21 Why did Marcus and Naomi decide to research student shopping habits?
A Their tutor suggested the topic.
B There was a lack of recent data available.
C They wanted to analyze their own spending.
22 What surprised Naomi about the literature review?
A The strong influence of digital marketing on undergraduates.
B The high frequency of impulse buying among postgraduates.
C The large amount of money spent on textbooks.
23 How do they plan to collect their primary data?
A By conducting exit interviews at supermarkets.
B By observing students in campus cafes.
C By distributing a survey via university email.
24 What problem did they encounter with their pilot study?
A The sample size was too small.
B Some questions were misinterpreted.
C The questionnaire took too long to finish.
25 What is their next step before finalizing the research proposal?
A Rewrite the methodology section.
B Submit the ethical approval form.
C Consult a professor about statistics.
Questions 26 to 30
What specific shopping habit will the students focus on for each of the following groups?
Choose FIVE answers from the box and write the correct letter, A-G, next to Questions 26-30.
Shopping Habits
A Dietary ingredients
B Eco-friendly apparel
C Digital subscriptions
D Ready-to-eat meals
E Technical tools
F Caffeinated beverages
G Used course materials
Student Groups
26 Medical students
27 Engineering students
28 Art students
29 Business students
30 Sports science students
Keys
21 B
22 A
23 C
24 B
25 C
26 F
27 C
28 B
29 G
30 A
Transcripts
Part 3: You will hear two sociology students discussing a project on student shopping habits.
MARCUS: Hi Naomi, ready to work on the shopping habits project? I am glad we picked this. I know Dr. Hoffman suggested we look at housing, but I wanted to do this because the most recent studies in the library are over five years old.
NAOMI: The landscape has changed so much since then. Did you finish reviewing the existing literature?
MARCUS: I did. I expected postgraduates to do lots of impulse buying, but they are incredibly strict with budgets. However, what really caught me off guard was just how heavily targeted online advertisements dictate undergraduate purchases. It is almost manipulative.
NAOMI: Really? I thought textbook costs would be the main highlight.
MARCUS: Textbooks are a major expense, but the literature barely focused on them compared to the digital marketing aspect.
NAOMI: For our primary data, we need a solid collection method. I initially considered doing exit interviews at the local supermarket.
MARCUS: That would take weeks. What if we just sit in the campus cafes and observe what people buy?
NAOMI: Observation will not reveal the motivation behind purchases. Let’s create a digital questionnaire and send the link through the university mailing list. That guarantees a massive, instant response rate.
MARCUS: Good idea. We need to be careful though. Remember the pilot study we ran last week?
NAOMI: We only sent it to ten people, which was a tiny sample, but that wasn’t the issue. It turned out our wording on the disposable income section was completely misunderstood by almost everyone.
MARCUS: Yeah, they thought we meant income before tax. At least the questionnaire was quick to finish, nobody complained about the length. We just need to fix that wording.
NAOMI: Right. Are we ready to submit the ethical approval form now?
MARCUS: Not quite. Our methodology section is finished, so no need to rewrite that. But before we submit official forms, we must get Dr. Crawford in the math department to check if our sample size calculation is statistically valid.
NAOMI: I will email him to set up a meeting. Let’s finalize the hypotheses for the different faculties. What are we expecting from medical students?
MARCUS: Given their intense hospital placements, you would assume they rely on ready-to-eat meals. But actually, they survive almost entirely on liquid stimulants to stay awake on night shifts. Let’s focus on their consumption of caffeinated beverages.
NAOMI: Makes sense. What about engineering students? Do they buy a lot of specialized physical equipment?
MARCUS: You would think so, but they spend very little on physical items. Most lab equipment is provided. Instead, their discretionary funds go toward monthly fees for professional computer programs. So, digital subscriptions is their main category.
NAOMI: And the art students? I assume they spend a fortune on canvas and paints.
MARCUS: They do buy those, but the university covers a large portion of that cost now. While they occasionally buy technical tools, their most distinct habit is actively seeking out eco-friendly apparel, usually from vintage shops.
NAOMI: Moving on to the business students. I thought they would be buying expensive networking suits.
MARCUS: Actually, they are the most pragmatic group. They know core reading materials are a huge drain, so they established a massive informal network for acquiring used course materials from previous cohorts. It is their defining purchasing behavior.
NAOMI: Very efficient. Finally, the sports science students. They must have a completely different profile.
MARCUS: Absolutely. You would think they spend their money on expensive gym gear. But to maintain strict performance diets, they prioritize buying raw ingredients in massive quantities. Let’s track their tendency for dietary ingredients.
NAOMI: Perfect. That covers all the main faculties. Let’s get to work on the draft.
