Question

Cigarette butts, the most littered items in the world, are posing an intractable trash problem for regulators and tobacco companies:  Throwing them on the ground is a firmly entrenched habit for many smokers.  According to the World Health Organization, the filters in cigarette butts are the biggest source of litter world-wide, including in the U.S.  The filters in the butts are made from cellulose acetate, a form of plastic that takes years to break down once discarded.  Studies show that butts often wash from sidewalks into drains and then waterways, where they can be toxic to fish.  In response, tobacco companies are testing biodegradable filters.

They are also turning to psychologists to understand why smokers litter.  Ultimately, companies hope to discover whether their behavior can be changed because it the practice of littering butts portrays smoking in a bad light.  About 65% of cigarettes smoked in the U.S. are littered (that is, tossed on the ground), according to Keep America Beautiful, a nonprofit whose cigarette litter prevention program is funded by the tobacco industry.  “That whole habit is so ingrained it becomes part of the ritual of taking the cigarette out of the pack, lighting it, smoking it, putting it on the ground,” said Christopher Proctor, chief scientific officer at British American Tobacco PLC, whose cigarette brands include Kent, Newport and Camel.  Psychologists believe that the small size of butts means littering seems of little consequence to smokers.

Assume that the psychologists have approached you, a marketing research expert, to help them conduct research that will determine if this is the case (that is, if smokers regard tossing butts as not littering).  They have come up with two possible research plans:

(A)    The first is a short online survey conducted with a panel of volunteer respondents who are smokers.

(B)    The second is a series of quick focus groups conducted with smokers recruited from offices, factories and public transportation hubs.

Only one plan can be undertaken.  Which of the two approaches do you recommend?  Explain why (1) you recommend the approach you do and (2) why it is superior to the other approach.  Assume the cost of using either approach is not relevant to your decision.  Begin your answer with either A or B.

Answer 1

B) To do this type of study, "if smokers regard tossing butts as not littering" Focus group technique will be best as a different focus group of 10 -12 people would be chosen who do smoking from offices, public, and public transport this type study will give a wholesome understanding of the problem as in focus group several series of exploratory questions were asked from the particular group, Slowly the questions were being asked goes deeper into the topic and deeper understanding is made about research statement.

I will refrain from choosing the ey method as in survey several sets of questions were asked which are predefined by the archer, it can’t make a deeper understanding about the research. Researcher has to draw conclusion by examining findings be means of quantitative/ qualitative tools. This method can’t dive into this type of qualitative research "if smokers regard tossing butts as not littering" it requires a more psychological understanding which can be best done by focus group method.