Chapter VII
Causal Research Design:
Experimentation
Chapter Outline
1) Overview
2) Concept of Causality
3) Conditions for Causality
4) Definition of Concepts
5) Definition of Symbols
6) Validity in Experimentation
7) Extraneous Variables
8) Controlling Extraneous Variables
Chapter Outline (cont.)
9) A Classification of Experimental Designs
10) Pre-experimental Designs
11) True Experimental Designs
12) Quasi Experimental Designs
13) Statistical Designs
14) Laboratory vs. Field Experiments
15) Experimental vs. Non-experimental Designs
16) Limitations of Experimentation
17) Application: Test Marketing
Chapter Outline (cont.)
18) Determining a Test Marketing Strategy
19) International Marketing Research
20) Ethics in Marketing Research
21) Internet and Computer Applications
22) Focus on Burke
23) Summary
24) Key Terms and Concepts
25) Acronyms
Figure 7.1 A Classification of Experimental
Designs
Experimental Designs
Pre-experimental True Quasi Statistical
Experimental Experimental
One-Shot Case Pretest-Posttest Time Series Randomized
Study Control Group Blocks
One Group Posttest: Only Multiple Time Latin Square
Pretest-Posttest Control Group Series
Static Group Solomon Four- Factorial
Group Design
Figure 7.2 Selecting a Test-Marketing Strategy
Competition
Very +ve New Product Development
Socio-Cultural Environment
-ve
Other Factors Research on Existing Products
Research on other Elements
Need for Secrecy
Stop and Reevaluate
Very +ve -ve
Simulated Test Marketing
Other Factors
Very +ve -ve
Controlled Test Marketing
Other Factors
-ve
Standard Test Marketing
National Introduction
Overall Marketing Strategy
Table 7.1 Evidence of Concomitant Variation between
Purchase of Fashion Clothing and Education
Purchase of Fashion Clothing, Y
High Low
Education, X
High 363 (73%) 137 (27%) 500 (100%)
Low 322 (64%) 178 (36%) 500 (100%)
Table 7.1 Purchase of Fashion Clothing by
Income and
Education
Low Income High Income
Purchase Purchase
High Low High Low
Education
Education
High 122 (61%) 78 (39%) 200 (100%) High 241 (80%) 59 (20%) 300
Low
171 (61%) 129 (43%) 300 (100%) Low 151 (76%) 49 (24%) 200
Table 7.4 An Example of a Randomized
Block Design
Treatment Groups
Block Store Commercial Commercial
Commercial
Number Patronage A B C
1 Heavy
2 Medium
3 Low
4 None
Table 7.5 An Example of Latin Square Design
Interest in the Store
Store Patronage High Medium
Low
Heavy B A C
Medium C B A
Low and none A C B
Table 7.6 An Example of a Factorial Design
Amount of Humor
Amount of Store No Medium High
Information Humor Humor Humor
Low
Medium
High
Table 7.7 Laboratory versus Field Experiments
Factor Laboratory Field
Environment Artificial Realistic
Control High Low
Reactive Error High Low
Demand Artifacts High Low
Internal Validity High Low
External Validity Low High
Time Short Long
Number of Units Small Large
Ease of implementation High Low
Cost Low High
RIP 7.1 Criteria for the Selection of
Test Markets
Test Markets should have the following qualities:
1) Be large enough to produce meaningful projections. They
should contain at least 2% of the potential actual
population. 2) Be representative demographically.
3) Be representative with respect to product
consumption behavior.
4) Be representative with respect to media usage.
5) Be representative with respect to competition.
6) Be relatively isolated in terms of media and physical distribution.
7) Have normal
historical development in the product class 8) Have
RIP 7.2 Dancer Fitzgerald’s Sample List of
Recommended Test Markets
Albany-Schenectady-Troy, N Knoxville, TN
Boise, ID Lexington, KY
Buffalo, NY Little Rock, AR
Cedar Rapids-Waterloo, IA Louisville, KY
Charlotte, NC Minneapolis, MN
Cincinnati, Oh Nashville, TN
Cleveland, OH Oklahoma City, OK
Colorado Springs-Pueblo, CO Omaha, NE
Columbus, OH Orlando-Daytona Beach, FL
Des Moines, IA Phoenix, AZ
Erie, PA Pittsburgh, PA
RIP 7.2 Dancer Fitzgerald’s Sample List of
Recommended Test Markets
Evansville, IN Portland, OR
Fargo, ND Roanoke-Lynchburg, VA
Fort Wayne, IN Rochester, NY
Green Bay, WI Sacramento-Stockton, CA
Greensboro-High Point, NC St. Louis, MO
Greenville-Spartanburg, SC Salt Lake City, UT
Grand Rapids-Battle Creek, MI Seattle-Tacoma, WA
Kansas City, MO Wichita-Hutchinson, KA
