Deck 3: Cultural Influences on Consumer Decision-Making

Question 1

A ________ is a custom with a strong moral overtone.

A) more
B) superstition
C) convention
D) monomyth

Answer 1

A

Question 2

Which functional area of culture is most closely related to the idea of a common worldview?

A) ecology
B) social structure
C) ideology
D) socio-psychology

Answer 2

C

Question 3

Grooming rituals express two kinds of binary opposition: private/public and ________.

A) work/leisure
B) self/others
C) pride/modesty
D) innocence/experience

Answer 3

A

Question 4

A set of multiple symbolic behaviors that occur in a fixed sequence and tend to be repeated is called a ________.

A) myth
B) more
C) ritual
D) convention

Question 5

A special ritual marking a person's change in social status is called a ________.

A) convention
B) sacralization
C) cycle
D) rite of passage

Question 6

________ usually dictate what is right or wrong, acceptable or unacceptable.

A) Myths
B) Theories
C) Norms
D) Rituals

Question 7

Interest in the occult is most likely to increase in a society when ________.

A) economic conditions begin to improve
B) there has been a major triumph, such as winning a war
C) people feel overwhelmed or powerless
D) people become less religious

Question 8

Researchers primarily see the gift-giving ritual as one of ________ exchange.

A) transactional
B) stylistic
C) psychological
D) economic

Question 9

Which of the following is NOT one of the three distinct stages of gift-giving rituals?

A) convention
B) gestation
C) presentation
D) reformulation

Question 10

Crescive norms are ________.

A) strict "must do" rules of behavior in a society
B) followed only by the females of a culture
C) associated with monetary rewards and punishments
D) subtle rules discovered as we interact with others

Question 11

________ postulated that myths involve binary opposition, in which two opposing ends of some dimension are represented (such as good versus evil).

A) Levi-Strauss
B) Freud
C) Hofstede
D) Bettelheim

Question 12

We explicitly decide on ________ norms, such as the rule that a green traffic light means "go" and a red one means "stop."

A) crescive
B) enacted
C) reciprocal
D) ritualized

Question 13

As a relationship grows and progresses, gift giving tends to become more ________.

A) exchange oriented
B) reciprocal
C) altruistic
D) reformulated

Question 14

A story containing symbolic elements that express the shared emotions and ideals of a culture is called a ________.

A) norm
B) ritual
C) myth
D) more

Question 15

________ consumption occurs with objects and events that are considered to be ordinary and everyday.

A) Profane
B) Sacred
C) Objectified
D) Ritualized

Question 16

Through the process of ________, objects associated with sacred events or people become sacred in their own right.

A) congregation
B) reciprocity
C) desacralization
D) contamination

Question 17

The systematic acquisition of a particular object or set of objects is called ________.

A) prioritizing
B) hoarding
C) collecting
D) ritualizing

Question 18

Brands that we closely link to our rituals are called ________ brands; once they become imbedded in our rituals we are unlikely to replace them.

A) fighter
B) fortress
C) transcultural
D) sacralized

Question 19

Myths serve four interrelated functions in a culture. All of the following are among those functions EXCEPT the ________ function.

A) cosmological
B) sociological
C) psychological
D) anthropological

Question 20

Culture is best described as society's ________.

A) attitude
B) consciousness
C) personality
D) history

Question 21

It is quite common for mainstream culture to modify symbols identified with "cutting edge" subcultures and present these to a larger audience. Such cultural products undergo a process of ________, by which their original meanings are transformed by outsiders.

A) innovation
B) transformation
C) diffusion
D) cooptation

Question 22

Promoters attempt to have their products shown prominently in full-length films. This type of promotion is referred to as ________.

A) desacralization
B) objectification
C) product placement
D) advertainment

Question 23

________ occurs as marketers appropriate elements of popular culture and convert them for use as promotional vehicles.

A) Reality engineering
B) Crescive norming
C) Desacralization
D) Product placement

Question 24

In the cultural production process, the people who control the flow of information between producers and customers are called ________.

A) lead users
B) cultural gatekeepers
C) cultural transformers
D) innovators

Question 25

Pavel was an inventor. He read that there were several million people who could not sleep at night until they looked under the bed. He invented a light that could be put under a bed and went on automatically when someone looked there. Pavel's product is designed to help people perform a ________.

A) ritual
B) symbolic exchange
C) convention
D) rite of passage

Question 26

Gen Akoi greatly values his micro-refrigerator. The refrigerator is so small it will fit almost anywhere. Gen believes that the efficient use of space is one of the characteristics any good product should have. With respect to the functional areas of a cultural system, Gen is focusing on ________ as a variable in selecting his products.

A) ideology
B) ecology
C) social structure
D) socio-psychology

Question 27

Which of the following statements is most likely True about styles?

A) A style typically starts in a large group of people as a safe but unique statement.
B) Styles are often a reflection of more fundamental societal trends.
C) Influential people play only a minor role in deciding which styles will succeed.
D) Styles most often result from a deliberate statement from ordinary consumers that has been met by a rather spontaneous response from designers.

Question 28

What do we call the learning process when we learn the beliefs and behaviors endorsed by our own culture?

A) acculturation
B) enculturation
C) immersion
D) modeling

Question 29

J. P. Stevens always looks perfect in his business suit. The colors are always right for the season and prevailing style. His tie has the proper knot, he does not wear a tie-tac, his handkerchief is the proper "two-fingers" above the pocket, and his socks and shoes do not distract from his overall look. Which of the following does J. P. seem to be adhering to with his "correctness"?

A) enacted behaviors
B) customs
C) mores
D) conventions

Question 30

Sharon is upset with her secretary. Though everyone in the office agreed not to give Christmas presents this year, Sharon's secretary gave her an expensive bottle of perfume. Which of the following best identifies the source of Sharon's feelings?

A) objectification
B) self-serving guilt
C) the reciprocity norm
D) role transference

Question 31

Which of the following is an object that is admired strictly for its beauty or because it inspires an emotional reaction?

A) an art product
B) a reality-engineered product
C) a craft product
D) a trial product

Question 32

Which functional area is consistently a part of a cultural system?

A) ecology
B) anthropology
C) psychology
D) technology

Question 33

The story goes that George Washington (as a small child) cut down his father's cherry tree with a hatchet. When asked who might have committed this act (even though young Washington was afraid of punishment for the act), George replied, "I cannot tell a lie; I cut down the cherry tree." This story has taken on mythical proportions in the United States. Which of the following functions does this myth best match?

A) metaphysical
B) cosmological
C) psychological
D) anthropological

Question 34

All of the following are subsystems in a culture production system EXCEPT ________.

A) creative subsystem
B) managerial subsystem
C) marketing subsystem
D) communications subsystem

Question 35

Ralf and his brother had a business in a Midwest college town taking SUVs and modifying them into tailgating machines. These "awesome party wagons" were equipped with the owner's desired team logo on the front, side, and back; gas grills; and large beverage coolers. Their business boomed, especially when the university had a winning season. Ralf and his brother were creating and selling what could be best described as ________.

A) myth carriers
B) ritual artifacts
C) symbolic exchange objects
D) attitudinal reciprocity products

Question 36

The aspect of a cultural system which describes the mental characteristics of a people and the way they relate to their environment and social groups is known as ________.

A) ecology
B) social structure
C) ideology
D) anthropology

Question 37

Products are winnowed out as they make their way down the path from conception to consumption, a process called ________.

A) diffusion
B) cooptation
C) cultural selection
D) cultural mapping

Question 38

Carl Thorne has just passed the final test to become a member of a college fraternity. This rite of passage has moved Carl from being an individual to being a member of a bonded group. When Carl receives his fraternity pin in a final ceremony and joins his new brothers, he will have passed through the final stage of a rite of passage. According to the text, what is this stage called?

A) separation
B) aggregation
C) liminality
D) finality

Question 39

When a sacred item or symbol is removed from its special place or is duplicated in mass quantities, then it becomes profane as a result of ________.

A) sacralization
B) desacralization
C) defamation
D) objectification

Question 40

The Japanese greatly value products that make efficient use of space because of the cramped conditions in urban areas in Japan. This is an example of ________ in Japan's cultural system.

A) social structure
B) ecology
C) ideology
D) dogma

Question 41

Country singers Marty Stewart and Travis Tritt and their record label decided to change the culture of the Country and Western music scene. With their now famous "No Hats" tour, the singers abandoned conventional country and western fashion (they threw away their hats, let their hair grow long, and wore t-shirts) and tried to appeal to larger and younger audiences with a grinding, sexy message. The process that these singers went through is best described as a ________.

A) cultural funnel
B) culture production system (CPS)
C)culture distribution system (CDS)
D)culture gatekeeping process (CGP)

Question 42

The indulgence versus restraint dimension of Hofstede's Dimensions of National Culture deals with the extent to which a society allows relatively free gratification of basic and natural human drives related to enjoying life.

Question 43

In a culture production system, the communications subsystem ________.

A) generates new symbols and products
B) selects and manages the distribution of new symbols and products
C) gives meaning to new products and provides a symbolic set of attributes
D) organizes the sharing of symbols

Question 44

Once a culture is established it doesn't change. An apparent change in a culture is simply the emergence of a new culture.

Question 45

A metaphysical myth fulfills the cultural function of explaining how the components of the universe relate to each other.

Question 46

What term refers to desired end states that can apply to many different cultures?

A) instrumental values
B) more
C) terminal values
D) norms

Question 47

Hofstede's Dimensions of National Culture organizes cross-cultural values based on power distance, individualism, masculinity, uncertainty avoidance, long-term orientation, and indulgence.

Question 48

Casting directors, textbook authors, and retail buyers are all examples of formal gatekeepers in the culture production process.

Question 49

Romance novels often follow a cultural formula.

Question 50

Which of the following best supports the argument that tourism is a sacred experience?

A) Tourism rarely involves the binary opposition of work and leisure.
B) Tourism involves seeking authentic experiences that differ from daily, mundane activities.
C) Tourism involves the four most important dimensions of culture.
D) Tourism provides opportunities for individuals to better understand their culture's crescive norms through interaction with other cultures.

Question 51

Passing a driving test to receive a driver's license is an example of a rite of passage.

Question 52

The ________ assumes that people link very specific product attributes to terminal values.

A) knowledge structure theory
B) means-end chain model
C) diffusion of innovation
D) cultural production system model

Question 53

A style typically begins as a risky or unique statement by a relatively small group of people.

Question 54

Profane consumption involves consumer objects and events that are ordinary.

Question 55

The Macah, a Native American tribe from the Northwest, built functional seagoing canoes that are considered works of art by modern shipbuilders. By definition, these boats would be considered ________.

A) high art products
B) style and cultural icons
C) low art products
D) craft products

Question 56

In many cultures, stories feature talking animals that act as mediating figures.

Question 57

Thomas and his family recently toured the Gettysburg battlefield on their vacation. The area was rich in history. While walking, Thomas remembered all the accounts of the battle that he had read in school. He finally understood why this place had such a special meaning in American history and to Americans in general. This tour is best classified as an example of ________ consumption.

A) profane
B) objectified
C) sacred
D) crescive

Question 58

Raymond Chandler wrote classic American detective stories. By always using certain roles for his characters and props that were appropriate to the genre, Chandler's novels followed a(n) ________.

A) cultural formula
B) enacted norm
C) fashion cycle
D) innovation process

Question 59

Most holidays commemorate a cultural myth.

Question 60

Kyle liked to think he could program anything digital. He created a new video game, and a major industry firm wanted to buy it from him. He was bothered by their insistence that he modify the game by including a popular product's logo on the clothing of his main character. In this example, Kyle is concerned about the practice of ________.

A) cultural jamming
B) advergaming
C) pretailing
D) plinking

Question 61

Explain the idea of an antifestival and describe an example of an antifestival.

Question 62

Creolization occurs when foreign influences integrate with local meanings.

Question 63

In the modern holiday rituals of Christmas, the figures of Christ and Santa can be seen as binary opposites; one promotes selflessness while the other promotes materialism.

Question 64

A cultural system consists of three functional areas. What are they? Give a brief explanation of each.

Question 65

People occupy sacred time and space when they travel on vacation.

Question 66

Anna's best friend Aubrey was getting married. Anna spent a lot of time thinking of the perfect gift. She was so excited about the gift that she gave it to Aubrey before the wedding. Aubrey cried and told Anna that she would never in her life have a better friend. Reformulation is the proper term for the new bond between Anna and Aubrey.

Question 67

The transition of Turkish tea to a mass-market product illustrates the process of sacralization.

Question 68

Values associated with a long-term orientation are respect for social obligations and the need to save face.

Question 69

A professor was given a warning after he made a bad joke about Princess Diana shortly after her death. Students were likely upset because they saw Princess Di as a profane character worthy of special attention and respect.

Question 70

The extent to which the less powerful members of organizations and institutions accept and expect that power is distributed unequally is referred to as power distance.

Question 71

Compare and contrast sacred and profane consumption.

Question 72

Explain the meaning of objectification and how it occurs. Provide an example.

Question 73

Define rites of passage and indicate the various stages of role transition that can occur. Give at least two examples of rites of passage.

Question 74

Identify what the term cooptation means. Give an illustration of the concept and demonstrate how it applies to the movement of meaning as shown in the text.

Question 75

Describe the difference between an enacted norm and a crescive norm. Indicate forms that the crescive norm may take.

Question 76

The worldwide popularity of McDonald's suggests that there is a global consumer culture that unites people around the world by their common devotion to brands.

Question 77

Every year, the students at a prestigious engineering school remove a car from the parking lot and place it on the highest point of the roof of the main engineering building. The students have been doing this for decades, but not once has anyone ever confided to an outsider how it was done. This is a classic example of a ritual.

Question 78

Shira wants to prove that even the most mundane of objects can be sacralized through the process of objectification. She should use examples of hoarding to support her argument.

Question 79

Products appearing in retail stores are examples of the use of product placement.

Question 80

Where you choose to sit in an almost empty movie theater is most likely determined by your culture's mores.