Marketing Research Home Project #1
MKT 346, Spring, 2007
Dr. H. Bruce Lammers
Marketing Research Technology Lab
California State University, Northridge

Exploratory Research/Qualitative Research
Learning Objectives: Learn how to implement an exploratory research study using qualitative research methods, e.g., projective techniques such as associations, to build a base on which to develop interpretations of some aspect of consumer behavior.  Learn how to communicate the results of the study.

Grade Point Value:  This project is 5% of the total grade in this course.

Purpose: To use a projective technique to determine perceptual image of students who wear CSUN logos on their clothing.

Method: The method is a 1-way experiment in which some participants give association responses to an image of a person wearing something with the CSUN logo vs. an image of that same person wearing some other logo. 

• Stimuli.  Create two images to use as stimuli in the experiment.  One image should show a person wearing the CSUN logo on a his/her sweatshirt or shirt. The second image should be identical except that the person is wearing some other nonCSUN logo, e.g., UCLA, Harvard, Prius, Budweiser, etc.  The nonCSUN logo may be any logo the team wishes.  The images may be photographs or drawings but should be as identical as possible except for the difference in logos (CSUN vs. NonCSUN Logo).
  
• Survey Instrument and Interviewers.  Download  and make copies of the Interviewer Tally Sheet (the survey instrument).  Teams of size 1 will need 10 tally sheets, teams of size 2 will need 20 tally sheets, teams of size 3 will need 30 tally sheets.  Students form their own teams.  (Freeloading on a team will lead to a grade of F on the homework.)
  
• Sampling.  Use a convenience sample of CSUN students as subjects (respondents). No classmates, including teammates, may be subjects in the experiment.  Other than that restriction, any CSUN student may serve as a subject in the experiment.
  
• Random Assignment to the Experimental Conditions (the Independent Variable).  Half of the subjects will be asked to look at the image of the person wearing a CSUN logo (CSUN logo condition), and half of the subjects will be asked to look at the image of the person who is NOT wearing the CSUN logo (NonCSUN logo condition).  Randomly assign the subjects to the experimental conditions by alternating the images, such that the first subjects is in the CSUN logo condition, the second subject is in the NonCSUN logo condition, the third subject is in the CSUN logo condition, the fourth subject is in the NonCSUN logo condition, and so forth.  In the end, teams of size 1 should have 5 subjects in each of the two conditions, teams of size 2 should have 10 subjects in each of the two conditions, and teams of size 3 should have 15 subjects in each of the two conditions.<>
• <>Dependent Variables.  The survey instrument (tally sheet) contains the measures of the dependent variables.  The subjects are asked to look at the stimulus image and to imagine that the person in the picture is an animal.  The subject is then asked: <>What kind of animal is that person? And why?.  The interviewer observes and records a demographic variable (sex of the respondent) and a psychographic variable ("Is the respondent wearing something witth a logo? What is that logo?).  Finally, the interviewer asks and records a second demographic variable (the respondent's major).
  
  
• Note bene.  Falsifying your data, e.g., filling out the surveys yourself under the pretense of having had actual respondents fill them out, is academic dishonesty and will result in an automatic grade of  F for the course and shall be reported, as required by university policy, to the Dean's Office.

Analysis & Interpretation:  Examine the responses, keeping in mind that your main concern is to determine the difference in the kinds of responses between the CSUN Logo condition and the NonCSUN Logo condition.  Look for interpretive themes, undercurrents, stories, etc.  Try to come up with the qualitative differences in perceptions between the two conditions, if there are any.  Describe the demographics and psychographics of the subjects in each condition (using the dependent variables)

Communication:  The research will be communicated by submitting a written research paper.  The paper will consist of the following sections:

1. Cover Page (Informative Title, Author(s), Affiliation of Authors, Recipient's Name, Date)
2. Introduction (purpose of the study, why is this study important or interesting in marketing?)
3. Method (research design, sampling, stimuli, survey instrument, random assignment method, dependent variables, procedures, etc.)
4. Results (analysis and interpretation of the findings)
5. Discussion (what does it all mean?  strengths and weaknesses of the experiment--discuss at least one strength and one weakness using material from Chapter 6 in Churchill and Iacobucci.)
6. References (none necessary for this particular homework)
   
7. Appendix (the materials used, e.g., the actual completed surveys... no graphs should be here.  If there are graphs to report, put them in the Results section, not in the Appendix).
   

The paper, excluding the Appendix (which must be submitted in person), must be submitted electronically in WORD format via email to me at:
bruce.lammers@csun.edu
Only one submission from a team is necessary.  Whoever on the team submits the paper electronically to me should make sure the other team members are cc'd on the email.

Drop-Dead DEADLINE =  Thursday, February 26, 9:30am sharp.  One point per minute deduction for papers submitted after 9:30, e.g., a paper submitted at 10am loses 30 points.  Please don't wait till the last second to submit your homework because that's when things go wrong.  CSUN rarely goes down, but your personal ISP probably goes down at the worst times.  No excuses accepted.  No make-ups.  There's plenty of time to get this homework done on time, but not if you wait until the last minute.

Also, please know that I do not pre-grade or preview homework.  Homework is your homework, not my homework.  Use your resources, e.g., the text, your class notes, etc.

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