Chapter 5: Consumer Behavior

environmentalism

a broad philosophy and social movement that seeks conservation and improvement of the natural environment

brand community

a group of consumers who share a set of social relationships based upon usages or interest in a product

consumer tribe

a group of people who share a lifestyle and who can identify with each other because of a shared allegiance to an activity or a product

subculture

a group within a society whose members share a distinctive set of beliefs, characteristics, or common experiences.

attitude

a learned predisposition to respond favorably or unfavorably to stimuli on the basis of relatively enduring evaluations of people, objects, and issues

green marketing

a marketing strategy that supports environmental stewardship by creating a differential benefit in the minds of consumers

family life cycle

a means of characterizing consumers within a family structure on the basis of different stages through which people pass as they grow older

heuristics

a mental rule of thumb that leads to a speedy decision by simplifying the process

brand loyalty

a pattern of repeat product purchases, accompanied by an underlying positive attitude toward the brand, that is based on the belief that the brand makes products superior to those of its competition.

environmental stewardship

a position taken by an organization to protect or enhance the natural environment as it conducts its business activities

learning

a relatively permanent change in behavior caused by acquired information or experience

metrosexual

a straight, urban male who is keenly interested in fashion, home design, gourmet cooking, and personal care

operant conditioning

learning that occurs as the result of rewards or punishments

Kyoto Protocol

A global agreement among countries that aims at reducing greenhouse gases that create climate change

opinion leader

A person who is frequently able to influence others; attitudes or behaviors by virtue of his active interest and expertise in one or more product categories

consumerism

A social movement that attempts to protect consumers from harmful business practices

greenwashing

Environmentally-friendly claims that are exaggerated or untrue

information search

The process whereby a consumer searches for appropriate information to make a reasonable decision.

Perceived risk

The belief that choice of a product has potentially negative consequences, whether financial, physical, and/or social.

evaluative criteria

The dimensions consumers use to compare competing product alternatives

behavioral targeting

The marketing practice by which marketers deliver advertisements for products a consumer is looking for by watching what the consumer does on-line.

consumer behavior

The process involved when individuals or groups select, purchase, use, and dispose of goods, services, ideas, or experiences to satisfy their needs and desires.

problem recognition

The process that occurs whenever the consumer sees a significant difference between his current state of affairs and some desired or ideal state; this recognition initiates the decision-making process.

reference group

an actual or imaginary individual or group that has a significant effect on an individual's evaluations, aspirations, or behavior.

hierarchy of needs

an approach that categorizes motives according to five levels of importance, the more basic needs being on the bottom of the hierarchy and the higher needs at the top

self-concept

an individual's self-image that is composed of a mixture of beliefs, observations, and feelings about personal attributes.

motivation

an internal state that drives us to satisfy needs by activating goal-oriented behavior

stimulus generalization

behavior caused by a reaction to one stimulus occurs in the presence of other similar stimuli.

observational learning

learning that occurs when people watch the actions of others and note what happens to them as a result

social network services

online applications that use software to build online communities of people who share interests and activities

blog

online personal journals similar to webpages, but a different technology lets people upload a few sentences without going through the more elaborate process of updating a website

gender roles

society's expectations regarding the appropriate attitudes, behaviors, and appearance for men and women

subliminal advertising

supposedly hidden messages in markers' communications

cognitive dissonance

the anxiety or regret a consumer may feel after choosing from among several similar attractive choices

behavior

the doing component of attitudes; involves consumer's intention to do something, such as the intention to purchaser uses certain product.

attention

the extend to which a person devotes mental processing to a particular stimulus

exposure

the extent to which a stimulus is capable of being registered by a person's sensory receptors

affect

the feeling component of attitudes; refers to the overall emotional response a person has to a product

mass-class

the hundreds of millions of global consumers who now enjoy a level of purchasing power that's sufficient to let them afford high-quality products--except for big-ticket items like college educations, housing, or luxury cars.

cognition

the knowing component of attitudes; refers to the beliefs or knowledge a person has about a product and its important characteristics

classical conditioning

the learning that occurs when a stimulus eliciting a response is paired with another stimulus that initially does not elicit a response on its own but will cause a similar response over time because of its association with the first stimulus.

consumer satisfaction/dissatisfaction

the overall feelings or attitude a person has about a product after purchasing it.

social class

the overall rank or social standing of groups of people within a society according tot he value assigned to factors such as family background, education, occupation, and income

lifestyle

the pattern of living that determines how people choose to spend their time, money, and energy and that reflects their values, tastes, and preferences.

perception

the process by which people select, organize, and interpret information from the outside world

interpretation

the processor assigning meaning to a stimulus based on prior associations a person has with and assumptions he makes about it

Involvement

the relative importance of perceived consequences of the purchase to a consumer.

personality

the set of unique psychological characteristics that consistently influences the way a person responds to situations in the environment.

psychographics

the use of psychological, sociological, and anthropological factors to construct market segments

culture

the values, beliefs, customs, and tastes a group of people values

behavioral learning theories

theories of learning that focus on how consumer behavior is changed by external events or stimuli

cognitive learning theory

theory of learning that stresses the importance of internal mental processes and that views people as problem solvers who actively use information from the world around them to master their environment.

status symbols

visible markers that provide a way for people to flaunt their membership in higher social classes (or at least to make others believe they are members)