Deck 13: Household and Social Class Influences

Question 1

The U.S.middle class consists primarily of blue-collared workers.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

In the United States,it is very unlikely that a person can change social classes during his/her lifetime.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

Mary is considered upper class and many of the people that work with her are middle-class Americans.Mary started bringing a Coach bag to the office,and after a couple of weeks,sees that other ladies in the office are now carrying Coach bags as well.This would be an example of the trickle-down effect.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

The concept of social class is inherently negative.

Question 5

The most typical type of family in the United States is the nuclear family,consisting of father,mother,and children.

Question 6

Surprisingly,education does not really play a role in social class in the United States.

Question 7

The upper class in the U.S.are rarely price conscious and never shop in discount stores.

Question 8

P&G has made great strides in marketing to consumers who make on average just $2 a day in some developing nations.

Question 9

A household is classified as such,regardless of whether inhabitants are related.

Question 10

A household is defined as a group of individuals living together who are related by marriage,blood or adoption.

Question 11

Educational achievement is one way to gain upward mobility in the United States.

Question 12

In Brazil,eating in fast-food establishments,such as Burger King and McDonald's,is considered a status symbol for the middle to lower class.

Question 13

One-person households currently outnumber households with children in the United States.

Question 14

Homeless consumers are primarily mental patients,alcoholics,drug users,members of female-headed households,and very few have jobs.

Question 15

Marketers find it easy to use social class to segment markets in the United States.

Question 16

Parody display is when a consumer in an upper class starts consuming products or services used by the lower class.

Question 17

The average U.S.millionaire is 54 years old.

Question 18

Higher education is important for gaining entry into higher-status occupations.

Question 19

An extended family consists of mother,father,and children.

Question 20

John explains to his wife that a higher income leads to higher social standing.Dasha,his wife,counters that this is not necessarily true.John is correct.

Question 21

Bob and Jane both earn good salaries in their blue-collar jobs.Together they earn a comfortable six-figure salary which allows them to buy many of the latest toys and equipment that their friends must do without.In consumer behavior,they would be classified as the ____ in their social class.

A) overwhelmed
B) underwhelmed
C) overprivileged
D) exemplars
E) prototypes

Question 22

The ____ classes of most societies are more similar to each other than to other classes within their own countries.

A) working
B) upper
C) lower middle
D) middle
E) majority of

Question 23

Many middle-class Americans copy the leisure activities such as golf and tennis of upper classes.This is an example of

A) status float.
B) class elevation.
C) wannabe millionaires.
D) the trickle-down effect.
E) unrealistic expectations.

Question 24

The concept of social class hierarchy is

A) the relative equality in society.
B) the grouping of members of society according to status.
C) that consumers have differing levels of motivation to consume products or services depending on their level in society.
D) that consumers have differing levels of motivation to dispose products.
E) the rapid pace of changes in society.

Question 25

The ____ are those who have incomes below the median and have trouble meeting class expectations.

A) underprivileged
B) underwhelmed
C) overwhelmed
D) troubled
E) inequitable

Question 26

____ is the grouping of members of society according to status.

A) Social class hierarchy
B) Clustering
C) Grouping
D) Dividing
E) Status delineating

Question 27

Class-average families are those around the median who

A) can understand their position in society.
B) cannot rise above a mediocre position within their social class.
C) reject the idea of social climbing.
D) are underprivileged.
E) can afford the symbols expected of their status.

Question 28

Even with the inequalities,social class distinctions can help individuals determine what their role in society is or

A) how to make their lives more interesting.
B) how to handle wealth.
C) why they need to participate in a democracy.
D) what they would like their role to be.
E) how to become distinctive from their reference group.

Question 29

The ____ classes are most likely to borrow from other classes because this may be seen as a sign of upward mobility.

A) working
B) upper
C) lower middle
D) middle
E) majority of

Question 30

In Japanese and ____ societies,a large proportion of the population is middle-class.

A) Scandinavian
B) Central American
C) Saudi Arabian
D) South American
E) West African

Question 31

Tommy Hilfiger was a brand that became popular in the lower classes and spread upward to the upper classes.This is referred to as a(n)

A) commodity theory.
B) downward-sloping trend.
C) trickle-down effect.
D) elite theory.
E) status float.

Question 32

Members of a particular social class tend to

A) have quite diverse income levels.
B) have the same attention level for advertising and other forms of marketing communications.
C) share similar values and behavior patterns.
D) live in similar regions of the country.
E) live in the same city.

Question 33

The trickle-down effect can occur primarily because the

A) upper class has more money to spend.
B) upper class pays close attention to advertising.
C) upper class works in public view, and thus receives more exposure.
D) lower class may aspire to raise its social standing.
E) lower class has enough money to spend on different types of products and services.

Question 34

Couples marrying earlier and having children while young is a major trend of U.S.households.

Question 35

The ____ refers to imitation of the upper class by those below them.

A) Status Flow Axiom
B) demonstrative trend
C) trickle-down effect
D) Weber's Law of Social Influence
E) status float

Question 36

Authoritarian households are likely to let children have a major influence on household decision making.

Question 37

Less than 50 percent of men's underwear is purchased by wives and girlfriends.

Question 38

____ refers to trends that start in the lower or middle classes and spread upwards.

A) A class elevation
B) A demonstrative trend
C) A trickle-down effect
D) Weber's Law of Social Influence
E) A status float

Question 39

Social class structures have a strong influence on

A) income.
B) norms and values.
C) which region of the country an individual is from.
D) consumer information-processing speed.
E) ethnicity.

Question 40

Children rarely play an important role in household decision making.

Question 41

In formerly communist countries,____ have formed the new upper classes.

A) foreigners
B) intellectuals
C) the blue collar classes
D) the old party and state bureaucrats
E) peasants

Question 42

Both income and social class are needed to explain

A) consumption that reflects values or beliefs.
B) consumption that involves large monetary expenditures.
C) attention to advertising.
D) coupon usage.
E) the acquisition of status symbols.

Question 43

Social class tends to be a better predictor of consumption than income when

A) income is high.
B) income is low.
C) it reflects lifestyles and values.
D) it involves large monetary expenditures.
E) there is a large middle class and very small upper or lower classes.

Question 44

Social class fragmentation occurs due to each of the following factors,EXCEPT

A) the shrinking of the middle class.
B) upward mobility.
C) downward mobility.
D) increased availability of the media.
E) advances in communication technology.

Question 45

Sam came from a working-class family,but through scholarships and part time jobs,he was able to earn an MBA degree and eventually get a job as a corporate executive.This is an example of

A) status float.
B) status crystallization.
C) the trickle-down effect.
D) class fragmentation.
E) upward mobility.

Question 46

Education is considered the most reliable determinant of consumers' income potential and

A) subculture.
B) inscribed social class.
C) social float.
D) trickle-down effects.
E) spending patterns.

Question 47

The best predictor of social class in Western cultures is

A) income.
B) occupation.
C) one's automobile.
D) food consumption.
E) advertising viewing.

Question 48

All of the following might be reasons for the increase in the middle class in a country except

A) the export of jobs.
B) a need for professionals.
C) an increase in higher education.
D) dual-career families.
E) foreign trade that makes affordable goods more readily available.

Question 49

When consumers are consistent across indicators of social class income,education,and or occupation,it is called:

A) status float
B) status crystallization
C) inherited status
D) earned status
E) status homophily

Question 50

The Computerized Status Index (CSI)is a(n)

A) directory of occupation status.
B) directory of famous people and their social ranking.
C) index of the changing role of status over history.
D) index to determine social class standing.
E) handbook of brands and their relative status ranking.

Question 51

The CSI is a(n)

A) directory of Who's Who in the United States.
B) index of income predictors.
C) assessment of consumers'' education, occupation, area of residence and income.
D) registry of subcultures.
E) published list of educational institutions and rankings.

Question 52

Lower or middle-class individuals can take advantage of educational opportunities,particularly a college education,to facilitate entry into higher-status occupations.This is best known as

A) status float.
B) social liquidity.
C) upward mobility.
D) class liquidity.
E) status climb.

Question 53

Two individuals have the same income but one is from the upper class and one is from the middle class.We can tell immediately which class they come from by looking at their purchases,their houses,and their neighborhoods.This is an example of how social class can often explain

A) how income is used.
B) attention to advertising.
C) deal proneness.
D) coupon usage.
E) individual differences in behavior.

Question 54

Income and social class are

A) positively correlated.
B) not strongly related to each other.
C) negatively correlated.
D) related in a U-shaped curve.
E) related in an inverted U-shaped curve.

Question 55

Individuals from higher-status families

A) are half as likely to maintain their status than members of the lower classes are to achieve a higher status.
B) rarely slide in socioeconomic status.
C) almost always increase in socioeconomic status.
D) almost always decrease in socioeconomic status.
E) are twice as likely to maintain their status than members of the lower classes are to achieve a higher status.

Question 56

Earned status is

A) derived primarily from one's subculture.
B) acquired later in life from personal achievements.
C) obtained from reference groups gradually through social comparison.
D) inherited from one's family.
E) derived primarily from one's social class.

Question 57

Inherited status is important primarily because it

A) assures a certain income and occupation during the life of an individual.
B) determines the region of the country within which an individual will reside.
C) serves as an anchor point from which values are learned.
D) means that an individual may be located on certain historical social lists.
E) determines the city within which an individual will reside.

Question 58

In terms of the status of family background,researchers have made a distinction between

A) inherited and earned status.
B) ethnicity and culture.
C) region and city.
D) education and intelligence.
E) education and schooling.

Question 59

When consumers are consistent across various dimensions,social class is easy to determine and ____ has occurred.

A) status float
B) status crystallization
C) social freeze
D) social uniformity
E) class freeze

Question 60

____ tends to be a better predictor of consumption than social class when there are large monetary expenditures.

A) Ethnicity
B) Subculture
C) Nationality
D) Income
E) A Zip Code

Question 61

Often,the meaning of money goes beyond the utilitarian level and

A) comes to symbolize security, power, love, and freedom.
B) represents basic necessities.
C) comes to represent loved ones.
D) becomes an extension of self.
E) represents a medium of exchange.

Question 62

The meanings of money are learned

A) in old age.
B) early in childhood.
C) late in middle age.
D) early in middle age.
E) upon retirement.

Question 63

Today,conspicuous consumption is

A) restricted to the upper classes.
B) primarily a middle-class phenomenon, displaying traditional class nervousness.
C) a behavior in which all classes are motivated to engage.
D) restricted to the lower classes.
E) not often seen in the United States.

Question 64

Wealthy individuals may buy houses they never use,pianos they never play,and cars they never drive.This is an example of

A) conspicuous consumption.
B) conspicuous waste.
C) visible acquisition.
D) visible consumption.
E) upwardly mobile acquisition.

Question 65

Ed could not afford a new SUV after losing his job,but he felt like a better person after buying one.This is an example of how,during times of downward mobility,acquisition and consumption can serve to

A) protect self-worth.
B) help consumers climb in social status.
C) understand social fragmentation.
D) increase social panic.
E) decrease conspicuous waste.

Question 66

Someone who owns a Rolex watch or a Mercedes will likely be viewed as upper class.In the inner city,drinking premium liquor and wearing gold jewelry are often envied.These are examples of

A) hedonic consumption goods.
B) durable goods.
C) class-consumption goods.
D) status symbols.
E) emergency goods.

Question 67

Middle-class consumers in the U.S.and Mexico are likely to spend their income on all of the following except

A) cars.
B) clothing.
C) vacations.
D) household goods.
E) expensive art objects.

Question 68

Some class-related acquisition and consumption behaviors can be explained by consumers' quest to acquire items that reflect not only their current social class but also

A) class aspirations.
B) status freeze.
C) the influence of coupon usage.
D) the influence of SEI.
E) status crystallization.

Question 69

____ is an attempt to offset deficiencies or a lack of esteem in one area by devoting heavy attention to activities in another area.

A) Reverse snobbery
B) Parody display
C) Fraudulent symbolism
D) Compensatory consumption
E) Status slide

Question 70

A parody display is a(n)

A) obvious fraudulent use of status symbols.
B) status symbol that moves in a reverse direction.
C) overuse of status symbols that results in lost status.
D) comical consumption meant to amuse those in a reference group.
E) consumption that is conspicuous but private.

Question 71

A neighborhood used to be restricted to those who came from families of old wealth and made their money before the Revolution.Today,new faces are moving in and changing the feel of the area.Even the country club has started to admit members from a wider range of backgrounds as long as they have money for dues.This is known as

A) social breakdown.
B) class flattening.
C) status float.
D) social class fragmentation.
E) class float.

Question 72

A fraudulent symbol represents a(n)

A) obvious illegal use of status symbols.
B) status symbol that moves in a reverse direction.
C) overuse of status symbols that results in lost status.
D) comical consumption meant to amuse those in a reference group.
E) consumption that is conspicuous but private.

Question 73

A major feature that distinguishes the middle class from other classes is that they

A) engage in conspicuous consumption.
B) look to the upper class for guidance on certain behaviors.
C) engage in compensatory consumption.
D) save a lot of their money.
E) have a high level of attention for advertising.

Question 74

All of the following are major factors that lead to social class fragmentation except

A) upward mobility.
B) downward mobility.
C) television.
D) new communications technology.
E) clustering by neighborhoods.

Question 75

Although they are a diverse group,the upper class are more likely to view themselves as all of the following except

A) intellectual.
B) self expressive.
C) political.
D) socially conscious.
E) locally oriented.

Question 76

People often use products or services that become ____ to indicate who they are in the social hierarchy.

A) hedonic consumption goods
B) durable goods
C) class-consumption goods
D) status symbols
E) emergency goods

Question 77

During times of downward mobility,____ can serve the purpose of protecting one's self-worth.

A) television advertising
B) consumption and acquisition
C) disposition
D) newspaper advertising
E) the selling of symbolic goods

Question 78

The ____ is composed primarily of white-collar workers.

A) middle class
B) blue-collar class
C) aristocracy
D) lower class
E) working class

Question 79

The acquisition and visible display of luxury goods and services to demonstrate one's ability to afford them is best known as

A) conspicuous consumption.
B) conspicuous waste.
C) visible acquisition.
D) visible consumption.
E) upwardly mobile acquisition.

Question 80

The ____ represent(s)those who have acquired a great deal of status and wealth in their own lifetime.

A) aristocracy
B) upper-middle class
C) blue bloods
D) nouveaux riche
E) nobility