Chapter 6: Personality, Lifestyles, and the Self-Concept
TRUE/FALSE
1. Personality helps explain why a particular behavior provides great value to one consumer but none to
another.
2. Each individual has a unique personality.
3. Personality traits do not influence behavior.
4. The aggregation approach to studying personality measures behavior over time.
5. The psychoanalytic approach to personality was proposed by B. F. Skinner.
6. According to the psychoanalytic approach, the id differs from the ego in that the id focuses on
utilitarian value.
7. The superego works in accordance with the pleasure principle.
8. The superego focuses on resolving the conflicts between the id and ego.
9. A trait is a product symbol that a consumer identifies with strongly.
10. The goal of the nomothetic perspective is to find common personality traits that can be studied across
people.
11. The idiographic approach in trait research focuses on individual traits.
12. The trait approach takes an idiographic approach to personality.
13. The prediction of individual behavior tends to be weaker with the multiple-trait approach.
14. Kate always buys low-priced items regardless of quality. This consumer behavior trait signifies value
consciousness.
15. Symbolism refers to the extent to which material goods are important in a consumer’s life.
16. Lower materialism scores are typically found among younger consumers.
17. John gives away his old furniture to the poor and the needy whenever he buys new ones. Hence, it can
be safely concluded that John is a highly materialistic consumer.
18. Material possessions play an important part in self-expression.
19. Downshifting refers to a conscious decision to reduce one’s material consumption.
20. Consumers with a high degree of innovativeness tend to engage in effortful cognitive information
processing; they also tend to think carefully about products, problems, and even marketing messages.
21. The competitiveness trait can be defined as an enduring tendency to strive to be better than others.
22. Sara is married to an English media baron. She drives an expensive Lexus, wears designer clothing,
and sends her children to an exclusive private school to display her family’s social class to others.
Sara’s tendency to flaunt her material possessions as a way of displaying her social class can be
described as conspicuous consumption.
23. Conspicuous consumption represents the tendency of a consumer to engage in bargaining behaviors
when making purchases.
24. High self-monitors are not sensitive to the opinions of others.
25. The five-factor model approach is universally accepted by all researchers.
26. Hierarchical approaches begin with the assumption that all personality traits are specific.
27. Broad traits tend to be better predictors of individual behaviors than specific traits.
28. The personology approach combines personality theory and motivation.
29. Brand personality refers to human characteristics that can be associated with a brand.
30. Lifestyles are completely determined by personality.
31. Consumer lifestyles are the same across cultures.
32. Psychographic techniques use quantitative methods that can be used in developing lifestyle profiles.
33. AIO statements are used in psychographic analysis to divide consumers into groups based on the
resources available to them.
34. The VALS 2 approach classifies consumers into 66 distinct segments.
35. Geodemographic techniques combine data on consumer expenditures and socioeconomic variables
with geographic information.
36. PRIZM combines demographic and behavioral information in a manner that enables marketers to
better understand and target their customers.
37. Demographics refer to the way consumer lifestyles are measured.
38. “Baby Boomers” are those consumers who were born between 1981 and 1995.
1995.
39. Failing to consider psychographic measures leads to the flawed assumption that all consumers of a
certain demographic have different tastes.
40. Self-concept refers to the totality of thoughts and feelings that an individual has about him- or herself.
41. According to the idiographic perspective, consumers agree on the shared meaning of products and
symbols.
42. All consumers have a single self-concept.
43. Sandra is a tennis enthusiast. She is also an avid collector of sports memorabilia, and a frequent
attendee to auctions where she buys items owned by the tennis stars of yesteryears. In this instance,
Sandra expresses her ideal social self through her purchasing behavior.
44. Self-awareness refers to the positivity of an individual’s self-concept.
45. Cindy, an overweight teenager, feels pressurized as all her friends at school are slim. So she binges on
fast-food and then throws up after her meals. Unhappy with her body image, she often ends up being
rude to her classmates. These negative behaviors indicate that Cindy has low body esteem.
46. Tattoos are means of promoting one’s self-concept.
47. Body piercings are popular forms of self-expression.
48. The structural-functional theory proposes that much of consumer behavior can be explained by the
match between a consumer’s self-concept and the image of typical users of a focal product.
49. For consumers having very strong ties to brands, the task of self-expression through product ownership
is one of identity maintenance and communication.
50. When consumers feel very close to organizations, organizational identification is said to be present.
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. Descriptions of how individual consumers differ according to specific trait or patterns of behavior are
called _____.
a.
individual difference variables
b.
active variables
c.
dependent variables
d.
behavioral variables
e.
socioeconomic variables
2. _____ is the totality of thoughts, emotions, intentions, tendencies, and behaviors that a person exhibits
consistently as he or she adapts to his or her environment.
a.
Brand personality
b.
Demographics
c.
Personality
d.
Self-awareness
e.
Self-esteem
3. Jenny is shy and afraid to speak to other people. She avoids going out with her friends and colleagues,
preferring to read a book on her own rather than interacting with others. These emotions and behaviors
that Jenny exhibits comprise her _____.
a.
brand personality
b.
personality
c.
demographic characteristics
d.
self-awareness
e.
self-esteem
4. Which of the following statements is true regarding personality?
a.
Personality traits are the same across all individuals.
b.
Personality fails to explain why a particular behavior provides great value to one consumer
but none to another.
c.
Personality can be conceptualized as a set of acquired habits.
d.
Personality traits are relatively stable and interact with situations to influence behavior.
e.
It is possible to predict the exact behavior of a consumer simply by knowing a specific
personality trait possessed by him.
5. In which of the following approaches are behaviors and tendencies assessed over time?
a.
Utilitarian approach
b.
Aggregation approach
c.
Capability approach
d.
Perceptual mapping approach
e.
Factor analysis approach
6. According to the famous psychologist _____, human behavior is influenced by an inner struggle
between various systems within the personality system. This approach is commonly referred to as the
psychoanalytic approach to personality.
a.
B. F. Skinner
b.
Ivan Pavlov
c.
Abraham Maslow
d.
Sigmund Freud
e.
Karl Jung
7. According to the psychoanalytic approach to personality, which of the following focuses on pleasure-
seeking and immediate gratification?
a.
The id
b.
The ego
c.
The superego
d.
The social self
e.
The actual self
8. The _____ principle motivates a person to focus on maximizing pleasure and minimizing pain.
a.
self-actualization
b.
reality
c.
benefit
d.
utilitarian
e.
pleasure
9. According to the psychoanalytic approach to personality, the superego:
a.
focuses on pleasure-seeking and immediate gratification.
b.
works against the id by motivating behavior that matches societal norms and expectations.
c.
focuses on resolving the conflicts between the id and the ego.
d.
operates on the benefit principle.
e.
attempts to balance the desires of the id with the constraints of, and expectations found in,
the ego.
10. Carl restricts himself to social drinking because he feels that drinking too much alcohol is not socially
acceptable. According to the psychoanalytic approach, which of the following motivates him to match
societal norms and expectations?
a.
Id
b.
Value consciousness
c.
Superego
d.
The need for cognition
e.
Materialism
11. The ego differs from the id in that the ego:
a.
focuses on immediate gratification.
b.
operates on the pleasure principle.
c.
focuses on hedonic value.
d.
works against the superego by motivating behavior that goes against societal norms and
expectations.
e.
focuses on resolving the conflicts between the id and the superego.
12. According to the psychoanalytic approach to personality, which of the following principles implies
that the ego seeks to satisfy the id within the constraints of society?
a.
Pleasure principle
b.
Reality principle
c.
Motivation principle
d.
Hedonic principle
e.
Personology principle
13. Which of the following approaches to personality focuses on distinguishable consumer characteristics
that describe one’s tendency to act in a relatively consistent manner?
a.
Trait approach
b.
Motivational approach
c.
Psychoanalytic approach
d.
Utilitarian approach
e.
Hedonic approach
14. _____ refers to a distinguishable characteristic that describes one’s tendency to act in relatively
consistent manner.
a.
A trait
b.
Motivation
c.
An impulse
d.
Self-concept
e.
Intuition
15. Which of the following refers to a “variable–centered” approach that focuses on particular variables, or
traits, that exist across a number of consumers?
a.
Deontological perspective
b.
Hedonic perspective
c.
Nomothetic perspective
d.
Idiographic perspective
e.
Utilitarian perspective
16. Some consumer researchers focus on one specific trait, such as conscientiousness, that exists across a
number of consumers, to predict the adoption rate of new products. This is an application of which of
the following approaches to studying consumer traits?
a.
Idiographic perspective
b.
Nomothetic perspective
c.
Nominal perspective
d.
Cognitive perspective
e.
Ethical perspective
17. The _____ focuses on the total person and the uniqueness of his or her psychological makeup.
a.
hedonic perspective
b.
nomothetic perspective
c.
universal perspective
d.
utilitarian perspective
e.
idiographic perspective
18. Which of the following is true of the idiographic approach?
a.
It focuses on the individual traits that can be studied across multiple consumers.
b.
It focuses on a single trait that is common across all consumers.
c.
It focuses on the complexity of each individual consumer.
d.
It examines combinations of traits and the effect of each individual trait.
e.
The trait approach takes an idiographic approach to personality.
19. Stan is a marketing intern who has been asked to conduct a consumer behavior research for a fashion
designer. The designer wants him to focus on a few selected customers who only buy customized
products from the designer. Stan goes about his research by interacting with each customer to know
more about their psychological makeup. In this instance, which of the following perspectives is Stan
embracing?
a.
Utilitarian perspective
b.
Self-congruency perspective
c.
Nomothetic perspective
d.
Idiographic perspective
e.
Universal perspective
20. With the _____ approach, the focus of the researcher is on one particular trait.
a.
hierarchical approach
b.
personology approach
c.
single-trait approach
d.
self-congruency approach
e.
idiographic approach
21. A team of researchers in a marketing research company is interested in examining a combination of
consumer traits and the total effect of those traits on individual buying behavior. According to these
researchers, the prediction of individual behavior tends to be stronger with the _____ approach.
a.
nomothetic
b.
single-trait
c.
value
d.
universal
e.
multiple-trait
22. A researcher studies consumer characteristics such as materialism, innovativeness, and the need for
cognition together with their impact on the purchasing behavior of consumers. Which of the following
refers to the approach to studying personality that the researcher is using in this instance?
a.
Motivational research
b.
Trait approach
c.
BCG matrix analysis
d.
Porter’s five forces analysis
e.
Personology approach
23. Which of the following represents the tendency for consumers to focus on maximizing what is
received from a transaction as compared to what is given?
a.
Materialism
b.
Self-monitoring
c.
Frugality
d.
Bargaining proneness
e.
Value consciousness
24. In which of the following instances does value consciousness occur?
a.
When consumers display a tendency to retain control and ownership over possessions
b.
When consumers reduce their material consumption
c.
When consumers flaunt their material possessions as a way of displaying their social class
d.
When consumers engage in bargaining behaviors when making purchases
e.
When consumers pay close attention to the resources that they devote to transactions and
to the benefits that they receive
25. Danielle is a very careful shopper, and is keen on maximizing the value of every transaction she
makes. She uses coupons whenever possible, and purchases items on sale to save money. However,
she is likely to pay more for a product if she thinks that it is the best one to meet her or her family’s
needs. Which consumer behavior trait does Danielle display?
a.
Materialism
b.
Value consciousness
c.
Competitiveness
d.
Innovativeness
e.
Trait Vanity
26. _____ refers to the extent to which material goods are important in a consumer’s life.
a.
Materialism
b.
Value consciousness
c.
Trait vanity
d.
Self-monitoring
e.
The need for cognition
27. Some consumers tend to be very possessive about their possessions, and may not be willing to share
them with others. Which trait does this best describe?
a.
Innovativeness
b.
Value consciousness
c.
Materialism
d.
Frugality
e.
Trait vanity
28. Which of the following is a dimension of materialism?
a.
Bargaining proneness
b.
Envy
c.
Value consciousness
d.
Frugality
e.
Generosity
29. Which of the following refers to downshifting?
a.
The conscious decision to reduce one’s material consumption
b.
The resentment that arises as a result of another’s belongings, and a desire to acquire
similar possessions
c.
The tendency for a consumer to engage in bargaining behaviors when making purchases
d.
The tendency for consumers to take excessive pride in themselves, including their
appearance and accomplishments.
e.
The tendency of an individual to retain control and ownership over his possessions
30. The degree to which a consumer is open to new ideas and quick to buy new products, services, or
experiences early in their introduction is referred to as consumer _____.
a.
materialism
b.
frugality
c.
value consciousness
d.
innovativeness
e.
competitiveness
31. Carol Bates, a young, dynamic, and affluent banker, likes to shop online and try out new products. She
likes to keep herself updated about the latest products introduced in the market. She is usually the first
among her friends to buy the latest gadgets. Which of the following traits best describes Carol?
a.
Possessiveness
b.
Innovativeness
c.
Frugality
d.
Agreeableness
e.
Extroversion