
carry-out sales forecasts, spending
projections
A model bank - stores marketing
models e.g Ansoffs matrix, Boston
Matrix
Display unit - VDU and keyboard

Marketing Intelligence
Marketing Intelligence (MI) is the
information relevant to a companys
markets, gathered and analyzed
specifically for the purpose of
accurate and confident decisionmaking in determining market
opportunity, market penetration
strategy, and market development
metrics. - wikipedia

The Marketing Research

Process
Set objectives
Define research Problem
Assess the value of the research
Construct a research proposal
Specify data collection method
Specify techniques of measurement
Select the sample
Data collection
Analysis of results
Present in a final report

Terminology of Marketing
Research

Primary data - collected firsthand

Secondary data - already exists, desk research
Quantitative research - statistical basis
Qualitative research - subjective and personal
sampling - studying part of a population to learn about the whole

Research Problem

A research problem is a statement about an area of concern, a condition to

be improved upon, a difficulty to be eliminated, or a troubling question that
exists in scholarly literature, in theory, or in practice that points to the need
for meaningful understanding and deliberate investigation. In some social
science disciplines the research problem is typically posed in the form of
one or more questions. A research problem does not state how to do
something, offer a vague or broad proposition, or present a value question.

Purpose
The purpose of a problem statement is to:
Introduce the reader to the importance of the topic being studied. The
reader is oriented to the significance of the study and the research
questions or hypotheses to follow.
Place the problem into a particular context that defines the parameters of
what is to be investigated.
Provide the framework for reporting the results and indicates what is
probably necessary to conduct the study and explain how the findings will
present this information.

There are four general conceptualizations of a research problem in the social sciences:
Casuist Research Problem -- this type of problem relates to the determination of
right and wrong in questions of conduct or conscience by analyzing moral
dilemmas through the application of general rules and the careful distinction of
special cases.

Difference Research Problem -- typically asks the question, Is there a difference

between two or more groups or treatments? This type of problem statement is used
when the researcher compares or contrasts two or more phenomena.

Descriptive Research Problem -- typically asks the question, "what is...?" with the
underlying purpose to describe a situation, state, or existence of a specific
phenomenon.

Relational Research Problem -- suggests a relationship of some sort between two

or more variables to be investigated. The underlying purpose is to investigate
qualities/characteristics that are connected in some way.

Hypothesis Statement
A hypothesis is a proposed statement made on the basis of limited evidence that can be
proved or disproved and is used as a starting point for further investigation.
It is a proposed statement.
A hypothesis is not fact, and should not be argued as right or wrong until it is tested and
proven one way or the other.
It is made on the basis of limited (but hopefully some) evidence.
Your hypothesis should be informed by as much knowledge as you have. This should
include data that you have gathered, any research you have done, and the analysis of the
current problems you have performed.
It can be proved or disproved.
A hypothesis pretty much says, I think by making this change, it will cause this effect. So,
based on your results, you should be able to say this is true or this is false.
It is used as a starting point for further investigation.
The key word here is starting point. Your hypothesis should be formed and agreed upon
before you make any wireframes or designs as it is what guides the design of your test. It
helps you focus on what elements to change, how to change them, and which to leave alone.

Characteristics of
Hypothesis

Write a market research proposal

Marketing research is vital in all businesses and it is important that a proposal is written
before any formal research activity takes place. Businesses often find themselves in a
challenging situation and need to find reliable answers to key questions in order to make the
right decisions. The research proposal is a statement of intent and explains the purpose for the
research to take place. Below are 10 key points to consider when structuring your proposal.
1. Title and keywords
The title of the proposed investigation should be clear, precise and accurate. A short main title
outlining the area of the research may be followed by a secondary part of the title that
includes more specific information.
Keywords are normally required to identify the content of the proposal. An average of four to
six words should suffice.
2. Aims and objectives
The primary aim of the proposal is to identify the purpose of the research and the research
questions/issues it attempts to address. You should provide a sequence of statements
(normally between two and five) that gives an overview of what the research is trying
to achieve.
3. Background analysis
This section needs to justify the proposal with a brief account of the practical issues the
research will address. It should attempt to demonstrate the importance of the proposed
investigation in relation to specific problems, contexts etc. References of facts, figures,
reports and authors will be useful.

4. Research hypothesis
This part should specify the exact questions to be investigated. This needs to be precise and
should take the form of hypotheses or statements (normally between two and four). It should
specify what indicators will be measured in order to address the broad issues identified within
the aims and background sections.
5. Data collection
The data collection methods must be described succinctly. They should include a description
of the data collection process and the strategy to be adopted (survey method or case study). If
a survey method is used, then you should mention the geographic regions or demographic to
be covered. Mention should be made of the sample frame and sampling technique utilised.
Statistical knowledge helps and there are many books available on this topic. Careful attention
needs to be paid in selecting the sample if it is to represent the demographic being
investigated. The sample also needs to be determined based on confidence interval and
confidence level. A useful tool to determine these is available at surveysystem.com
6. Research methodology
The research methodology section should explain the key reasons for choosing the proposed
methods. The research strategy and data collection methods should be discussed and
evaluated, in terms of their suitability and their implications for the quality of the data to be
collected. The benefits should also be compared to possible alternative approaches.
This section may also discuss the need for depth and breadth of information and the benefits
of using qualitative or quantitative data, the likely validity of the data collected, the
probability of the respondents providing honest responses and the reliability of the methods
utilized.

7. Schedule of activity
This is an important section as the proposed research should be conducted within time and
budgetary limits. The feasibility of the proposed research should be considered in relation to
the availability of resources. An estimate needs to be provided in terms of total hours required
for completion of the project designing the questionnaire, planning, scheduling and
conducting interviews, data analysis (qualitative/quantitative), and writing up the report (first
draft/final draft). A Gantt chart may help to outline this plan.
8. Code of conduct
This section will articulate the way the researcher will comply with the spirit and practice of
research ethics and will conduct their activities within the political/legal context within which
the research will be conducted. Factors to address may include: confidentiality and anonymity
statements, undertaking informed consent, authorization for access to people and/or data and
data security.
9. Research limitations
The researcher needs to acknowledge any limitations that may be inherent in the research
design and to the extent it may affect the accuracy of the research findings. Examples could
include: how far the findings can be generalized to the whole demographic/situation,
restrictions arising from time and resources, and issues around objectivity.
10. Outcomes
The end-products likely to be produced as a result of the research activity are described in this
section. The outcomes are not similar to findings. Examples would include: new practices,
guidelines for good practice and recommendations.

Sources of Information
Primary
Secondary

Observation Methods
Structured versus Unstructured Observation

For structured observation, the

researcher specifies in detail what is to be
observed and how the measurements are
to be recorded, e.g., an auditor performing
inventory analysis in a store.
In unstructured observation, the
observer monitors all aspects of the
phenomenon that seem relevant to the
problem at hand, e.g., observing children
playing with new toys.

Observation Methods
Disguised versus Undisguised Observation
In disguised observation, the
respondents are unaware that they are
being observed. Disguise may be
accomplished by using one-way mirrors,
hidden cameras, or inconspicuous
mechanical devices. Observers may be
disguised as shoppers or sales clerks.
In undisguised observation, the
respondents are aware that they are under
observation.

Observation Methods
Natural versus Contrived Observation
Natural observation involves observing
behavior as it takes places in the
environment. For example, one could
observe the behavior of respondents
eating fast food in Burger King.
In contrived observation, respondents'
behavior is observed in an artificial
environment, such as a test kitchen.

A Classification of Observation
Methods
Fig. 6.3
Classifying
Observation
Methods

Observation Methods

Personal
Observation

Mechanical
Observation

Audit

Content
Analysis

Trace
Analysis

Observation Methods
Personal Observation

A researcher observes actual

behavior as it occurs.
The observer does not attempt to
manipulate the phenomenon being
observed but merely records what
takes place.
For example, a researcher might
record traffic counts and observe
traffic flows in a department store.

Observation Methods
Mechanical Observation
Do not require respondents' direct participation.
the AC Nielsen audimeter
turnstiles that record the number of people entering or
leaving a building.
On-site cameras (still, motion picture, or video)
Optical scanners in supermarkets
Do require respondent involvement.
eye-tracking monitors
pupilometers
psychogalvanometers
voice pitch analyzers
devices measuring response latency

Observation Methods
Audit
The researcher collects data by examining
physical records or performing inventory
analysis.
Data are collected personally by the
researcher.
The data are based upon counts, usually of
physical objects.
Retail and wholesale audits conducted by
marketing research suppliers were
discussed in the context of syndicated
data in Chapter 4

Observation Methods
Content Analysis
The objective, systematic, and quantitative
description of the manifest content of a
communication.
The unit of analysis may be words, characters
(individuals or objects), themes (propositions),
space and time measures (length or duration
of the message), or topics (subject of the
message).
Analytical categories for classifying the units
are developed and the communication is
broken down according to prescribed rules.

Observation Methods
Trace Analysis
Data collection is based on physical traces, or evidence, of past
behavior.

The selective erosion of tiles in a museum indexed by the

replacement rate was used to determine the relative popularity of
exhibits.
The number of different fingerprints on a page was used to gauge
the readership of various advertisements in a magazine.
The position of the radio dials in cars brought in for service was used
to estimate share of listening audience of various radio stations.
The age and condition of cars in a parking lot were used to assess
the affluence of customers.
The magazines people donated to charity were used to determine
people's favorite magazines.
Internet visitors leave traces which can be analyzed to examine
browsing and usage behavior by using cookies.

Attitudes
Expressions of inner feelings that reflect
whether a person is favorably or
unfavorably predisposed to some object -a brand, a brand name, a service, a
service provider, a retail store, a
company, an advertisement, in essence,
any marketing stimuli.
Opinions
A large amount of questions in marketing
research are designed to measure
attitudes
Marketing managers want to understand

Three Components of
Attitudes
The ABCs of attitudes:

The Affective Component (based

on feelings or overall evaluation)

Feelings of like or dislike

The Behavioral Component (likely
action toward object; e.g. from a
consumer behavior point of view,
the consumers intention to buy a
product) Intentions to behave
The Cognitive Component (based

Measurement
To collect data, you need to have something to measure

Measurement is the process of

assigning numbers or scores to
characteristics or attributes of the
objects or people people of interest

Variables
When we measure the attributes of
an object, we obtain a value that
varies between objects.
For example consider the people in
this class as objects and their height
as the attribute
The attribute height varies between
objects, hence attributes are more
collectively known as variables
Variables can be measured on four
different scales

Nominal Scale

Classifies data according to a

category only.

E.g., which color people select.

Colors differ qualitatively not
quantitatively.
A number could be assigned to
each color, but it would not have
any value.
The number serves only to
identify the color.
No assumptions are made that
any color has more or less value
than any other color.

Nominal Scale
Assign subjects to groups or
categories
Mutually exclusive
Collectively exhaustive

No order or distance relationship

No arithmetic origin
Only count numbers in categories
Only present percentages of
categories
Chi-square most often used test of
statistical significance

Other Examples
Sex

Social status

Marital status

Days of the week (months)

Geographic location

Patrons per hour

Ethnic Group

Types of restaurants

Brand choice

Religion

Job Type: Executive, Technical, Clerical

Coded as

Coded as

Nominal Scale
Which of the following media influences your purchasing
decisions the most?
1 Television
2 Radio
3 Newspapers
4 Magazines

Ordinal Scale
classifies nominal data
according to some order or rank
E.g. names ordered
alphabetically
With ordinal data, it is fair to
say that one response is greater
or less than another.
E.g. if people were asked to
rate the hotness of 3 chili
peppers, a scale of "hot",
"hotter" and "hottest" could be
used. Values of "1" for "hot", "2"
for "hotter" and "3" for "hottest"
could be assigned.
The gap between the
items is unspecified.

Ordinal Scale
Can include
opinion and
preference scales
Median but not
mean
No unique,
arithmetic origin
Means items
cannot be added
In marketing
research practice,
ordinal scale

Ordinal Scale
Rank Player

Avg Pts

1.Woods

16.53

2. Els

9.26

Examples
GPA

3. Singh

9.19

Small medium large

4.Love-III

7.96

Quality

5. Furyk

7.57

Likert scales, rank on a

scale of 1..5 your degree
of satisfaction

6. Weir

7.46

7.Toms

5.92

8.Perry

5.68

9. Harrington

5.37

10. Goosen

5.18

As of Oct 19, 2003

Womens dress sizes

Please rank the news programs offered in following four

networks based on your preference.(1 for most preferred, 4
for least preferred).
_____ CTV
_____ Global
_____ A Channel
_____ CBC

Interval Scale
assumes that the measurements
are made in equal units.
i.e. gaps between whole numbers
on the scale are equal.
e.g. Fahrenheit and Celsius
temperature scales
an interval scale does not have to
have a true zero. e.g. A
temperature of "zero" does not
mean that there is no
temperature...it is just an arbitrary
zero point.
Permissible statistics:

Interval Scale
How likely are you going to buy a new automobile within the
next six months? (Please check the most appropriate category)
Definitely will not buy
Probably will not buy
May or may not buy
Probably will buy
Definitely will buy

___ 1
___ 2
___ 3
___ 4
___ 5

Ratio Scale
similar to interval scales
except that the ratio scale
has a true zero value.
e.g. the time something
takes
allows you to compare
differences between
numbers.
Permits full arithmetic
operation.
If a train journey takes 2
hr and 35 min, then this is

Ratio Scale
Indicates actual amount of variable
Shows magnitude of differences between points on scale
Shows proportions of differences

All statistical techniques useable

Most powerful with most
meaningful answers
Allows comparisons of absolute
magnitudes

Examples
height, weight, age,
Length
time
Income
Market share
7
6
5
4

1.What is your annual income

before taxes?

_______

3
2
1
0

2. How far is your workplace

from home?
miles

_______

Primary Scales of
Measurement
Nominal

Ordinal

Interval

Ratio

Numbers
Assigned
to
Runners

81

Rank Order
of Winners

Performance
Rating on a
0 to 10 Scale
Time to Finish
in Seconds

Third
Place

Second
Place

First
Place

8.2

9.1

9.6

15.2

14.1

13.4

Comparison of Measurement
Scales
Label

Order Distance

Origin
Nominal scale
No

Yes

No

No

Ordinal scale
No

Yes

Yes

No

Interval scale
No

Yes

Yes

Yes

Use of Measurement
Scales
Nominal
Used to categorize objects

Ordinal
Used to define ordered relationships

Interval
Used to rank objects such that the
magnitude of the difference between two
objects can be determined

Ratio
Same as interval scale but has an absolute
zero point

Always use the most powerful scale

possible
Adding Sophistication To Scales
Concept: Desire to watch Star Wars
movies
If a Star Wars movie is on television will
you watch it?
Yes _____ No _____
How likely are you to watch a Star Wars
movie shown on television?
Very Likely ____ Likely ____ Indifferent
___

Another way to describe variables

Qualitative variables: have a nominal
scale of measurement.
Continuous variables: have an
Ordinal, interval, or ratio variables
scale of measurement.
Quantitative variables: have an
interval scale of measurement.
Categorical variables: have a
nominal or ordinal scale of
measurement.

Practice describing variables

Q: What kind of variable is educational
attainment, and what scale is it
in?is measured in number of
A:measured
Education
years of schooling, and is therefore a
discrete quantitative variable measured
on
an interval
scale. (Or
it?)
How
could education
beismeasure
using
A nominal scale
An ordinal scale

A Classification of Scaling Techniques

SCALING
TECHNIQUES
Comparati
ve Scales

Paired
Comparis
on

Rank
Orde
r

NonComparative
Scales

Consta Others
nt Sum

Likert

Continu
ous
Rating
Scales

Semantic
Differenti

Itemized
Rating
Scales

Stapel

Types of Scaling
Techniques
COMPARATIVE SCALES
Involve the respondent directly comparing stimulus objects.
e.g. How does Pepsi compare with Coke on sweetness
NONCOMPARATIVE SCALES
Respondent scales each stimulus object independently of
other objects
e.g. How would you rate the sweetness of Pepsi on a scale of 1
to 10

Paired Comparison Items

If we have brands A, B, C and D, we would have
respondents compare
A and B
A and C
A and D
B and C
B and D
C and D
UsuallylimitedtoN<15

COMPARATIVE SCALES
Paired Comparison
Please indicate which of the following airlines
you prefer by circling your more preferred
airline in each pair:
Air Canada
WestJet
Air Transat
Air Canada
Zip
WestJet
WestJet
Air Transat
Air Canada
Zip
Zip
Air Transat

COMPARATIVE SCALES
Constant Sum Scales
Allocate a total of 100 points among the following softdrinks depending on how favorable you feel toward each;
the more highly you think of each soft-drink, the more
points you should allocate to it. (Please check that the
allocated points add to 100.)
Coca-Cola

_____

points

7-Up

_____

points

Dr. Pepper

_____

points

Tab

_____

points

Pepsi-Cola

_____

points

100 points

Constant Sum Scale

Please divide 100 points among the following characteristics
so the division reflects the relative importance of each
characteristic to you in the selection of a bank
Hours of service

________________

Friendliness

_______________

Distance from home

________________

Investment vehicles

________________

Parking facilities

__________________

COMPARATIVE SCALES
Rank-Order Scales
Rank the following soft-drinks from 1 (best) to 5 (worst)
according to your taste preference:
Coca-Cola

_____

7-Up

_____

Dr. Pepper

_____

Pepsi-Cola

_____

Mountain Dew

_____

Topandbottomrankchoicesareeasy
Middleranksareusuallymostdifficult

Comparative Scales
Rank Order Scale
Indicate your preferred type of music
with a 1, your second favorite with a 2,
and so on for each type of music:
____
____
____
____
____

Heavy Metal
Alternative
Urban Contemporary
Classical
Country

Instructions
Rank the various brands of toothpaste in order of preference.
Begin by picking out the one brand that you like most and
assign it a number 1. Then find the second most preferredbrand and assign it a number 2. Continue this procedure until
you have ranked all the brands of toothpaste in order of
preference. The least preferred brand should be assigned a a
rank of 10. No two brands should receive the same rank
number. The criterion of preference is entirely up to you.
There is no right or wrong answer. Just try to be consistent.
Brand
Rank Order
1. Crest
2. Colgate
3. Aim
4. Mentadent
5. Macleans
6. Ultra Brite
7. Close Up
8. Pepsodent
9. Plus White
10. Stripe

COMPARATIVE SCALES
Compared to Chevrolet, Ford is:

less
innovative

about the
same

more
innovative

Non comparative scale

Continuous scale

How would you rate Marketing

Research to other courses this term

The worst

X
10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

The Best

Itemized Rating Scales

Semantic The Likert scale
Staple scale
Differential
Scale

Non-Comparative Scales

Non-Comparative Scales
Semantic Differential Scale
Here are a number of statements that could be used to describe
K-Mart. For each statement tick ( X ) the box that best
describes your feelings about K-Mart.

Modern Store
Low prices

Old- fashioned
store
High prices

Unfriendly staff

Friendly staff

Narrow product
range
Sophisticated

Wide product
range
Unsophisticated

customers

customers

Semantic Differential
Scale
- Snake
Diagram
Modern Store

X
X

Low prices
X

Friendly staff
Wide product
range
Sophisticated
customers

Key :
X

Sear
s
K-Mart

X
X

Old- fashioned
store
High prices
Unfriendly staff
Narrow product
range
Unsophisticated
customers

Itemised Rating Scales

Semantic differential

Old
X
Fashioned 1

Modern

X
4

X
3

Cheap
1
Friendly
service

5
Expensive

5
5

Unfriendly
service

Itemised Rating Scales

Likert scale
Strongly
agree
Market research is the most
interesting subject known to
man

disagree

Neither
agree nor
disagree
3

agree

Strongly
agree
5

Itemised Rating Scales

The Likert scale

AGREEMENT

Strongly
Agree
Agree
Undecided
Disagree
Strongly
Disagree

Agree Very Strongly

Agree Strongly
Agree
Disagree
Disagree Strongly
Disagree Very
Strongly

Agree Strongly
Agree Moderately
Agree Slightly
Disagree Slightly
Disagree
Moderately
Disagree Strongly

Agree
Disagree

Agree
Undecided
Disagree

Yes
No

Completely
Agree
Mostly Agree
Slightly Agree
Slightly
Disagree
Mostly Disagree
Completely
Disagree

Disagree
Strongly
Disagree
Tend to
Disagree
Tend to Agree
Agree
Agree Strongly

FREQUENCY

Very
Frequently
Frequently
Occasionally
Rarely
Very Rarely
Never

A Great Deal
Much
Somewhat
Little
Never

Always
Very
Frequently
Occasionally
Rarely
Very Rarely
Never

Often
Sometimes
Seldom
Never

Always
Usually
About Half the
Time
Seldom
Never

Always
Very Often
Sometimes
Rarely
Never

Almost Always
To a Considerable
Degree
Occasionally
Seldom

IMPORTANCE

Very Important
Important
Moderately
Important
Of Little Importance
Unimportant

Very Important
Moderately Important
Unimportant

QUALITY

Very Good
Good
Barely
Acceptable
Poor
Very Poor

Extremely
Poor
Below
Average
Average
Above
Average
Excellent

Good
Fair
Poor

LIKELIHOOD

Like Me
Unlike Me

Definitely
Very Probably
Probably
Possibly
Probably Not
Very Probably
Not

To a Great Extent
Somewhat
Very Little
Not at All

Almost Always True

Usually True
Often True
Occasionally True
Sometimes But Infrequently
True
Usually Not True
Almost Never True

True
False

True of Myself
Mostly True of Myself
About Halfway True of
Myself
Slightly True Of Myself
Not at All True of Myself

Itemised Rating Scales

Staple scale
+5

+5

+4

+4

+3

+3

+2

+2

+1

+1

High quality

Poor service

-1

-1

-2

-2

-3

-3

-4

-4

-5

-5

A Stapel Scale for Measuring a Stores

Image
Select a plus number for words that you think describe the store
accurately. The more accurately you think the work describes the
store, the larger the plus number you should choose. Select a
minus number for words you think do not describe the store
accurately. The less accurately you think the word describes the
store, the larger the minus number you should choose, therefore,
you can select any number from +3 for words that you think are
very accurate all the way to -3 for words that you think are very
inaccurate.

+3
+2
+1
Wide Selection
-1
-2
-3

Staple Scale
The following questions concern your ratings of several suppliers that provide
products for use in your store.

XYZ
Poor Product
Selection

-5

-4

-3

-2

-1

Costly Products

-5

-4

-3

-2

-1

Fast Service

-5

-4

-3

-2

-1

High Quality
Products

-5

-4

-3

-2

-1

Innovative

-5

-4

-3

-2

-1

Some Basic
Considerations When
Selecting a Scale
Selecting a Rating,
Ranking, Sorting, or
Purchase Intent Scale

Number of
Categories

Forced Versus Nonforced Choice

Odd or Even Number

of Scale Categories

Balanced Versus
Non-balanced
Alternatives

Odd versus even

if neutral responses likely, use odd
number

Odd

Even

Strongly Agree

_____ Strongly Agree_____

Agree

_____ Agree

_____

Neutral

_____ Disagree

_____

Disagree

_____ Strongly disagree___

Strongly disagree_____

Balanced vs. Unbalanced

Balanced

Unbalanced

Very good

______

Excellent

______

Good

______

Very Good

______

Fair

______

Good

______

Poor

______

Fair

______

Very Poor

______

Poor

______

Balanced and Unbalanced

Scales
Balanced Scale

Unbalanced
Scale

JOVAN MUSK FOR MEN IS

JOVAN MUSK FOR MEN IS

Extremely good
Very good
Good
Bad
Very bad
Extremely bad

Extremely good
Very good
Somewhat Good
Good
Bad
Very bad

Forced vs. Unforced

Unforced

Forced
Extremely Reliable

___

Extremely Reliable

___

Very Reliable

___

Very Reliable

___

Somewhat Reliable

___

Somewhat Reliable

___

Somewhat Unreliable

___

Somewhat Unreliable

___

Very Unreliable

___

Very Unreliable

___

Extremely Unreliable

___

Extremely Unreliable

___

Dont know

___

Labeled vs. End Anchored

Labeled

End Anchored

Excellent

_____

Very Good

_____

Fair

_____

_____

Poor

_____

_____

Very Poor

_____

Excellent
_____

Poor

_____

_____

IntervalsMayNotReflecttheSemantic
MeaningoftheAdjectives

Excellent _____
Labeled

IntervalsAre
NotEqual

Excellent

_____

Very Good

_____

Very Good_____

Fair

_____

Fair

_____

Poor

_____

Poor

_____

Very Poor

_____

IntervalsAre
NotEqual

Very Poor _____

Number of Scale Points

5 Point
Excellent

10 Point
_____

Excellent

_____

_____________

_____

_____________
_____________
_____________

_____

_____________
_____________

_____
Poor

_____

_____________
_____________

Poor

_____________

Choosing the Appropriate Scale

Attitude
component

Itemized
category

Rank Constant
order sum

Likert

Semantic
differential

Knowledge
Awareness

Attribute beliefs

Attribute
importance

Overall
preferences

Specific
attributes

Affect or Liking

Action
intentions

A = Very appropriate, B = Sometimes appropriate

Characteristics of Good Measurement Scales

1. Reliability
The degree to which a measure accurately
captures an individuals true outcome
without error; Accuracy
synonymous with repetitive consistency
2. Validity
The degree to which a measure faithfully
represents the underlying concept; Fidelity
3. Sensitivity
The ability to discriminate meaningful
differences between attitudes. The more
categories the more sensitive (nut less
reliable)
4. Generalizability
How easy is scale to administer and interpret

Validity and Reliability

If a measure is valid, then it is
reliable
If it is not reliable, it can not be valid
If it is reliable, it may or may not be
valid
Reliability can be more easily
determined than

Example of low validity,

high reliability
Scale is perfectly accurate, but is
capturing the wrong thing; for
example, it measures consumers
interest in creative writing rather than
preference for kinds of stationery.

Example of modest
validity, low reliability
Scale genuinely measures
consumers interest in kinds of
stationery, but poorly worded
items, sloppy administration, data
entry errors lead to random errors
in data
Note that reliability sets an upper
limit on validity -- a measure with a
lot of errors is limited in how well it