Demand Effects in Likelihood of Confusion Surveys: the Importance of Marketplace Conditions

• Author: Itamar Simonson and Ran Kivetz
• Pages: 243-259

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11

Demand Effects

in Likelihood of

Confusion Surveys:

the Importance of

Marketplace Conditions

By Itamar Simonson and Ran Kivetz

Asthe useofsurveys in litigation in general, and in connection with

trademarkmatters in particular,hasincreased, courts havecome to

recognizepotential problemsthataffectthe reliability of the surveys’

methodologyand findings.One potential problem thathasreceived a

greatdeal of attention and hasbeen cited asakeyreason forexcluding

orgiving little weighttolikelihood of confusion and othersurveys1is

called “demand effects.”Demand effects2(alsoreferred toasdemand

artifacts)areproduced when respondents usecuesprovided bythe

surveyproceduresand questionstofigureout the purposeofthe survey

and toidentifythe “correct” answers tothe questionstheyareasked.

The respondents maythen provide whattheyperceiveasthe corrector

expected answers,tomake surethatthe results “come out right.”

1. Simon Property GroupL.P. v.mySimon, Inc., 104F.Supp. 2d1033 (S.D. Ind.

2000);Kargo Global, Inc. v.Advance Magazine Publishers,Inc., Opinion &Order,06

Civ.550(S.D.N.Y. 2007);GovernmentEmployeesInsurance Companyv.Google Inc.,

etal., East.Dist.ofVirginia,2005U.S.Dist.LEXIS18642; 77 U.S.P.Q. 2d(BNA)1841;

THOIP v.The WaltDisneyCo. etal., Opinion and Order,08Civ.6823 (S.D.N.Y. 2010).

2.The first article todescribe the demand effects thatcan be produced bythe

demand characteristicsof astudyisMartin T. Orne, On the Social Psychology of the

Psychological Experiment, 17A. P. 776 (1962).

Thischapterhasbenefited from the comments of Dr.ShariDiamond, Dr.Gerald Ford,

Dr.AnnaBelle Sartore, and JerreSwann.

Section V

244

Although demand characteristicsarelikelytobepresenttosome degree in

most surveys and experiments,becausethe surveycontext mayin some caseselicit

hypothesesabout the purposeofthe research, thischapterfocuseson moresevere

demand effects,thosethatcan largelydetermine and significantlybiassurveyfindings.

Since the objectiveofalikelihood of confusion surveyisusuallytoestimatethe

marketplace likelihood of confusion, ratherthan anyconfusion thatislimited to(oris

morepronounced in) the survey’s context,severedemand effects can preventsurveys

from achieving theirgoal, potentiallyleading toincorrectconclusions.

Asexplained in moredetail subsequently,severedemand effects can be

particularlyproblematic when the surveydesign and related questions(a) suggest

the correctanswerand/or(b) causerespondents tomake comparisonsorconsider

relationsand otheraspects,which theywould nothavedone outside the context of

thatstudy(i.e., in the marketplace). Furthermore, asdiscussed below,while some

demand effects aretransparent,others aremoresubtle but often notless significant.

Thischapterfocusesmainlyon demand effects astheyapplytolikelihood of

confusion surveys.

The chapterbeginswithabrief, general reviewof prioracademic research on

demand effects.Itthen outlinesafewprinciplesthatpertain tothe role of demand

effects in the twomain typesof likelihood of confusion surveys,often referred to

asEveready (orMonadic)and Sequential Line-up3(alsoreferred toassequential

presentation design). Three specific casesaredescribed belowin some detail,

focusing on aspects of surveys in thesecasesthatgaverisetoseveredemand effects.

Academic Research Regarding Demand Effects in Social-

Psychological and Buyer-Behavior Experiments

Agreatdeal of research in the fieldsof social psychologyand consumerbehavior

hasexamined the role and consequencesof demand characteristics4and resulting

demand effects. 5Much of thisresearch hasfocused on experimental findings,

especiallythe impactof such effects on the internal validity6and external validity (or

3.See, forexample, J. TMC,MC T UC

(September2007)(MC)at§32:174, §32:177.

4. Demand characteristicsrefertofeaturesof the methodology,such asleading questions,thatproduce

demand effects; thatis,demand characteristicstend tolead respondents toprovide whattheyperceiveas

the “correct” orexpected answers,therebyproducing demand effects.

5. Orne, supra note2; Terence A. Shimp, EvaM.Hyatt,&David J. Snyder,ACritical Appraisal

of Demand Artifacts in Consumer Research, 18 J. CR.273 (1991);Stephen J. Weber&

ThomasD. Cook, Subject Effects in Laboratory Research: An Examination of Subject Roles, Demand

Characteristics, and Valid Inference, 77 P. B. 273 (1972).

6.Internal validity refers tothe degree towhich aprocedureallows one todrawconclusionsregarding

causal relations.