Scientific Method

marketing research technique that employs principles commonly used in other scientific research disciplines, in which a postulate or theory is hypothesized and then either proven or disproven based on observation of causes and effects in a controlled environment. For example, a blind taste test to measure consumer preferences for various soft drink formulas is a scientific approach. A non-scientific approach to the same problem would be a shopping mall questionnaire that asked consumers to rate their preferences for various brand name soft drinks. In this example, the consumer's expressed preference can be caused by a number of factors unrelated to the contents of the beverage. In the taste-test environment, the contents of the beverage are the only relevant variable affecting the consumer's choice.