tailieunhanh - Marketing Research Chapter 5

5. Measurement and scaling. Chapter summary This chapter will introduce the concept of measurement and scaling. It will also provide discussion on the primary scales of measurement and go on to classify and describe both comparative and noncomparative scaling techniques. | Marketing Research Measurement and scaling 5. Measurement and scaling Chapter summary This chapter will introduce the concept of measurement and scaling. It will also provide discussion on the primary scales of measurement and go on to classify and describe both comparative and noncomparative scaling techniques. It will also discuss how an appropriate scaling technique be chosen in developing a right question. It will also focus on the concepts of validity and reliability in details. Importance of measurement and scaling in marketing research Like sampling we use measurement regularly in our daily lives. For example if someone asks you of your favourite newspaper your mind may create a list and you shall decide your favourite most newspaper from that. While deciding on that favourite newspaper your mind would have used several criteria such as your reading pattern content of the newspaper various other features such as writers involved format colour and pictures used and columnists you prefer. Furthermore your mind would have also told you the most preferred the second most preferred and even least preferred newspaper. The criteria your mind is using in deciding the favourite newspaper is called measurement. In research terms measurement is nothing but the assignment of numbers or other symbols to characteristics of objects according to certain pre-specified rules. One of the important things to note here is that researchers do not measure objects but some characteristics of it. So in reality researchers do not measure consumers but their perceptions beliefs attitudes preferences and so on. The idea of assigning numbers can be helpful in two ways in accurate understanding of a phenomenon 1 it allows statistical testing and 2 it helps facilitate easier communication as people have a clear idea with regard to what 10 or 20 means worldwide. Furthermore numbers also provide objectivity in understanding a phenomenon. This added accuracy due to numbers is .