The effects of discussion and question wording on self and proxy reports of behavioral frequencies

Marketing research surveys often rely on one person to report about the consumption and purchase behavior of other household members. We report the results of an experiment examining how the level of discussion among household members and the wording of a recall question affect the accuracy of reports about the frequency of another household member’s behavior. The findings suggest two important implications. First, asking respondents for a count versus an estimate of the behavior affects both the level of reporting for others as well as the accuracy of such reports. Second, screening potential respondents on their level of discussion on a topic with their partner or family member may help reduce reporting error. Copyright Springer Science + Business Media, LLC 2006Survey accuracy, Proxy reports, Behavioral frequencies,

Track Chairs

notice may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, without the written permission of the American Marketing Association. TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS ii

How To Voice

This chapter discusses various voicing options for Voicesumers in today’s digital platforms by using anecdotes and cases. The chapter conceptualized Direct and Indirect Consumer Voices by spring boarding traditional consumer complaint literature. Online consumer ratings and reviews as well as electronic WOM (e-Word-of-Mouth) are discussed as newly developing consumer voicing tools. The potential fraudulent use of consumer voice is also discussed. The importance of such voicing tools for consumer voice and market democracy is discussed from business and legal point of views