Final answer:
The situation described is an example of a marketing survey, typically used to gather consumer data for improving advertising strategies.
Step-by-step explanation:
Carla being stopped by a researcher at a shopping mall and asked about the last television commercial she remembers seeing is an example of a marketing survey.
Marketing surveys such as this one are used to collect data on consumer recall and recognition, which is valuable for companies to assess the effectiveness of their advertising and marketing strategies.
The data collected from such encounters often informs decisions regarding future advertising campaigns and can lead to improvements in how companies engage with their target demographic.