Running head: EFFECTIVENESS OF ADVERTISING 1

Consumer Behavior

Written Assignment Unit 4

University of the People

February 24, 2020

EFFECTIVENESS OF ADVERTISING 2

Effectiveness of advertising

In a study, there must be dependent and independent variables for the research to achieve

its objectives. Independent variables largely depend on the dependent variables. Independent

variable is an experimenter control or change that is presumed to have an undeviating effect on

the dependent variables (McLeod, 2019). On the other hand, the dependent variable is the

variable that the researcher wishes to test or measure. For instance, research looking at how

teaching influences or affects the test scores, the participants' test scores would be dependent

variable as this is what the researcher is measuring (Cherry, 2019). There are many ways

dependent valuables a product such as beer or alcohol can be validly or reliably measured. In a

psychology experiment, many researchers look at how the independent variable changes affect

the dependent variable (Cherry, 2019). For a researcher wishing to conduct a study on how the

use alcohol may affect response times while driving may depend on the depend variable that is

the driver’s performance while driving and the independent variable is the alcohol that the driver

ingests (Cherry, 2019).

In an experiment on whether an advertisement of alcohol or beer is effective in increasing

sales, measuring of the dependent variables largely depends on the independent variables. To

precisely measure the dependent variable for a product such as beer advertisement in increasing

sales, sales performance will be the dependent factor. This is because beer sales are a measure of

the advertisements and individual’s behavior (Cherry, 2019). Researchers mainly determine a

good dependent variable by looking at its stability. For example, if the same research is

conducted with similar conditions, and the same participants, the results very close to the

previous ones. Obtaining a sample requires random selection that may involve convenience
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sampling, quota sampling, pure random sampling, judgment sampling, cluster sampling, and so

on (Bl.org, 2019)

Manipulating an independent variable involves alteration of its systematic level so that

other groups of participants (different) are subjected to dissimilar levels of that variable, or the

participants in the same group are exposed to diverse levels at different occasions

(Opentextbooks.org, 2015). For example, a researcher may choose to manipulate the independent

variable to see whether beer affects individual’s health, he/she may instruct the participants some

participants might instruct to write on neutral experiences and others on traumatic experiences.

The different levels of the independent variable are referred to as conditions, and researchers

often give the conditions short descriptive names to make it easy to talk and write about them.

The researcher must give a condition when manipulating the independent variables

(Opentextbooks.org, 2015).

In quasi-experiments, validity is essential as the experiment depends on a causative

connection or relationship. A quasi-experiment involves experiential interventional research that

estimates the causal influence of the effect of the population intercession (target population)

without a random task. Identifying the variables is the first step in conducting a quasi-

experiment, and this must have an x-variable that is manipulated to affect the dependent variable.

Quasi-experimental largely entails the selection of the participants in the research in a way that

there is no random pre-selection process. For instance, to execute a marketing experiment, the

participants may be selected through the alphabetical selection that is arbitrarily divided or the

seating arrangement.
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References

Bl.org, (2019). Effective sampling techniques for market research. Retrieved from

https://www.bl.uk/business-and-ip-centre/articles/effective-sampling-techniques-for-

market-research

Cherry, K. (2019). Dependent Variable in Experiments. Retrieved from

https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-a-dependent-variable-2795099

McLeod, S. (2019). What are Independent and Dependent Variables? Retrieved from

https://www.simplypsychology.org/variables.html

Opentextbooks.org (2015). Manipulation of the Independent Variable

http://www.opentextbooks.org.hk/ditatopic/35412