Measurement in
Marketing Research
Basic Question-Response Formats
• Open-ended
• Closed-ended
• Scaled-response
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Basic Question-Response Formats
Open-Ended
• Open-ended question presents no
response options to the respondent.
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Basic Question-Response Formats
Open-Ended: Unprobed
• Unprobed format seeks no additional
information
– Advantage:
• Allows respondent to use his or her
own words
– Disadvantages:
• Difficult to code and interpret
• Respondents may not give complete
answers
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Basic Question-Response Formats
Open-Ended: Probed
• Probed format includes a response
probe instructing the interviewer to
ask for additional information
– Advantage:
• Elicits complete answers
– Disadvantage:
• Difficult to code and interpret.
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Basic Question-Response Formats
Closed-Ended
• Closed-ended question provides
options on the questionnaire that can
be answered quickly and easily.
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Basic Question-Response Formats
Closed-Ended: Dichotomous
• Dichotomous has only two response
options, such as “yes” or “no”
– Advantage:
• Simple to administer and code
– Disadvantage:
• May oversimplify response options
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Basic Question-Response Formats
Closed-Ended: Multiple Category
• Multiple response has more than two
options for the response
– Advantages:
• Allows for broad range of possible
responses
• Simple to administer and code
– Disadvantages:
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• Must distinguish “pick one” from “pick all
that apply”
• May alert respondents to response options
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of which they were unaware
Basic Question-Response Formats
Scaled-Response
• Scaled-response question utilizes a
scale developed by the researcher to
measure the attributes of some
construct under study.
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Basic Question-Response Formats
Scaled-Response: Unlabeled
• Unlabeled uses a scale that may be
purely numerical or only the
endpoints of the scale are identified
– Advantages:
• Allows for degree of intensity/feelings
to be expressed
• Simple to administer and code
– Disadvantage:
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• Respondents may not relate well to
the scale
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Basic Question-Response Formats
Scaled-Response: Labeled
• Labeled uses a scale in which all of the
scale positions are identified with some
description
– Advantages:
• Allows for degree of intensity/feelings to
be expressed
• Simple to administer and code
• Respondents can relate to scale
– Disadvantage:
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• Scale may be “forced” or overly detailed
Considerations in Choosing a
Question-Response Format
• The nature of the property being
measured
– Gender=dichotomous; liking for
chocolate=scale
• Previous research studies
– Use format in previous study if
desire to compare
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Considerations in Choosing a
Question-Response Format
• The data collection mode
– Cannot use some scales on the
phone
• The ability of the respondent
– Kids can’t relate to scaled
response
• The scale level desired
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Basic Concepts in
Measurement
• Measurement: determining how much of
a property is possessed by an object
• Properties: specific features or
characteristics of an object that can be
used to distinguish it from another
object
– Objective properties are physically
verifiable
– Subjective properties are mental
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constructs
Scale Characteristics Determine
the Level of Measurement
• Description: the use of a descriptor,
or label, to stand for each “unit” on
the scale; “yes,” “no,” “male,”
“female,” etc.
– All levels of measurement have
description.
• Order: the relative sizes of the
descriptors are known allowing us to
say one is “greater/less than” the
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other.
Scale Characteristics Determine
the Level of Measurement
• Distance: the differences between the
descriptors are known: there is a $1
difference between $4 and $5. There
is a 10 degree difference between 90
and 100 degrees.
• Origin: there is a true, natural zero:
there is a zero level of dollars, market
share, sales.
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Levels of Measurement Scales
• Nominal scales: those that use only
labels
• Ordinal scales: those with which the
researcher can rank-order the
respondents or responses
• Interval scales: those in which the
distance between each descriptor is
equal
• Ratio scales: ones in which a true
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zero exists
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Levels of Measurement Scales
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Why the Level of a Measurement
Scale is Important
• The scale affects what may or may not
be said about the property being
measured.
– Examples:
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• If you wish to calculate an
average, you must use an
interval or ratio scale.
• If you have a nominal or
ordinal scale, you must
summarize the results with a
percentage or frequency
distribution.
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Examples of Scaling
Assumptions
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Measuring Objective Properties
• Physically verifiable characteristics
such as age, gender, number of
bottles purchased, etc.
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Measuring Subjective
Properties
• Cannot be directly observed because
they are mental constructs such as a
person’s attitudes, opinions, or
intentions.
• For subjective properties,
researchers must translate mental
constructs onto an intensity
continuum.
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Workhorse Scales Used in
Marketing Research
• The Modified Likert Scale
• The Life-Style Inventory
• The Semantic Differential Scale
– Halo effect
• Other Scaled-Response Question
Formats
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Reliability and Validity
• Reliability: respondent responds in
the same or a similar manner to an
identical or nearly identical measure
• Validity: accuracy of responses to a
measure
– Face validity
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