Chapter 3: Consumer Learning Starts Here: Perception
TRUE/FALSE
1. Perception refers to a change in behavior resulting from the interaction between a person and a
stimulus.
2. Comprehension refers to a consumer’s awareness and interpretation of reality.
3. Consumers learn marketing-related information both intentionally as well as unintentionally.
4. Perception represents an objective reality.
5. Exposure represents the first step to learning.
6. The process of bringing some stimulus within the proximity of a consumer so that it can be sensed by
one of the five human senses is called attention.
7. A consumer’s delayed response to information, that occurs as an afterthought, is known as sensation.
8. Attention is the purposeful allocation of information-processing capacity toward developing an
understanding of some stimulus.
9. Comprehension is the consumer’s attempt to derive meaning from the information received by them.
10. Consumers are undiscriminating in the information to which they pay attention.
11. Sensing alone allows a consumer to make sense out of something.
12. The phases of perception overlap with the concepts of exposure, attention, and comprehension.
13. The term cognitive refers to a mental or thinking process.
14. Marketers need to know how consumers will react to unknown words when creating the name for a
new product or new company.
15. Accommodation occurs when a consumer easily recognizes a round, red fruit as an apple.
16. Assimilation occurs when a stimulus does not share enough in common with existing categories to
allow categorization.
17. The perceptual process ends with a reaction.
18. The term “anthropomorphism” refers to a design that gives human like characteristics to inanimate
objects.
19. Everyday on his drive to work, Hank passes by many billboards and many ads play on the radio in his
car. However, he only sees and hears a few of them. This is an example of selective distortion.
20. Selective attention involves paying attention to only certain stimuli.
21. Marketers use the term “noise” to describe the idea that the environment often bombards consumers
with too much information in their daily lives.
22. Selective distortion is a process by which consumers interpret information in ways that are biased by
their previously held beliefs.
23. Subliminal processing refers to the way in which consumers can be influenced without their brains
sensing exposure to any kind of stimuli.
24. Subliminal persuasion is behavior change induced or brought about based on selectively processing a
message.
25. Research examining subliminal processing suggests that subliminal persuasion is a very effective
marketing tool.
26. The JND (just noticeable difference) represents how much stronger one stimulus has to be relative to
another so that someone can notice that the two are not the same.
27. Weber’s Law states that as the intensity of the initial stimulus decreases, a consumer’s ability to detect
differences between two levels of the stimulus decreases.
28. The JMD (just meaningful difference) represents the smallest amount of change in a stimulus that
would influence consumer consumption and choice.
29. Explicit memory creates preattentive effects.
30. Voluntary memory is the memory for information one is exposed to, attends to, and applies effort to
remember.
31. Explicit memory becomes stronger the more distracted one is from attending to the stimulus.
32. The mere exposure effect can take place even when there is no recall of the previous stimulus.
33. The mere exposure effect works best when the consumer is distracted from processing the focal
stimulus.
34. Branded products placed conspicuously in movies or television shows can result in implicit memory
formation.
35. Involuntary attention is attention that is in the control of the consumer and that occurs as a result of
exposure to familiar stimuli.
36. All things equal, a consumer is more likely to pay attention to stronger stimuli than to weaker stimuli.
37. Contrasting stimuli are extremely ineffective in getting attention.
38. Comprehension is an important topic for marketers because this stage determines the effectiveness of
marketing communication.
39. In the case of intentional learning, consumers simply sense and react (or respond) to the environment
and do not attempt to comprehend the information presented.
40. Hans searched the Internet, talked to friends, and visited several stores when deciding on a new cell
phone. This indicates that Hans was engaged in preattentive learning.
41. According to the cognitive perspective to learning, the human brain is a “black box.”
42. When a cat learns to run to the kitchen for food every time it hears the sound of the electric can opener,
instrumental conditioning has occurred.
43. According to the behaviorist approach to learning, the human mind acts much like a computer.
44. To be effective, the conditioned stimuli should be presented before the unconditioned stimuli, and the
pairing of the two should be done consistently and with repetition.
45. In classical conditioning, behavior is conditioned through reinforcement.
46. In instrumental conditioning, discriminative stimuli are stimuli that are differentiated from other
stimuli because they signal the presence of a reinforcer.
47. Shaping is a process through which the desired behavior is altered over time, in small increments.
48. In instrumental conditioning, all reinforcement must be positive for behavioral change to occur.
49. Negative reinforcement refers to the removal of bad stimuli as a way of encouraging behavior.
50. Behaviors often cease when reinforcers are no longer present.
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. _____ refers to a change in behavior resulting from the interaction between a person and a stimulus.
a.
Cognitive dissonance
b.
Emotional labor
c.
Self-concordance
d.
Emotional contagion
e.
Learning
2. Mesha read a magazine article and found out that a normal healthy adult should consume 25 grams of
fiber a day and that fruits, vegetables, and whole grains are good sources of fiber. The next time she
went to the store, she purchased whole wheat bread and more fruits and vegetables than she would
have if she hadn’t read the article. This change in Mesha’s behavior is an example of _____.
a.
learning
b.
sensitization
c.
habituation
d.
cognition
e.
distortion
3. Henry met an old friend, a fitness enthusiast, at his high school reunion. The friend convinced him of
the long-term health benefits of following a fitness regimen. Following this interaction, he registered
for a membership in the neighborhood fitness center, a move Henry had deliberately avoided in the
past. This change in Henry’s behavior can be attributed to _____.
a.
sensitization
b.
cognition
c.
habituation
d.
learning
e.
distortion
4. Many store brand packages look similar to national brand packages. This is done with the hope that
consumers’ awareness and interpretation of the package design might lead them to think of the less
expensive store brand as qualitatively comparable with the more expensive national brand. This is an
attempt to influence consumers’ _____.
a.
disposition
b.
motivation
c.
perception
d.
sensitization
e.
anticipation
5. A company that produces a popular brand of pasta decides against increasing product price. Instead,
the management decides to decrease the quantity of packed content from 100gms to 90gms. According
to the management, a price increase would risk losing its brand loyal consumers who relate to the
brand as affordable. This is an attempt to retain the consumers’ _____ of their product.
a.
anticipation
b.
disposition
c.
perception
d.
motivation
e.
distortion
6. The first step in the perceptual process is called _____ and refers to the process of bringing some
stimulus within the proximity of a consumer so that it can be sensed by one of the five human senses.
a.
attention
b.
exposure
c.
comprehension
d.
reaction
e.
retention
7. Which of the following terms describes a consumer’s immediate response after exposure to a
stimulus?
a.
Sensation
b.
Retention
c.
Comprehension
d.
Attention
e.
Simulation
8. Natalie walked by a bakery and her first response was a feeling of desire for something tasty because
of the alluring aroma coming from the store. Which of the following terms refers to this instantaneous
response that Natalie experienced?
a.
Retention
b.
Comprehension
c.
Simulation
d.
Attention
e.
Sensation
9. _____ refers to the purposeful allocation of information processing capacity toward developing an
understanding of some stimulus.
a.
Reaction
b.
Comprehension
c.
Sensation
d.
Attention
e.
Retention
10. The attempt to derive meaning from information is known as _____.
a.
motivation
b.
reaction
c.
comprehension
d.
simulation
e.
sensation
11. _____ is the process by which the human brain assembles the sensory evidence into something
recognizable.
a.
Cognitive dissonance
b.
Cognitive inertia
c.
Cognitive organization
d.
Cognitive disequilibrium
e.
Cognitive distortions
12. A light brown, slightly sticky, sweet, round food with a hole in the middle is easily recognized as a
doughnut in nearly every part of the world. Which of the following consumer reactions to a stimulus is
demonstrated in this example?
a.
Accommodation
b.
Assimilation
c.
Simulation
d.
Distortion
e.
Contrast
13. Which of the following reactions occurs when a stimulus has characteristics such that individuals
readily recognize it as an example of a specific category?
a.
Assimilation
b.
Accommodation
c.
Contrast
d.
Distortion
e.
Anticipation
14. Choco Fond, a dessert place, introduced a new square-shaped ice-cream cone with a soft gooey texture
instead of the usual crunchy cone. Choco Fond’s customers never warmed up to the new product as
they felt it was too different from the traditional cone and never gave them the feeling of having an
ice-cream. Which of the following reactions is most likely to account for the customers’ cognitive
categorization of the new product?
a.
Contrast
b.
Anticipation
c.
Accommodation
d.
Distortion
e.
Assimilation
15. _____ occurs when a stimulus shares some, but not all, of the characteristics that would lead it to fit
neatly in an existing category.
a.
Assimilation
b.
Accommodation
c.
Contrast
d.
Distortion
e.
Simulation
16. Choco Fond, a dessert place, introduced a new product that is served piping hot unlike their usual cold
desserts. Choco Fond’s customers were initially apprehensive of it. However, after trying it, they
found it creamy and sweet like everything else on Choco Fond’s menu, even though it looks nothing
like the other products on the menu. Which of the following reactions is most likely to account for the
customers’ cognitive categorization of the new product?
a.
Assimilation
b.
Simulation
c.
Accommodation
d.
Contrast
e.
Distortion
17. Which of the following reactions is most likely to occur when a stimulus does not share enough in
common with existing categories to allow categorization?
a.
Assimilation
b.
Accommodation
c.
Contrast
d.
Distortion
e.
Anticipation
18. _____ refers to a design that gives human like characteristics to inanimate objects.
a.
Iconism
b.
Animism
c.
Anthropomorphism
d.
Aniconism
e.
Zoomorphism
19. Consumers confront a barrage of marketing messages each day. Banner ads on websites, billboards,
and print media are some of the agents through which these messages are communicated to the
consumers. However, most consumers “see” only a few of these messages and screen out the rest. This
process of filtering out stimuli is known as _____.
a.
selective precipitation
b.
selective retention
c.
selective distortion
d.
selective exposure
e.
selective filtration
20. IKEA is a large retail store that offers an endless list of products. Every time Richard goes to IKEA, he
makes a note of the things he needs and avoids wasting time exploring the other products on display at
the store. Which of the following processes is exemplified by Richard’s act of filtering out products he
does not need?
a.
Selective attention
b.
Selective precipitation
c.
Selective abstraction
d.
Selective filtration
e.
Selective distortion
21. Susan has an aversion for Zoco, a fast food chain. When a health journal reports on an ingredient used
by Zoco as having a potential health risk, Susan’s aversion is strengthened. Now, Susan advises all her
friends and relatives to avoid Zoco, even though other fast food chains use the same ingredient. Which
of the following offers the most likely explanation for Susan’s reaction to the journal report?
a.
Selective filtration
b.
Selective satisfaction
c.
Selective distortion
d.
Selective neutrality
e.
Selective precipitation
22. _____ involves screening out most stimuli and exposing oneself to only a small portion of stimuli.
a.
Selective neutrality
b.
Selective exposure
c.
Selective filtration
d.
Filtered exposure
e.
Exposure distortion
23. Which of the following terms is used by marketers to describe the idea that consumers are often
bombarded with too much information in their daily lives?
a.
Clutter
b.
Noise
c.
Distraction
d.
Discord
e.
Distortion
24. Selective distortion is the process by which:
a.
marketers manipulate information to influence consumers.
b.
consumers form opinions about one brand over another based on the information provided
by marketers.
c.
consumers screen out most stimuli and attend to only a small portion of stimuli.
d.
marketers determine the minimum strength of stimulus necessary to influence a consumer.
e.
consumers interpret information in ways that are biased by their previously held beliefs.
25. Bob read a circular from the Department of Human Health and Safety, recommending a lower intake
of salt as its high consumption can lead to health problems. Bob always believed that salt is good for
health, as his grandfather who is 90 years of age, adds a lot of salt in his food. Bob rejects the
information on the circular as rubbish. Which of the following will offer the most likely explanation
for Bob’s rejection?
a.
Selective persuasion
b.
Selective exposure
c.
Selective attention
d.
Selective distortion
e.
Selective precipitation
26. Which of the following terms refers to the way in which the human brain senses low-strength stimuli,
that is, stimuli that occur below the level of conscious awareness?
a.
Sequential processing
b.
Subliminal processing
c.
Centralized processing
d.
Threshold processing
e.
Parallel distributed processing
27. The strength of a(n) _____ stimulus is lower than the absolute threshold of perception.
a.
conditioned
b.
aversive
c.
subliminal
d.
supraliminal
e.
discriminative
28. The behavior change induced when the human brain processes stimuli that occur below the level of
human consciousness is known as _____.
a.
selective distortion
b.
subliminal discrimination
c.
selective attention
d.
subliminal persuasion
e.
preattentive effect
29. Which of the following concepts represents how much stronger one stimulus has to be relative to
another so that someone can notice that the two are not the same?
a.
Absolute difference
b.
Just noticeable difference (JND)
c.
Subliminal difference
d.
Distortive difference
e.
Incremental difference
30. Jazzy, a personal care products manufacturer, incorporated customers’ suggestions in designing its
new brand of safety razors for men. However, when it reached the market, customers could not
perceive any improvement from the old razors. The customers’ reaction indicates that the new razor
design failed to register a(n) _____ difference when compared with the old one.
a.
subliminal
b.
assimilative
c.
integrative
d.
distortive
e.
just noticeable
31. Which of the following laws states that as the intensity of the initial stimulus increases, a consumer’s
ability to detect differences between two levels of the stimulus decreases?
a.
Law of Diminishing Differences
b.
Law of Just Noticeable Differences
c.
Skinner’s Law
d.
Pavlov’s Law
e.
Weber’s Law
32. A state implemented a much needed hike in gasoline prices, increasing it by $2. This was followed by
a public outcry against the price rise. A year later, the state further increased gasoline prices by half a
dollar. This time round, the public accepted it as essential even though there was a general murmur of
dissatisfaction. Which of the following will best explain the reason for the public’s acceptance?
a.
Preattentive effect
b.
Skinner’s Law
c.
Weber’s Law
d.
Mere association effect
e.
Mere exposure effect
33. The just meaningful difference (JMD) represents:
a.
the smallest amount of change in a stimulus that would influence consumer consumption
and choice.
b.
how consumers interpret different information in ways that are biased by their previously
held beliefs.
c.
the contrast reaction that occurs when a stimulus has characteristics that can be readily
recognized as an example of a specific category.
d.
how consumers form opinions about one brand over another based on the information
provided by marketers.
e.
the process by which consumers filter out unwanted details when they are exposed to a
stimulus.