Ch. 7 TB: Consumer Buying Behavior

At a single point in time, a person's motives are all of equal strength.

False

Marketers can control the perception of potential buyers.

False

The phenomenon of selective exposure is associated with perception.

True

There are situational influences that cannot be controlled.

True

Time dimensions on the buying decision include how long it may take to become knowledgeable about a product.

True

When a buyer receives information that is inconsistent with his or her beliefs, the buyer may distort the information to bring it more in line with those beliefs.

True

When a product is a conspicuous one, reference-group influence is more likely to affect the brand decision.

True

When evaluating the alternatives, the buyer rates and eventually ranks the brands in the consideration set.

True

During the evaluation of alternatives stage of the consumer buying decision process, the buyer selects the seller from whom he or she will purchase the product.

False

Esteem needs are the highest level in Maslow's hierarchy of needs. ​

False

Family influences are not directly related to purchasing decisions.

False

If a person's interest in the product category is ongoing and long term, it is referred to as situational involvement.

False

In Maslow's hierarchy of needs, the most fundamental need is safety.

False

Information inputs that reach perceptual awareness are received in an organized form.

False

Learning associated with purchase behavior is not particularly affected by reinforcement.

False

Limited decision making is used when purchasing frequently bought, low-cost items needing very little decision

False

Motives include knowledge and positive or negative feelings about an object.

False

Situational influences can be classified into five different categories including physical surroundings, social surroundings, personality, purchase reason, and time perspective.

False

Situational influences generally have the greatest influence during the initial stage of the consumer buying decision process.

False

Situational influences would likely not affect a high school senior searching for a college or university to attend.

False

Social surroundings during the purchase decision do not include the presence of a salesperson.

False

Sylvia is getting ready for her wedding. She is obsessed with buying the perfect wedding dress. Her involvement with the dress is an example of enduring involvement. ​

False

The actual act of purchase is the second stage of the consumer buying decision process.

False

The terms of sale (price, delivery, credit arrangements) are negotiated during the evaluation of alternatives stage of the consumer decision-making process.

False

V​ictoria has returned a dress because when she tried it on at home, she decided she did not like the way it fit. This is an example of consumer misbehavior.

False

One's personality is a set of internal traits and distinct behavioral tendencies that result in consistent patterns of behavior in certain situations.

True

Patronage motives influence where one purchases products on a regular basis.

True

Perception is a process in which an individual selects, organizes, and interprets information received through the sense organs.

True

The time that a buyer has to make a purchase decision is a situational influence.

True

The values, knowledge, beliefs, customs, objects, and concepts of a society affect how people make purchasing decisions.

True

The values, needs, interests, shopping patterns, and buying habits of various subcultures must be considered if a business wants to succeed.

True

What is Maslow's hierarchy of needs? How does it apply to the consumer buying decision process?

Abraham Maslow, an American psychologist, conceived a theory of motivation based on a hierarchy of needs. According to Maslow, humans seek to satisfy five levels of needs, from most to least basic to survival. This pyramid is known as Maslow's hierarchy of needs. The five levels in Maslow's hierarchy of needs are physiological needs, safety needs, social needs, esteem needs, and self-actualization needs.

Which American subculture spends the highest proportion of its income on phone services, children's clothing, and shoes?

African Americans

Abercrombie & Fitch is developing a program to get to know its customers. Which of the following is not a reason why A&F needs to understand consumer buying behavior?

All customers are the same when it comes to buying behavior.

A buyer's actions at any point in time are affected by one major motive.

False

Perception is a three-step process that involves

selecting, organizing, and interpreting information inputs.

Maggie has been a loyal customer of Apple for years. She likes to own the latest products and looks forward to announcements about product releases. She owns an Apple phone, iPad, and MacBook and hopes to purchase the new model phone when it's released in the fall. Maggie was talking to one of her friends about Apple and was surprised to learn that Apple was involved in some workforce-related issues at their overseas plant. Her friend was telling her that Apple paid very low wages and people were required to work long hours. Maggie reasoned that this issue must be related to a third-party manufacturer since Apple would never treat their employees this way. She dismisses the incidence and explained to her friend that it must have been an honest mistake. What type of process is Jeremy utilizing with regard to the information about Apple?

selective distortion

Many aspects of consumer buying decisions are affected by the individual's level of involvement. Level of involvement is

the importance and intensity of interest in a product in a particular situation.

Which of the following statements about how a consumer organizes inputs that reach awareness is most accurate?

Inputs that reach awareness are organized to produce meaning, and this meaning is interpreted in light of what is familiar to the individual.

Within the information search step of the consumer buying decision process, what two primary aspects exist?

Internal search and external search

Which one of the following is most likely to be a product for which both the purchasing decision and the brand decision are strongly influenced by reference groups?

Jeans

Kellogg's is introducing a new bran waffle for toasters. Television commercials will be a key element in communicating the benefits associated with this product. Based on that decision, Kellogg's is expecting consumers to engage in what form of decision making?

Limited decision making

According to Coleman's major social class categories, which of the following social classes in our culture has these characteristics: lives in well-kept neighborhoods, generally price sensitive, and is often very involved in children's school and sports activities?

Middle class

When Julia goes to the first class of her Operations Management course, she finds out that in addition to the textbook she already purchased, she also needs a copy of the book The Goal. At which stage of the consumer buying decision process is Julia?

Problem recognition

After doing considerable shopping, Eric has just decided what brand and type of athletic shoes to buy and where he's going to buy them. In what stage of the consumer buying decision process is Eric?

Purchase

Just as attitudes are learned, they can be changed.

True

Marketers may try to change consumers' attitudes toward a product if they feel that a significant number of consumers have strong negative attitudes toward it.

True

Maslow's hierarchy of needs is an explanation of how motives operate.

True

Problem recognition speed can vary from quite rapid to very slow.

True

Product availability plays a major role in the purchase stage. If the highest-ranked product is unavailable, the consumer will most likely purchase the brand ranked second.

True

Psychological influences operate within individuals to determine, in part, their behavior as consumers.

True

Social classes are referred to as open aggregates of individuals because people can move into and out of them.

True

The choice of a seller may actually affect the final product selection during the purchase stage of the consumer buying decision process.

True

Children often achieve ____ by observing parents and older siblings in purchase situations and then through their own purchase experiences.

consumer socialization

M​arketers must understand a target group's culture if they hope to construct an effective marketing mix for the target group. Culture is the accumulation of values, customs, beliefs, and knowledge the target group possesses. Culture includes tangible items such as _____________. Additionally, culture includes intangible items such as ________________.

c​lothing; laws

High school seniors who are trying to decide which college to attend and newlyweds looking to buy their first home exhibit the same behavior with respect to their level of involvement in their buying process. Which of the following best describes this common buying behavior?

extended problem-solving behavior

The three major categories of influences on the consumer buying decision process are

situational influences, social influences, and psychological influences.

The development of a person's self-concept is a function of

psychological and social factors.

People's needs to grow, develop, and achieve their full potential are referred to by Maslow as ____ needs.

self-actualization

Refer to Scenario 7.1. A dissatisfied Skola's Auto Repair customer told a friend about his experience. The friend has been a long-time Skola's customer and the next day, didn't remember what he told her. This is an example of​ a. ​perceptive perception.

​selective retention.

Tim is a marketing research consultant and specializes in qualitative research. He's a member of the Qualitative Research Association and enjoys attending regional and national meetings where he can meet other consultants and participate in workshops to improve his skills. Tim always finds one to two new books to purchase from the trade show and truly enjoys the chance to expand his knowledge base through these learning opportunities. He knows that this new knowledge will improve his capabilities to deliver the type of consultation his clients might desire and will enable him to effectively compete for work. Tim's attendance at these national meetings and his book purchases are motivated by his need of ________ , one of Maslow's hierarchy of needs.

​self-actualization

​Austin is an account manager for the music production company, Live Nation, and has always been an avid musician and music enthusiast. Austin is responsible for working with one of their major clients, State Farm Insurance, who is a major sponsor of various music festivals such as the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza, and Bumbershoot. In his free time, Austin plays guitar in a band and enjoys performing at open mic nights or the occasional gig. His job and his hobbies mesh so well that he doesn't even feel like work is "work"—it's more recreation to Austin since he enjoys the music industry so much. Austin's passion for music and his view of himself as a musician influences his purchasing choices of products and brands. Austin's ________ influences his purchasing decisions as he seeks to purchase items that reflect or enhance his persona.

​self-concept

Which of the following is the fastest growing, most affluent subculture in the United States?

Asian Americans

Define consumer misbehavior and discuss three types of consumer misbehavior described in the text.

Consumermisbehaviorisbehaviorthatviolatesgenerallyacceptednormsofaparticularsociety. Shoplifting is one of the most obvious misconduct areas. Consumer fraud includes purposeful action to take advantage of and/or damage others during a transaction. Piracy is copying computer software, video games, movies, or music without paying the producer for them.

Changing people's attitudes toward a firm and its marketing program is

a long, expensive, and difficult task that may require extensive advertising campaigns.

Jennifer is interested in joining Kappa Lambda Iota sorority. She begins to shop at Sarah's, a local store where the Kappas buy their clothes. She also asks her family for a new car because all the sorority members have new cars. In these instances, Jennifer is influenced by

a reference group.

Selective exposure refers to

admitting only certain inputs into consciousness.

The three major types of reference groups are

aspirational, dissociative, and membership.

Having used both Secret and Sure deodorants, Annette feels that Secret is a good product and the one that best meets her needs. She has formed a(n) ____ about Secret.

attitude

Refer to Scenario 7.1. Positive feelings generated by satisfaction with Skola's response will become part of Steve's

attitude.

Cognitive, affective, and behavioral are the three major components of

attitudes.

Problem recognition occurs when a consumer

becomes aware that there is a difference between a desired state and an actual condition.

Routinized response behavior is what a consumer does when

buying frequently purchased, low-cost items.

When organizing perceptual inputs, people tend to mentally fill in missing elements in a pattern or statement. This principle is called

closure.

​Max recently purchased a Ford F150 truck and has owned it for about a week. Earlier in the day, he received a call from Dane, the sales representative who sold him the truck. Dane called to check to see whether Max had any questions or problems with the truck and if he had learned how to navigate all the bells and whistles. Dane also reminded Max about how Ford is highly regarded as one of the best automobile brands and that the Ford truck is the #1 truck brand in the United States. What phenomenon is Dane trying to prevent by contacting her customer?

cognitive dissonance

After purchasing a new Lexus, Brandon sees an Infinity pass by on the street and begins to wonder if he made the right choice. Brandon is experiencing

cognitive dissonance.

After purchasing a product, postpurchase evaluation may result in cognitive dissonance. Cognitive dissonance is

doubts that occur because the buyer questions whether the decision to purchase the product was right.

hen Shannon started high school, she dated a boy on the football team. The relationship ended badly, and Shannon swore off jocks forever. She avoids sports games and tells everyone she knows how lame school sports are. Recently, she started dating a new boyfriend who has embraced the Goth persona. Shannon thinks he is very cool and wants to be just like him. Shannon views jocks as a(n) _____________________, while she views those who embrace the Gothic lifestyle as a(n) _____________________.

d​ issociative reference group; aspirational reference group

A group of brands that a consumer views as alternatives for possible purchase is called a(n)

evoked set.

Chloe and Max are searching for a health club to join. This purchase will likely be affected by ____ involvement.

enduring

Refer to Scenario 7.2. Since Alicia and Carlos were using gas mileage as one of their evaluative criteria, they are most likely in the ____ phase of the consumer buying process.

evaluation of alternatives

The forces that other people exert on one's buying behavior are called social influences. These come from reference groups and opinion leaders, social classes, culture and subcultures, roles, and

family.

The consumerbuyingdecisionprocessinvolves_______stages.Thefirststageis____________,andthelast stage is _____________.

five; problem recognition; postpurchase evaluation

Evan has just been hired as a product manager for a major technology firm. Currently, he is making purchases for his new apartment and upcoming job. His purchase of _____ would most likely be done through extended decision making, while his purchase of ____ would be made through limited decision-making behavior.

flat screen TV; bath towels

An opinion leader is likely to be most effective under all of the following conditions except when the

follower has attitudes and values that are different from those of the opinion leader.

All of the following are marketer-dominated sources of information except

friends.

A culture can be divided into subcultures according to

geographic regions or human characteristics, such as age or ethnic background.

After certain inputs have been selected to reach an individual's awareness, the next step in the perceptual process is perceptual

organization.

According to Maslow's hierarchy of needs,

individuals first satisfy the most basic needs and then try to fulfill needs at the next level up.

During the evaluation of alternatives stage of the consumer buying decision process, framing most likely influences the decision process of ____ buyers.

inexperienced

In the process of perception, individuals receive sensations through sight, sound, taste, smell, and hearing. These sensations are called

information inputs.

What stage of the consumer buying decision process comes after problem recognition? ​

information search

Ashley recently visited a Teavana store and wanted to purchase its $79.95 ice tea maker. She has never bought from Teavana before, but she knows it is owned by Starbucks. Ashley views Starbucks very positively and loves their drinks. Ashley will most likely use ______________ when determining whether to purchase the ice tea maker.

l​imited decision making

Buyers' actions are affected by one or more internal energizing forces geared toward satisfying needs, which are called

motives.

Evaluative criteria for brands within the consideration set are both

objective and subjective.

An attitude is

one's evaluation, feelings, and behavioral tendencies toward an object or idea.

Elliot visits REI frequently because he likes the depth of its product selection. He also likes the friendliness of the staff and REI's environmental activism. Elliot is influenced by ___________ motives. ​

patronage

Melanie prefers to shop at Target for most of her household needs even though the same products and brands are available at Kmart. She prefers the service, location, and friendliness of the employees at Target. Melanie's reasons that influence her decision to shop at Target are called

patronage motives.

Psychological influences that determine where a person purchases products on a regular basis are called

patronage motives.

The primary psychological influences on consumer behavior are

perception, motives, learning, attitudes, personality, and lifestyles.

As Brianna walks to classes, she selects, organizes, and interprets the sensations she is receiving through her sense organs. Brianna is experiencing the process of

perception.

Hereditary characteristics combined with personal experiences that together make an individual unique form one's

personality.

The results of many studies have been inconclusive regarding the association between buyer behavior and

personality.

Jana now feels that her teeth are not white enough after seeing advertisements for whitening toothpaste. Marketers promote these brands based on ____ needs, appealing to sex appeal.

physiological

Maslow's hierarchy of needs refers to the five levels of needs that humans seek to satisfy, from most to least basic to survival. These needs, in order from most to least basic to survival are

physiological, safety, social, esteem, self-actualization.

Cognitive dissonance is most likely to occur during which part of the decision making process? ​

postpurchase evaluation

Claire is beginning to wonder if she has made the right decision about purchasing a new HP laptop after she sees a friend with a new Dell. Claire's doubt whether she made the right decision occurs during the ___________ of the buying decision process.

postpurchase evaluation phase

The five major stages of the consumer buying decision process, in order, are

problem recognition, information search, evaluation of alternatives, purchase, and postpurchase evaluation.

You commute a long distance to get to work every day, and the cost of gasoline is putting a strain on your personal finances. You realize that you need to look at buying a new car that gets better gas mileage, or that doesn't run on gasoline at all. In terms of the traditional consumer buying decision process, you are currently in the ___________ stage, and you are about to enter the ___________ stage.

problem recognition; information search

The five categories of situational influences are

purchase reason, time perspective, social surroundings, physical surroundings, and buyer's momentary mood.

Consumers tend to remember information inputs that support their feelings and beliefs and forget inputs that do not. This is known as selective

retention.

Monique reads through her e-mails containing advertisements for sweaters from H&M, purses from JCPenney, and tennis shoes from Foot Locker. Later while at the mall, she remembers only the shoe ad, thanks to the recent tear in her own Reeboks. Monique has engaged in selective

retention.

Carla is a prosecuting attorney for the city of Cleveland. She is also vice president for the local parent/teacher organization and a coach for her daughter's soccer team. The actions and activities associated with each of these positions constitute Carla's

role.

Purchasers who purchase products for personal or household use and not for business purposes are called the

ultimate consumers.

Referring to Coleman's major social class categories, the social class in our society that favors prestigious schooling, neighborhoods, and brands is the

upper class.

In the consumer buying decision process, the information search stage

yields a group of brands that a buyer views as possible alternatives.

An attitude scale measures the

intensity of a buyer's feelings toward a certain object.

When Trevor realizes his liquor cabinet supply was devastated by last weekend's party, he first retrieves information from his memory about what types of liquor he and his friends like most and then asks the attractive clerk at the liquor store what she would recommend. Trevor started with a(n) ____ search and then progressed to a(n) ____ search.

internal; external

Assignment of meaning to organized information inputs is called

interpretation.

Extended decision making is the type of consumer decision-making process that

is the most complex decision-making behavior, which comes into play when a purchase involves unfamiliar, expensive, or infrequently bought products.

Marketers often provide consumers with free samples, sometimes coupled with coupons, to help them gain experience with their products and facilitate consumer

learning.

Refer to Scenario 7.1. The change in Steve's behavior toward Skola's Auto Repair, caused by the company's response to his complaint, is a function of

learning.

Salina is shopping for low-calorie frozen dinners to take to work for lunch. Salina has always been mindful of the total calories and the number of fat grams in these dinners. However, after reading an article about the high sodium counts in frozen meals and the maximum grams of sodium a woman should eat daily, she now pays attention to the sodium as well. The changes in Salina's thought processes and behavior caused by this information are called

learning.

A major determining factor in deciding which type of decision-making process should be used depends on the individual's intensity of interest in a product and the importance of the product for that person. This is known as an individual's

level of involvement.

Shane spends most of his free time participating in extreme sports and traveling to exotic locations with a group of close friends who share his interests and opinions about most things. This is a description of Shane's

lifestyle.

When a new variety of Kashi whole-grain breakfast cereals is first introduced, consumers will most likely engage in ____ when deciding whether or not to purchase this new product.

limited decision making

High involvement products tend to be those that are expensive and visible to others.

True

Which of the following statements regarding social class is true?

A social class is an open aggregate of people with similar social ranking.

Discuss how reference groups and opinion leaders influence purchase behavior.

Areferencegroupisagroup,eitherlargeorsmall,withwhichapersonidentifiessostronglythatheor she adopts the values, attitudes, and behavior of group members. Reference groups can affect whether a person does or does not buy a product at all, buys a type of product within a product category, or buys a specific brand. The extent to which a reference group affects a purchase decision depends on the product's conspicuousness and on the individual's susceptibility to reference group influence. An opinion leader is a member of an informal group who provides information about a specific topic, such as smartphones, to other group members seeking information. An opinion leader is likely to be most influential when consumers have high product involvement but low product knowledge, when they share the opinion leader's values and attitudes, and when the product details are numerous or complicated.

How does an individual's social class influence the products he or she buys?

Asocialclassisanopenaggregateofpeoplewithsimilarsocialrank.Tosomedegree,individualswithin social classes develop and assume common behavioral patterns. They may have similar attitudes, values, language patterns, and possessions. Because people most frequently interact with others within their own social class, people are more likely to be influenced by others within their own class than by those in other classes. Social class also influences people's spending, saving, and credit practices. It can determine the type, quality, and quantity of products a person buys and uses. Behaviors within a social class can influence others as well. Most common is the "trickle-down" effect, in which members of lower classes attempt to emulate members of higher social classes, such as purchasing desirable automobiles, large homes, even selecting certain names for their children. Social class also affects an individual's shopping patterns and types of stores patronized.

Motives can affect the direction and intensity of behavior.

True

An opinion leader provides information and is viewed as an authority on many spheres of interest for reference- group participants.

False

Both the Toyota Sienna and the Nissan Quest were very popular choices for family vans. Toyota noticed that the majority of its customers were families with 3 or more children, and so they developed commercials that featured larger families. They also produced commercials that featured Hispanic-looking actors and for some markets, in Spanish. Alicia Desario and her husband were currently shopping for a van for their family. As Alicia listened to an advertisement on the television about the Nissan Quest, she noticed that the Nissan cost about $27,000 and had gas mileage of about 17 mpg. She recalled an earlier ad for the Toyota Sienna, which also cost about $27,000, but had gas mileage of about 21 mpg. She also liked the way the family was portrayed in the Toyota ad, showing the children in the back seats having plenty of room, watching the DVD players, and having their own sound controls. When she spoke to Carlos, her husband, about how much she liked the Toyota van, he replied that its gas mileage was too low at only 16 mpg. Since Alicia didn't agree with that number, he produced a magazine ad that supported his claim of the 16 mpg for the Toyota. Alicia couldn't believe that she had made such an error in hearing what the gas mileage was for the Toyota and the Nissan.

Both the Toyota Sienna and the Nissan Quest were very popular choices for family vans. Toyota noticed that the majority of its customers were families with 3 or more children, and so they developed commercials that featured larger families. They also produced commercials that featured Hispanic-looking actors and for some markets, in Spanish. Alicia Desario and her husband were currently shopping for a van for their family. As Alicia listened to an advertisement on the television about the Nissan Quest, she noticed that the Nissan cost about $27,000 and had gas mileage of about 17 mpg. She recalled an earlier ad for the Toyota Sienna, which also cost about $27,000, but had gas mileage of about 21 mpg. She also liked the way the family was portrayed in the Toyota ad, showing the children in the back seats having plenty of room, watching the DVD players, and having their own sound controls. When she spoke to Carlos, her husband, about how much she liked the Toyota van, he replied that its gas mileage was too low at only 16 mpg. Since Alicia didn't agree with that number, he produced a magazine ad that supported his claim of the 16 mpg for the Toyota. Alicia couldn't believe that she had made such an error in hearing what the gas mileage was for the Toyota and the Nissan.

Why are consumer attitudes an important issue for marketers to study? Can attitudes be changed easily by marketers? Explain.

Consumer attitudes toward a company and its products greatly influence success or failure of the firm's marketing strategy. When consumers have strong, negative attitudes toward one or more aspects of a firm's marketing practices, they may not only stop using its products but also urge relatives and friends to do likewise. Because attitudes play an important part in determining consumer behavior, marketers should regularly measure consumer attitudes toward prices, package designs, brand names, advertisements, salespeople, repair services, store locations, features of existing or proposed products, and social responsibility efforts. When marketers determine that a significant number of consumers have negative attitudes toward an aspect of a marketing mix, they may try to change those attitudes. This task is generally lengthy, expensive, and difficult and can require extensive promotional efforts. To alter responses so that more consumers purchase a certain brand, a firm might launch an information-focused campaign to change the cognitive component of a consumer's attitude, or a persuasive (emotional) campaign to influence the affective component. Distributing free samples might help change the behavioral component.

Consumers use information from many sources when making purchasing decisions, including information from friends and family members. One of the most dissatisfying consumer experiences is with auto repair. Aware of this, Kate has asked several of her friends and family members where they have their cars repaired, since she has experienced a problem starting her car when the weather is cold. Kate has heard that Skola's Auto Repair has reasonable prices, but it can be difficult to get an appointment. Steve, one of Kate's friends, had a very poor experience with Skola's. However, once he complained to them, they fixed the situation and now he prefers their auto repair shop over others.

Consumers use information from many sources when making purchasing decisions, including information from friends and family members. One of the most dissatisfying consumer experiences is with auto repair. Aware of this, Kate has asked several of her friends and family members where they have their cars repaired, since she has experienced a problem starting her car when the weather is cold. Kate has heard that Skola's Auto Repair has reasonable prices, but it can be difficult to get an appointment. Steve, one of Kate's friends, had a very poor experience with Skola's. However, once he complained to them, they fixed the situation and now he prefers their auto repair shop over others.

Why is it important for marketers to understand the cultural and subcultural influences that may affect the consumer buying decision process?

Cultureistheaccumulationofvalues,knowledge,beliefs,customs,objects,andconceptsthatasociety uses to cope with its environment and passes on to future generations. Culture permeates most things that a person does and the objects he interacts with, from the style of buildings in his town, to the education he receives, to the laws governing his country. Culture also includes society-specific core values and the degree of acceptability of a wide range of behaviors. Culture influences buying behavior because it saturates our daily lives. Our culture determines what we wear and eat and where we reside and travel. Culture also influences how we buy and use products and the satisfaction we derive from them. A subculture is a group of individuals whose characteristics, values, and behavioral patterns are similar within the group and different from those of people in the surrounding culture. Within subcultures, greater similarities exist in people's attitudes, values, and actions than within the broader culture. Relative to other subcultures, individuals in one subculture may have stronger preferences for specific types of clothing, furniture, food, or consumer electronics. Subcultures can play a significant role in how people respond to advertisements, particularly when pressured to make a snap judgment.

Discuss cognitive dissonance as it relates to postpurchase evaluation and describe how marketers can reduce cognitive dissonance in a consumer who has just purchased an expensive product.

C​ognitive dissonance in marketing refers to doubts in the buyer's mind about whether purchasing the product was the right decision. Marketers sometimes attempt to reduce cognitive dissonance by having salespeople call or e-mail recent customers to make sure they are satisfied with their new purchases. Salespeople may send recent buyers results of studies demonstrating that other consumers are very satisfied with the brand.

Which of the following products would probably require extended decision making before a purchase?

Expensive products

Beth Hines is buying furniture for her apartment for the first time. She is spending considerable time and effort comparing the products that different stores offer. Which type of decision-making process is she using?

Extended

Jose and Teresa are searching for an apartment. They will most likely engage in which one of the following forms of decision making?

Extended decision making

Mark is shopping for a new suit to wear to an important interview. He really wants to impress his prospective employer and is shopping at many stores to find the right outfit. Martin is using which type of consumer decision- making process?

Extended decision making

A consumer belongs to only one subculture.

False

A person's self-concept may affect whether the person buys a product in a particular product category, but it has little impact on brand selection.

False

A social class is a closed aggregate of individuals with similar social ranking.

False

An information input is less likely to reach perceptual awareness if it is related to an event that the person is anticipating.

False

For which of the following products would a consumer most likely use limited decision making?

Hair dryer

Tiffany was surprised at work today with a cash bonus. As the account executives were preparing to leave the office, their district manager distributed $100 bills and thanked everyone for their efforts. Tiffany was incredibly surprised —she had no idea the company would hand out cash as an incentive or reward. She's wanted a certain pair of shoes she saw at the store but couldn't really justify the purchase. However, since she's received this unexpected cash bonus, Tiffany decides to stop by the shoe store after work to purchase the shoes. Tiffany's purchasing decision is influenced by which category of situational factors?

Her mood and condition

Why is it important for marketers to recognize the stages that a consumer goes through in making a purchase decision?

It is important for marketers to understand the buying behavior of consumers for several reasons. First, customers' overall opinions and attitudes toward a firm's products have a great impact on the firm's success. Second, the marketing concept stresses that a firm should create a marketing mix that meets customers' needs. To find out what satisfies consumers, marketers must examine the main influences on what, where, when, and how they buy. Third, by gaining a deeper understanding of the factors that affect buying behavior, marketers are better positioned to predict how consumers will respond to marketing strategies.

xperiencehasshownyouthatyourcustomers'buyingdecisionscanbesignificantlyimpactedbysituational influences. You are analyzing past sales activities to better understand how these factors translate into sales impacts. Which of the following statements is true about situational influences on the consumer's buying decision process?

I​ f the consumer is fatigued, this could potentially be a situational influence on her buying decision process.

Although marketers may attempt to influence what a consumer learns, their attempts are seldom fully successful.

True

In what ways does an individual's personality affect his or her buying behavior?

Personality is a set of internal traits and distinct behavioral tendencies that result in consistent patterns of behavior in certain situations. An individual's personality is a unique combination of hereditary characteristics and personal experiences. Personalities typically are described as having one or more characteristics, such as compulsiveness, ambition, gregariousness, dogmatism, authoritarianism, introversion, extroversion, and competitiveness. The weak association between personality and buying behavior can be the result of unreliable measures to study the link between the two, rather than a true lack of a relationship.

During which stage of the consumer buying decision process does a consumer decide from which seller he or she will buy the product?

Purchase

Identify and describe the five major categories of situational influences.

Situationalfactorscanbeclassifiedintofivecategories:physicalsurroundings,socialsurroundings,time perspective, reason for purchase, and the buyer's momentary mood and condition. Physical surroundings include location, store atmosphere, scents, sounds, lighting, weather, and other factors in the physical environment in which the decision-making process occurs. Social surroundings include characteristics and interactions of others who are present during a purchase decision, such as friends, relatives, salespeople, and other customers. The time dimension influences the buying decision process in several ways. It takes varying amounts of time to progress through the steps of the buying decision process, including learning about, searching for, purchasing, and using a product. Time also plays a role when consumers consider the frequency of product use, the length of time required to use it, and the overall product life. The reason for the purchase involves what the product purchase should accomplish and for whom. The buyer's moods like anger, anxiety, or contentment or conditions like fatigue, illness, or having cash on hand may also affect the consumer buying decision process. Such moods or conditions are momentary and occur immediately before the situation where a buying decision will be made.

Which of the following buying situations is most consistent with routinized response behavior?

Stephanie buying bottled water

An attitude consists of one's feelings and behavioral tendencies toward an object or idea.

True

An attitude scale is useful in helping to measure the intensity of feelings toward an object.

True

Buying behavior refers to the decision processes and actions of people involved in buying and using products.

True

By giving out free samples, marketers help customers learn about their products by helping them gain experience with them, which makes customers feel more comfortable.

True

Chelsea is looking for new sneakers but cannot find her favorite brand. She then notices another brand of shoes that she has never purchased and has no experience with. She remembers she heard the name of the brand in a commercial yesterday. Because she remembers the name from the commercial, Chelsea is more likely to ascribe value to that pair of sneakers.

True

In what ways can situational influences affect the consumer buying decision process?

Thebuyer'smoodslikeanger,anxiety,orcontentment,orconditionslikefatigue,illness,orhavingcash on hand can affect the consumer buying decision process. Such moods or conditions are momentary and occur immediately before the situation where a buying decision will be made. They can affect a person's ability and desire to search for or receive information, or seek and evaluate alternatives. Moods can also significantly influence a consumer's postpurchase evaluation. If a person is happy immediately after purchase, he may be more likely to attribute the mood to the product and will judge it favorably.

Consumer socialization is the process through which a person acquires the knowledge and skills to function as a consumer.

True

Consumers' purchasing decisions and brand decisions may be influenced strongly by reference groups.

True

Expecting ethical business behavior reflects our culture.

True

Extended problem solving is used when unfamiliar, expensive, or infrequently purchased products are bought.

True

A consumer may receive a marketer's information and perceive it differently from the way the marketer intended.

True

A major part of perception involves information processing.

True

A marketer's use of framing can make a product characteristic seem more important to a consumer and can facilitate its recall from memory.

True

A person may perform more than one role related to making buying decisions.​

True

A person receives information inputs through the senses.

True

A reference group acts as a point of comparison and as a source of information for an individual.

True

A role consists of a set of actions and activities that a person in a particular position is expected to perform.

True

Ads for beauty products often suggest that purchasing these products will bring love, helping to fulfill one's social needs.

True

Refer to Scenario 7.1. The type of decision making that Kate is using to select an auto repair shop would be a. intensive decision making.

limited decision making.

Refer to Scenario 7.2. Carlos' knowledge of the correct gas mileage is an example of the ____ component of his attitude toward the Toyota, while Alicia's feelings about the children in the commercial being happy in the Toyota van were an example of the ____ component of her attitude.

cognitive; affective

When shopping for detergent, Josh looks at Tide, Fresh Start, Surf, and All and chooses the one that is on sale. These four brands make up his ____ set.

consideration

In shopping for a new laptop computer for her master's degree program, Jocelyn has narrowed the alternatives to four brands. She is considering Dell, Toshiba, Sony, and Hewlett-Packard. These four brands make up Jocelyn's

consideration set.

Credit card companies maintain staffs of professionals whose primary responsibility is to monitor the activity on cardholders' accounts to spot potential fraudulent purchases or stolen cards. These staffs are employed to prevent which of the following?

consumer misbehavior

Travis is a football enthusiast. He watches all the big games, collects football memorabilia, and knows everything there is to know about football history. His best friend Mike is not a football fan. However, he does enjoy watching the Super Bowl every year because of all the excitement. He even finds that he gets really into the game. Usually theSuperBowlistheonlyfootballgameMikewatches,buthestilllooksforwardtoiteveryyear.T​ ravishasa(n) ____________ involvement with football, whereas Mike has more of a(n) _____________involvement.

enduring; situational

​Tiffany is a purchasing manager of computer and software equipment for her company, which employs about 350 individuals. She subscribes to PC Magazine and several other trade publications that review computer hardware and software. In addition, Tiffany is an active user of online forums and often reads reviews that other purchasing managers post about different computer models. Tiffany spends about 1-2 hours each week reviewing information through these sources before making purchasing decisions. What stage of the consumer decision process is Tiffany most likely in?

information search

A customer shopping for a fax machine tells a salesperson that it is important for the fax machine to have several attributes. It must use plain paper, be able to make copies, be compatible with all other fax machines, and not require a separate phone line. The buyer has expressed his or her

evaluative criteria.

Evelyn wants to buy a new car. She turns to her friend who is a car enthusiast for his recommendation. He tells her Toyota is by far the best brand. Evelyn goes to a Toyota dealership. She notices a Toyota Corolla that is at a reasonable price point. However, she likes the fact that the Toyota Camry is a mid-sized car, but it is more expensive. Evelyn tries to remember what her friend told her but is having trouble. She starts weighing the benefits ofbothvehiclesinanattempttomakeherfinaldecision.T​ hefactthatEvelynsoughtadvicefromherfriendisan example of _________________. Her attempt to weigh the benefits of the vehicles against one another is _______________.

external information search; evaluation of alternatives

Stuart's little brother Kyle joined the Boy Scouts recently. Stuart notices that in addition to wearing the Boy Scout uniform, Kyle has been better about keeping his everyday clothes neat and clean, has been searching online for camping gear, and has become interested in "green" products. Stuart believes that the Boy Scouts are now a reference group for Kyle because he

has taken on many of the values, attitudes, or behaviors of group members.

n your market research into the buying behavior of a target market, you have confirmed that members of the group do in fact exhibit varying levels of involvement when buying certain products. For example, you confirmed the group has a __________ level of involvement when they are purchasing cars and clothing. When they are shopping for groceries, they exhibit a __________ level of involvement.

i g h ; l o w

Marissa goes to Target to purchase school supplies for her two children. As she is approaching the checkout counter, she sees a vase she just has to have and buys it immediately. Marissa's purchase of the vase is an example of

impulse buying.

Tori went to Sam's Wholesale Club to shop for a party she was hosting on the weekend. She knew that she could buy larger quantities of food items than she normally did, and they would also be much less expensive. She checked everything off her list and proceeded to the checkout lines. Passing a display of fresh flowers, she thought, "Wouldn't those be nice for the party?" She selected one of the bouquets and placed it in her cart. Tori has most likely engaged in ______ when selecting the food for her party, and ____ when selecting the flowers.

limited decision making; impulse buying

Cole's smartphone is two years old and he would like to have a new one. This time, he wants to make sure that it has a longer battery charge and better geographic coverage since he is traveling three days a week for his new job. Cole is most likely to use _____ for this purchase.

limited decision-making behavior

The three most widely recognized types of consumer decision making are

limited problem solving, extended problem solving, and routinized response behavior.

Refer to Scenario 7.2. The fact that Alicia had remembered the gas mileage of the Toyota Sienna incorrectly is most likely an example of

selective distortion.

Antonio is in the market for a new car. He believes that lately there have been more car ads than usual on TV. The need Antonio has is most likely driving which of the following phenomena?

selective exposure.

Which of the following is an example of consumer misbehavior?

shoplifting

An open aggregate of people with similar social ranking is referred to as a

social class.

Our society uses many factors, including occupation, educational level, income, wealth, religion, race, ethnic group, and possessions, to group people into

social classes.

The _____, of Coleman's social class categories, includes approximately 32% of the population, shops for best bargains, and enjoys leisure activities like local travel and recreational parks.

working class

Once initiated, the consumer buying decision process always leads to a purchase.

False

What consumer research method is a means of measuring consumer attitudes by gauging the intensity of individuals' reactions to adjectives, phrases, or sentences about an object?

Attitude scale

The criteria used to group people into classes are basically the same in all societies.

False

The evaluative criteria are objective but not subjective product characteristics that are important to a specific buyer when purchasing a product.

False

When buying frequently purchased, low-cost items, a consumer uses extensive decision making.

False

An information search, once completed, should identify for the buyer the one brand that he or she views as the best alternative.

False

An opinion leader is likely to be most influential when consumers have high product involvement and high product knowledge.

False

Which of the following consumer decision-making processes will probably be used in purchasing toothpaste?

Routinized response behavior

If an information input is useful in satisfying a person's current needs, it is more likely to reach perceptual awareness.

True

Involvement level is one factor that affects a consumer's selection of a type of decision-making process.

True

Beth is looking for a Mother's Day gift for her mom and wants to purchase some type of perfume or cologne. She knows that her mom currently wears a perfume made by Dolce & Gabbana called Light Blue. When she arrives at the perfume counter, she notices that Dolce & Gabbana has several new scents available and a variety of gift boxes that also include powder and body lotion. Beth is trying to decide what to purchase—whether to try a new fragrance or not. Beth is willing to spend time trying the different scents, but since the gift boxes only cost $75, there's very little risk involved. What type of consumer decision will this purchase most likely be for Beth?

limited decision making

Jenny plans to buy a new swimsuit for her spring break cruise. She has not seen this year's styles and thus will do some comparison shopping before making a purchase decision. Jenny is engaging in

limited decision making.

When a consumer purchases products occasionally or needs information about an unfamiliar brand in a familiar product category, he or she will most likely engage in

limited decision making.

Logan loves Chipotle Mexican Grill. He views it as being socially responsible and loves the food. The other day he read in the paper that several people got sick from E. coli from Chipotle Mexican Grill restaurants. The article also detailed safety measures Chipotle was instituting to prevent this from happening again. Logan would expect nothing less from Chipotle. He feels confident that Chipotle will institute highly effective safety measures. This is most likely an example of ______________.

selective retention

A consumer's buying decisions are affected in part by the people around him or her. Such people and the forces they exert on an individual buyer are called

social influences.

According to Maslow's hierarchy of needs, human beings have five levels of needs they are constantly seeking to satisfy. The need for love and affection is an example of one of humans' _________________ needs.

s​ocial

Winston and Keesha have been married for a year and are starting to establish their decision-making styles as a couple. Keesha enjoys shopping and likes to browse the grocery store aisles rather than using a list. While this is time consuming, she always discovers some cool product and usually makes some unplanned purchases. Winston appreciates Keesha's efforts and tries to reciprocate by taking care of any purchases for their car or to maintain their home such as getting the oil changed, buying tools, or lawn mowing equipment. Keesha's purchases of all of the grocery items can be described as _______ decision making, while Winston's purchases for the car or home maintenance items are called ______decision making.

wife-dominant; husband-dominant

Stacy is going to the store to buy milk and cereal. She will most likely use ____ in her consumer decision-making process.

routinized response behavior

While shopping at a local grocery store, Taylor sees a display of his favorite brand of energy drink. He buys some to take home for the weekend. This purchase process would be described as

routinized response behavior.

Shortly after moving into their new home, Mark and Katherine Gould purchase and install smoke detectors and an alarm system. The Goulds are concerned about fulfilling their need for

safety.

sychologicalinfluencesareinternalfactorsthatimpactaconsumer'sbuyingdecisionprocess.Morespecifically, ___________ is one type of psychological influence wherein the consumer has a tendency to twist or change information received to fit their own personal feelings or beliefs.

selective distortion

Asian Americans are the fastest growing and most affluent U.S. subculture, but with respect to buying behavior, Asians are generally not willing to pay more for distinct, well-known brands.

False

Changes in culture do not affect product development.

False

Motives always operate at a conscious level.

False

Grant Turner makes an appointment to visit with a new dermatologist in town because of a recent bad sunburn. When he arrives at the dermatologist's office, Grant notices a foul odor in the air, worn floor coverings, cluttered rooms that have paint peeling from the walls, and poor lighting. However, the other patients in the waiting room were talking about how much they liked the doctor. While Grant viewed the dermatologist as competent, Grant decided not to visit him again even though the dermatologist recommended a follow-up. Which situational influences are most likely to have affected Grant's decision?

Physical surroundings

The U.S. Army recruits soldiers based on the slogan, "Army Strong," implying that people can reach their full personal potential in the U.S. Army. This is an appeal to what need according to Maslow's hierarchy of needs?

Self-actualization

Involvement that is temporary and results from a specific set of circumstances is called situational involvement.

True

Jennifer was flying to Belize for vacation when she realized she forgot her sunglasses. She purchased some at an airport shop even though they were more expensive than she would normally have paid. Jennifer was influenced by situational influences. ​

True

Marketers must consider the different nationalities represented within the Hispanic and Asian-American subcultures because of the unique culture, history, and buying patterns of each ethnic group.

True

Claire is a market research analyst for a global consulting firm. She will be traveling to London next month to present her research to a meeting of company executives from around the world. This presentation could be instrumental in the company's decision of whether she should be promoted at the end of this year. Claire has been thinking about the trip, which will be the first time she has been out of the country. She has decided to retire the old college luggage for a more professional-looking version and has begun to evaluate various brands. Claire is most likely facing _____ for this particular purchase.

situational involvement

Vanessa went to a five-star restaurant that had great reviews. The atmosphere was wonderful and she enjoyed the company of her friends and her boyfriend, Paul. However, at the table next to them sat a family with five kids. The kids were very loud and often ran around. Vanessa, who is not fond of kids, was very annoyed. When she left the restaurant, she remarked to her friend that she didn't see what all the hype over the restaurant was about. Vanessa was most likely influenced by __________________.

social surroundings

Market researchers for a local bakery determined that Jewish people consume 63% of the portion of bagels sold in New York City. This is an example of ____ influence on consumer buying decision processes.

subcultural

Refer to Scenario 7.2. Toyota's production of commercials that featured Hispanic actors and the Spanish language is an example of marketing to

subcultures.

Lauren is completing her senior year of college and is living in an apartment with three friends. Her family has a subscription to Netflix, and Lauren is able to use the log-on ID and password while she's at college. Lauren does not have cable TV or satellite TV as she typically streams shows or movies that are available online for free or through Netflix. Several of Lauren's friends don't have a subscription to Netflix, so Lauren has given them her log- on ID and password so they can watch their shows. She doesn't mind sharing the Netflix subscription with her friends—what could it hurt? She has heard that the entertainment industry and Netflix are upset over people sharing their subscription to the streaming services in this way. Lauren's sharing of her family's Netflix subscription is an example of ________, which is estimated to cost the electronics and entertainment industries over $50 billion annually.

​consumer misbehavior

Consumers' buying decisions are not affected by other people.

False

Dissatisfaction may occur shortly after a purchase; this is called cognitive dissatisfaction.

False

Discuss how perceptual processes may influence the consumer buying decision process.

A consumer's perceptual process may influence the consumer buying decision process in many ways. First, a consumer's perceptual process may operate such that a seller's information never reaches the target. For example, a buyer may entirely block out and not notice an advertisement in a magazine. Second, a buyer may receive information but perceive it differently than was intended, as occurs in selective distortion. For instance, when a toothpaste producer advertises that "35% of the people who use this toothpaste have fewer cavities," a customer could infer that 65% of users have more cavities. Third, a buyer who perceives information inputs to be inconsistent with prior beliefs is likely to forget the information quickly, as is the case with selective retention.

How does the level of involvement affect the type of consumer decision-making process that a person uses?

A​ major determinant of the type of decision-making process employed depends on the customer's level of involvement. High-importance issues, such as health care, are also associated with high levels of involvement. Low-involvement products are much less expensive and have less associated social risk, such as grocery or drugstore items. A person's interest in a product or product category that is ongoing and long term is referred to as enduring involvement. Most consumers have an enduring involvement with only a very few activities or items—these are the product categories in which they have the most interest. Many consumers, for instance, have an enduring involvement with Apple products, a brand that inspires loyalty and trust. In contrast, situational involvement is temporary and dynamic and results from a particular set of circumstances, such as the sudden need to buy a new bathroom faucet after the current one starts leaking and will not stop.

Compare and contrast the three major influences on the consumer's decision-making processes.

The consumer buying decision process can be affected by numerous influences, which are categorized as situational, psychological, and social. Situational influences result from circumstances, time, and location that affect the consumer buying decision process. Situational factors can influence the buyer during any stage of the consumer buying decision process and may cause the individual to shorten, lengthen, or terminate the process. Situational factors can be classified into five categories: physical surroundings, social surroundings, time perspective, reason for purchase, and the buyer's momentary mood and condition. Psychological influences partly determine people's general behavior and thus influence their behavior as consumers. Primary psychological influences on consumer behavior are perception, motives, learning, attitudes, personality and self-concept, and lifestyles. Even though these psychological factors operate internally, they are affected strongly by external social forces. Forces that other people exert on buying behavior are called social influences. They are divided into five major groups: roles, family, reference groups and opinion leaders, social classes, and culture and subcultures.

Not all the behavioral patterns and values attributed to specific subcultures apply to every member of that specific subculture.

True

Compare and contrast the three major ethnic subcultures in the United States.

U.S. marketers focus on three major ethnic subcultures: African American, Hispanic, and Asian American. African American consumers are more likely to shop online and interact with brands via social media. Younger African Americans have become trendsetters for all young American consumers regardless of race or ethnicity. Hispanics represent a large and powerful subculture, and are an attractive consumer group for marketers. When considering the buying behavior of Hispanics (or any ethnic or racial subculture, for that matter), marketers must keep in mind that this subculture is really composed of many diverse cultures coming from a huge geographic region that encompasses nearly two dozen nationalities. Though they represent a smaller proportion of the overall population, Asian Americans are the fastest-growing demographic and are projected to increase by 50% in a decade. As a group, Asian Americans are also more educated and have household incomes that are 29% higher than the median income.