Deck 7: Consumer Buying Behavior

Question 1

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

Answer 1

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.

Question 2

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

Answer 2

A social class is an open aggregate of people with similar social rank. To some degree, individuals within 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 "trickledown" 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.

Question 3

Discuss how reference groups and opinion leaders influence purchase behavior.

Answer 3

A reference group is a group, either large or small, with which a person identifies so strongly that he or 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.

Question 4

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

Question 5

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

Question 6

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

Question 7

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

Question 8

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

A)ultimate consumers.
B)end-use consumption group.
C)business market.
D)household purchasing group.
E)organizational market.

Question 9

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

A)motivational structure.
B)routinized response behavior.
C)level of involvement.
D)cognitive dissonance.
E)evaluative criteria.

Question 10

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

Question 11

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?

A)customer's reactions to marketing strategy can impact the firm's success
B)all customers are the same when it comes to buying behavior
C)a firm should create a marketing mix that satisfies customers
D)it helps the marketer predict how consumers will respond to marketing strategies
E)the marketing concept stresses that a firm should know its customers

Question 12

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

Question 13

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

A)the importance and intensity of interest in a product in a particular situation.
B)the buyer's perception, motives, and abilities.
C)the amount of external search that an individual puts into the decision-making process.
D)the particular circumstance or environment in which consumers find themselves.
E)a combination of an individual's demographic factors.

Question 14

Justin is purchasing his third car in the past five years. He has been a car enthusiast ever since he was a young boy. Justin likes to spend his free time looking at car magazines, going to car shows, and watching NASCAR. Justin's interest in cars is referred to as

A)situational involvement.
B)dynamic involvement.
C)enduring involvement.
D)dynamic buying behavior.
E)situational buying behavior.

Question 15

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

Question 16

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

Question 17

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

Question 18

Identify and describe the five major categories of situational influences.

Question 19

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

Question 20

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

Question 21

Cole's smart phone 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.

A)routinized response behavior.
B)limited decision making behavior.
C)extended response behavior.
D)intensive decision making behavior.
E)extended decision making behavior.

Question 22

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

A)Detergent
B)Toothpaste
C)Automobile
D)Hair dryer
E)Washing machine

Question 23

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

A)involves no conscious planning but rather a powerful and persistent urge to buy something.
B)is the most complex decision making behavior, which comes into play when a purchase involves unfamiliar, expensive, or infrequently bought products.
C)requires a moderate amount of time for information gathering and search.
D)is the creation and maintenance of a collection of products that satisfy a person's needs and wants.
E)requires very little search-and-decision effort and is practiced when buying low-cost and frequently purchased products.

Question 24

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.

A)extended decision making
B)limited decision making
C)situational solving behavior
D)routinized response behavior
E)automatic processing behavior

Question 25

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

A)low
B)internal
C)enduring
D)evoked
E)perceived

Question 26

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.

A)limited decision making; impulse buying.
B)routinized decision making; impulse buying.
C)extended decision making; compulsive response behavior.
D)limited decision making; cognitive dissonance.
E)routinized decision making; compulsive response behavior.

Question 27

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?

A)Routinized response behavior
B)Limited decision making
C)Extended decision making
D)Impulse buying
E)Extensive response behavior

Question 28

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

A)routinized response behavior.
B)extended decision making.
C)limited decision making.
D)situational perception.
E)enduring involvement.

Question 29

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

A)enduring purchase behavior.
B)routinized response behavior.
C)extended decision making.
D)impulse searching.
E)limited decision making.

Question 30

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

A)Products purchased frequently
B)Products to be purchased in the future
C)Products that are purchased routinely
D)Expensive products
E)Products purchased as a result of social influences

Question 31

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

A)routinized response behavior.
B)extended decision making.
C)limited decision making.
D)impulse buying.
E)intensive decision making.

Question 32

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

A)Extended decision making
B)Limited decision making
C)Impulse buying
D)Routinized response behavior
E)Intensive response behavior

Question 33

The three most widely recognized types of consumer decision making are:

A)limited problem solving, extended problem solving, and routinized response behavior.
B)extended problem solving, enduring problem solving, and situational decision making.
C)planned problem solving, impulse buying, and limited decision making.
D)internal problem solving, external problem solving, situational behavior.
E)responsive behavior, planned behavior, and impulsive decision making.

Question 34

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

A)Ian buying his first pair of basketball shoes
B)Molly buying a new set of tires for her car
C)Aaron buying a new fishing rod and reel
D)Stephanie buying bottled water
E)Bryan buying a new software program

Question 35

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.

A)enduring involvement.
B)perceptual involvement.
C)internal retention.
D)situational involvement.
E)selective retention.

Question 36

Routinized response behavior is what a consumer does when

A)purchasing an unfamiliar product.
B)buying frequently purchased, low-cost items that need little effort.
C)an information search is extensive and may involve consulting with friends and family.
D)buying products that require a moderate amount of time for information gathering and deliberation.
E)he or she enters the problem recognition stage of the consumer buying decision process.

Question 37

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

A)Extended decision making
B)Routinized response behavior
C)Intensive decision making
D)Limited decision making
E)Perceptual scanning

Question 38

Dave is an owner and manager of three apartment buildings in northern Minnesota. During an exceptionally hot summer the temperatures soared and the toll on the window air conditioners was too much. Seventeen of them have broken down already, and more are probably going to have to be replaced. He has a total of seventy-five apartment units. Dave is now in the process of deciding how to repair the air conditioning. Should he buy new window units for all the buildings, or should he install central air conditioning? What type of decision is Dave facing?

A)situational involvement and extended decision making
B)situational involvement and limited decision making
C)enduring involvement and extended decision making
D)enduring involvement and limited decision making
E)external involvement and limited decision making

Question 39

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

A)routinized response behavior
B)limited decision making
C)extended decision making
D)perceptual scanning
E)evaluation of alternatives

Question 40

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 purchased through limited decision making behavior.

A)a new suit; a sofa
B)a toaster; bed sheets
C)coffee maker; flat screen TV
D)flat screen TV; bath towels
E)coffee maker; groceries

Question 41

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?

A)Routinized response behavior
B)Habitual response
C)Information search
D)Extended decision making
E)Intensive decision making

Question 42

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

A)information search, establishment of product criteria, evaluation of alternatives, purchase, and postpurchase evaluation
B)problem recognition, information search, evaluation of alternatives, purchase, and postpurchase evaluation.
C)problem recognition, information search, evaluation of alternatives, postpurchase evaluation and purchase.
D)information search, evaluation of alternatives, purchase, trial adoption period, and postpurchase evaluation.
E)problem recognition, purchase, evaluation of alternatives, postpurchase evaluation, and rebuy.

Question 43

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

A)awareness set.
B)consideration set.
C)framing set.
D)external search.
E)inert set.

Question 44

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

A)Consideration sets and evoked sets
B)Personal information and non-personal information
C)Selective retention and selective distortion
D)Internal search and external search
E)Company-produced information and internal information

Question 45

Which of the following statements about the consumer buying decision process is true?

A)Consumers progress through the five stages of this process for all limited decision making decisions.
B)Although all of the steps in the process are used in all decision processes, the order tends to depend on the customer's level of involvement.
C)The key element of the process that exists in all consumer buying decision processes is the purchase of the product.
D)Once the purchase of a product has been made, the consumer buying decision process is complete.
E)Consumers making limited decision making decisions may not go through all five steps of the process.

Question 46

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.

A)alternate
B)purchase
C)consideration
D)problem
E)imposed

Question 47

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

A)evoked set.
B)awareness set.
C)inert set.
D)evaluative group.
E)evaluation criteria.

Question 48

Problem recognition occurs when a consumer

A)searches for information to resolve a problem.
B)becomes aware that there is a difference between a desired state and an actual condition.
C)recognizes a need and evaluates for information to resolve a problem.
D)evaluates her or his purchase.
E)is exposed to a television advertisement desired state and an actual condition.

Question 49

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

A)salespeople.
B)advertising.
C)packaging.
D)friends.
E)displays.

Question 50

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?

A)Purchase
B)Evaluation of alternatives
C)Problem recognition
D)Information search
E)Prepurchase evaluation

Question 51

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

A)framing characteristics.
B)service characteristics.
C)consideration set.
D)evaluative criteria.
E)information search criteria.

Question 52

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

A)younger
B)older
C)wealthier
D)veteran
E)inexperienced

Question 53

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

A)Evaluation of alternatives
B)Information search
C)Source selection
D)Purchase
E)Problem recognition

Question 54

Jeff needs to buy his textbooks for the coming semester of college. It is only two weeks before the first day of class, and he still has not made a purchase. Jeff wants to buy them somewhere other than the bookstore since he is still living at his parents' home and won't be on campus until the day before class. Jeff goes online and looks for sites that sell the textbook. Then he remembers that one of his friends had said something earlier about finding the book for a great price. Jeff then calls his friend to get the name of the site. In terms of Jeff's buying decision process, his going online to look for sites was part of _______, and his calling a friend was ______.

A)problem recognition; external search.
B)information search; internal informational search.
C)external information search; also external information search
D)internal information search; external information search.
E)external information search; internal information search.

Question 55

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.

A)consideration; evaluative
B)focused; broad
C)internal; external
D)routinized; extended
E)self; inclusive

Question 56

In the consumer buying decision process, the information search stage

A)yields a group of brands that a buyer views as possible alternatives.
B)involves a buyer becoming aware of the need for a product.
C)is not necessary when the buyer is involved in extensive decision making.
D)occurs immediately after evaluation of alternatives.
E)is lengthy for routine response buying behavior.

Question 57

Evaluative criteria for brands within the consideration set are both

A)selective and expansive.
B)objective and subjective.
C)internal and external.
D)extended and routinized.
E)perceptive and selective.

Question 58

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

A)limited decision making.
B)impulse buying.
C)routinized response behavior.
D)addictive consumption.
E)situational involvement.

Question 59

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?

A)Selective
B)Intensive
C)Extended
D)Shopping
E)Routinized

Question 60

Stefanie is shopping for groceries at her local supermarket. As she picks up laundry detergent, she sees the display of bathroom cleaners and remembers that she is about to run out of it at home. Stefanie tries to remember the specific brand that she used last time, because she thought that was the best in terms of performance and value. In terms of the consumer buying decision process, Stefanie's remembering that she was almost out of bathroom cleaner is the ____ phase of the buying decision process, where trying to remember what brand she last used was an example of the _____ phase.

A)problem recognition; internal information search.
B)problem recognition; evaluation of alternatives.
C)information search; postpurchase evaluation.
D)information search; evaluation of alternatives
E)problem recognition; postpurchase evaluation.

Question 61

The five categories of situational influences are:

A)product involvement level, physical surroundings, social surroundings, time perspective, and purchase reason.
B)antecedent states, physical surroundings, social surroundings, time perspective, and space dimensions.
C)social surroundings, physical surroundings, time pressures, purchase reason, and lifestyles.
D)purchase reason, time perspective, social surroundings, physical surroundings, and buyer's momentary mood.
E)store atmosphere, location, aromas, sounds, and lighting.

Question 62

Monique reads through her emails containing advertisements for sweaters from H&M, purses from JC Penney, 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

A)distortion.
B)exposure.
C)analysis.
D)retention.
E)organization.

Question 63

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

A)organization.
B)attention.
C)retention.
D)interpretation.
E)redefinition.

Question 64

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

A)situational influences, demographic influences, and psychological influences.
B)social influences, situational influences, and marketer-dominated influences.
C)demographic influences, situational influences, and marketer-dominated influences.
D)situational influences, social influences, and psychological influences.
E)marketer-dominated influences, psychological influences, and person-specific influences.

Question 65

The primary psychological influences on consumer behavior are:

A)perception, motives, learning, attitudes, personality, and lifestyles.
B)attitudes, perception, retention, exposure, roles, and lifestyles.
C)attitudes, perception, social class, culture, and learning.
D)perception, motives, reference groups, social class, and personality.
E)lifestyles, personality, perception, motives, attitudes, and culture.

Question 66

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.

A)cognitive dissonance phase.
B)purchase phase.
C)evaluation of alternatives phase.
D)information search phase.
E)postpurchase evaluation phase.

Question 67

A salesperson at Best Buy tells Donovan that the Sony Notebook is one of the most reliable computer notebooks ever made. Donovan, however, has just heard about a second Sony recall for this model because of overheating. If Donovan engages in selective distortion, his most likely response will be to

A)buy the Sony.
B)forget the information from the salesperson.
C)ignore the recall as a fluke.
D)focus on positive aspects of the Sony.
E)cease shopping for a computer notebook at this time.

Question 68

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

A)problem recognition.
B)cognitive dissonance.
C)internal search.
D)alternative evaluation.
E)framing.

Question 69

Jessie is out with a group of friends this evening for dinner at a local restaurant and then a movie. While the service at the restaurant was slow, and the food just ok, Jessie still had a great time and left with a positive opinion of the restaurant experience. Jessie's experience was likely influenced by ____.

A)Physical surroundings
B)Social surroundings
C)Purchase reasons
D)Buyer's momentary mood and condition
E)Pressures created by time factors

Question 70

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?

A)Social surroundings
B)Momentary mood
C)Antecedent states
D)Purchase reasons
E)Physical surroundings

Question 71

Perception is a three-step process that involves

A)motivation, personality, and attitudes.
B)classifying, recording, and eliminating information received through the senses.
C)collecting, eliminating, and organizing information inputs.
D)selecting, organizing, and interpreting information inputs.
E)anticipating, classifying, and discarding information inputs.

Question 72

Mario and his friend have been talking about their love of Bose headphones and speakers. Mario's friend mentions a consumer report that he read the week before that stated Bose products had higher prices but lower quality than in previous years. Mario thought to himself that perhaps his friend had misread the report, because Bose had always been the best. This perceptual process is known as selective

A)exposure.
B)distortion.
C)retention.
D)information.
E)organization.

Question 73

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

A)selective inputs.
B)olfactory receptors.
C)information inputs.
D)perceptual motives.
E)psychological influences.

Question 74

Selective exposure refers to

A)targeting only certain parts of the total market.
B)admitting only certain inputs into consciousness.
C)the circumstances or conditions that exist when a consumer is making a purchase decision.
D)the process of selecting, organizing, and interpreting information inputs to produce meaning.
E)remembering inputs that support personal feelings and beliefs and forgetting those that do not.

Question 75

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

A)the congruence between external and internal searches for product information.
B)a function of the manner in which the manufacturer of the product describes its attributes.
C)dissatisfaction with the purchase.
D)the establishment of criteria for comparing products.
E)doubts that occur because the buyer questions whether the decision to purchase the product was right.

Question 76

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

A)exposure.
B)motivation.
C)learning.
D)attitude formation.
E)perception.

Question 77

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

A)interpretation.
B)completion.
C)distortion.
D)closure.
E)linking.

Question 78

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?

A)perception.
B)selective exposure.
C)selective distortion.
D)cognitive dissonance.
E)selective retention.

Question 79

Assignment of meaning to organized information inputs is called

A)motivation.
B)redefinition.
C)learning.
D)interpretation.
E)selection.

Question 80

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?

A)Problem recognition
B)Information search
C)Evaluation of alternatives
D)Purchase
E)Postpurchase evaluation