81. Christopher bought Timberland boots because he felt they were perfect for his outdoor activities. Patrick bought the same kind of boots because he
felt they were stylish, especially with the logo clearly visible. The psychological factor driving Patrick’s behavior is
82. A consumer’s external social environment includes
83. Jennifer’s spending decisions are heavily influenced by her family, her peers, and her religious education. These influences on her spending
decisions are all ________ influences.
84. Natalie and her fiancé Dow are planning their wedding. She knows her mother wants her to have a traditional church wedding with a Roman
Catholic priest officiating. Natalie would like to have an informal ceremony on the beach, since that type of wedding has become popular with her
friends. Furthermore, Dow is from Thailand and would like to have a monk officiate. Natalie and Dow’s wedding decisions are most influenced by
85. Many Hollywood movie stars were among the first to buy electric and hybrid vehicles. These stars often become __________, influencing other
consumers’ behavior.
86. The shared meanings, beliefs, morals, values, and customs of a group of people constitute its
87. Beverage firms sometimes hire attractive young people to sit at fashionable bars, sipping the company’s latest product offering. The firms hope these
“models” will serve as a(n) __________ and influence consumers.
88. Before going on his first business trip to China, Brad asked his Chinese American friend to advise him on customs and values common among the
Chinese businesspeople he will likely encounter. Brad is trying to avoid __________ business blunders.
89. Where Caroline grew up, everyone knew everyone else, no one locked their doors, and a person’s word could be trusted. When she went to work in
another part of the country, she was surprised by how few people had similar values and beliefs. Caroline had to adjust to __________ differences.
90. The traditional marketing strategy of selling umbrellas when it is raining is an example of how __________ factors influence consumers’ decisions.
91. __________ factors override or at least influence psychological and social issues.
92. Paula is about to open a new hardware store. She is making decisions regarding lighting, colors, and layout of merchandise. Paula knows these
__________ factors will influence consumers’ purchase decisions.
93. Steve wasn’t sure what kind of salsa he wanted to get for his upcoming Super Bowl party. It seemed like there were dozens of varieties to choose
from. He noticed that he could sample a few at a station in the store. He tried four, rejected two, and bought several jars of the two he really liked. He
also ended up buying a different—and more expensive—kind of tortilla chip after tasting it. Marketers identify this as a success story of
94. Brenda was planning a small dinner party, and had gone to a new specialty food store with coupons she’d found in the food section of the paper. At
the store she also found a “buy one, get one free” deal, and a gift offered with the purchase of a particular dessert. She altered the menu as a result of the
__________ and ended up spending less than she’d planned.
95. Many states have laws regulating the prices businesses charge during emergencies like hurricanes. These laws are designed to protect consumers
whose __________ state may impair their ability to make sound purchase decisions.
96. There is a saying “Never go to the grocery store hungry.” This saying suggests that a consumer’s __________ state may adversely affect purchasing
decisions.
97. The consumer’s level of involvement can lead to two types of buying decisions: __________ or
98. Consumers use and process different aspects of advertising or messages. __________ yields greater attention and deeper processing, and leads to
strong attitudes and purchase intentions.
99. Thanh has to decide which college to attend. This is the most important, riskiest, and most expensive decision she has ever made. She will be
engaged in
100. Limited problem solving usually relies on
6-24
101. Last semester, Henri bought his textbooks over the Internet and saved a considerable amount of money. Classes start in a few days, and he needs to
decide right away how and where to purchase his books. Henri will most likely engage in a(n) __________ process.
102. Most big box retailers regularly move products from one aisle to another. They also put personal care products in the pharmacy area, many aisles
away from the grocery products. They do this because consumers who spend more time walking through the store are likely to buy things they hadn’t
planned to buy, or make
103. Marketers love consumers who engage in __________, buying their company’s product with little thought or consideration of alternatives.
104. To attract and maintain habitual purchasers, marketers spend considerable effort
105. For which of the following purchases would consumers most likely engage in limited problem solving?
6-25
106. The three components of an attitude are
107. Alex decides to make a donation to the Autism Research Institute. Which component of Alex’s attitude toward autism research does this represent?
108. An online retailer needs to be able to measure how well its website converts purchase intentions into actual purchases. This is known as the
109. Zappos.com constantly reminds customers of recently viewed items and informs them when stock is low in an effort to entice the customer to make
a purchase. Zappos is trying to improve its
110. Tomas, a bank employee, doesn’t feel that his coworkers accept him. He decides to dress more casually, as they do, hoping to be accepted. Which
level of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is Tomas trying to work on?
111. There are five types of risks associated with purchase decisions. Which of the following best describes a situation where your new car stalls in the
middle of a busy intersection?
112. Barak is considering buying a hybrid car, but he’s not sure that he believes the gas mileage estimates. Barak is concerned about
113. A home security company will advertise the need for home surveillance products to appeal to which level of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs?
114. Joanna lives according to her own rules, unconcerned about designer labels, brand names, and luxury items. Joanna is at which level in Maslow’s
hierarchy of needs?
115. Some websites allow consumers to shop while getting opinions from online friends. Which of the influences on the consumer buying process does
116. __________ are the three types of attribute sets.
117. While on vacation, Martha had her camera stolen. Not wanting to waste vacation time shopping for a new camera, Martha simply purchased
another camera just like her old one. For Martha, the __________ was low.
6-28
118. Reginald greets his regular customers by name every morning when they come in for coffee. He offers them a taste of anything special he is
cooking that day. He has a database with their birthdays, and offers them free meals on their birthdays. Reginald hopes that this attention to his
“regulars” will encourage them to
119. “Black Friday,” as the day after Thanksgiving has come to be known in the United States, is a day marked by many special deals in most retail
stores, including deep-discounted products available in limited quantities, called “doorbusters,” and designed to get shoppers into the store. But one
danger of running out of the doorbuster deals is that a shopper may become angry or discouraged at failing to get the special item, and decide not to do
any more shopping. This is an example of the impact of __________ on the consumer decision process.
120. Americans often equate “bigger” with “better,” and prefer larger cars, TV screens, homes, even meals. Researchers suspect that in doing so, we are
121. Zappos online shoe and clothing store has a unique way of dealing with abandoned shopping carts. If a site visitor places items into the shopping
cart and then leaves the site without making a purchase, several days later Zappos sends a humorous e-mail saying, “Let us show you what your
shopping cart did while you were gone,” along with a photo of a cute dog intended to represent the shopping cart. This attention-getting device is
designed to improve the site’s
Essay Questions
122. Marketers believe that the decision-making process begins with a consumer’s need recognition. Not everyone agrees. How would you answer
critics who believe marketers can force people to buy things they don’t want?
123. What is the difference between a functional need and a psychological need? How can getting a college education fulfill both types of needs?
124. After her first year in college, Veronica wants to decide on a major. What internal and external sources of information will she use to help her in
making a decision?
125. Using automobiles as an example, explain the differences between universal, retrieval, and evoked sets, and identify the one that is most important
to marketers.
126. Provide two decision-making examples: one of an occasion when a consumer might use a compensatory decision rule, and one when the consumer
might use a noncompensatory decision rule. For each, briefly identify the characteristics of the decision that would make a compensatory or
127. What evaluative criteria would consumers be likely to use in choosing a family physician?
128. Assume you are the manager of a resort property that is close to the mountains, to several recreational sites, and to a few luxury restaurants and
stores. How would you manage customer expectations to enhance postpurchase satisfaction? Be specific.
129. Fred’s Heating and Air Conditioning Service is considering using the slogan, “We fix it the first time, every time.” Why might this slogan be a bad
idea if Fred wants to maximize postpurchase satisfaction? Create a better slogan for Fred.
130. At a convenience store, Brian bought a bag of chips he had never tried before. Driving down the road, Brian opened the bag, took a bite, and
realized he had purchased pork rinds by mistake. Being a vegetarian, Brian threw away the chips. Brian felt very little buyer’s remorse and soon forgot
about the experience. Why?
131. Often political candidates position themselves as “outsiders,” not part of the establishment. These candidates assume that voters have a negative
attitude toward incumbent politicians (i.e., those currently in office). Describe three components of attitudes voters might have toward incumbent
politicians.
6-31
132. Why are attitudes important in consumer decision making?
133. How does the shopping situation affect consumer behavior, both positively and negatively?
134. Using examples, describe the difference between impulse buying and habitual decision making.
135. Marketers often use the principles and theories from other disciplines to understand consumer actions and develop marketing strategies. According
136. Harley-Davidson knows that many of its customers today are professional people who want the pride of owning a Harley. Harley-Davidson also
appeals to its more traditional market: cyclists who want a smooth, powerful ride. To be successful, Harley-Davidson needs to appeal to which type(s)
of needs?
137. When Dee has business in Denver, she often goes out for a fancy meal. When deciding where to go, the restaurants she usually chooses are the
local Thai restaurant and the elegant French restaurant. Do these two restaurants represent her universal, retrieval, or evoked set of choices?
138. Larry operates a fishing resort in the Galapagos Islands. Few guests visit his remote island more than once, but Larry has his assistant e-mail recent
customers each month to see how satisfied they were with their stay at his resort. Why would Larry spend effort on past customers if few guests come
more than once?
Past customers’ opinions are important because they are from actual, not potential, customers. Even though they may not visit again, they could provide
139. When Roger decides which airline to use to fly from Baltimore to San Diego, he considers the price, number of stops, and frequent-flyer miles he
will earn. However, earning frequent-flyer miles is the most important factor for him. Is Roger using a compensatory or noncompensatory decision
rule? Explain your reasoning.
140. Why is it dangerous for marketers to set unrealistically high consumer expectations?
141. Whenever major golf professionals use a new piece of golf equipment, sales of that equipment jump rapidly. What type of social influence do PGA
and LPGA professionals represent for average golfers?
142. Naomi knows that habitual purchasers make great customers for her coffee shop. How can Naomi attract and maintain habitual purchasers?
143. For years Mark sold new cars, but he and his wife recently grew tired of city life and moved to a beach town. Now he sells costume jewelry (made
by his wife) at an open-air market near the ocean. To be successful, what will Mark have to recognize about the difference between consumers’
problem-solving processes for cars and costume jewelry?
144. For many American consumers, the purchase of a personal computer has shifted from an extended problem-solving decision to a limited
problem-solving decision. How does this change the way retail stores should display and sell computers?
145. Several years ago, BMW produced The Hire, a series of short films that were distributed online. The purpose of the film was to make the BMW
brand relevant to young males who, BMW hoped, would become interested in the brand and would be more likely to purchase a BMW in the future. The
films were directed by popular action-film directors of that time, and showed the BMW engaging in high-speed chases and other high-adrenaline
situations. No actual product information was provided. BMW made it easy for site visitors to share the videos with friends. The films were viewed
millions of times, and BMW considered it a highly successful promotion. Of the factors affecting the consumer decision process, which ones were the
primary factors this campaign sought to use to affect the consumer decision process of those who watched the films?
146. Budweiser is well known for the use of humor in its ad campaigns for Bud Light beer. Based on the use of humor in advertising for beer, does
Budweiser believe that beer is a high-involvement or low-involvement purchase for most consumers? Explain your answer using the elaboration
147. You are shopping for a new car. Using the steps in the consumer decision process, describe what you would do at each step during the purchasing
experience.
148. Demonstrate your understanding of the terms internal locus of control and external locus of control by giving an example of each.
6-34
149. Define the term postpurchase cognitive dissonance and give an example of when this happened to you. Then explain what the company could have
done to lessen your dissonance.
150. The text lists five psychological factors that can influence purchase decisions. List and give an example of each.
151. Briefly discuss the tax tactics employed by H&R Block, and explain how the advanced data analytics platform, Domo, assists the company in
making decisions about its business.
152. Describe Nike’s advertising strategies on the Weather Channel app. Why does the company advertise on the app? What insights did Nike gain with
its advertising campaigns?
Category # of Questions
AACSB: Analytical Thinking 98
AACSB: Knowledge Application 54
Accessibility: Keyboard Navigation 121
Blooms: Analyze 2
Blooms: Apply 67
Blooms: Evaluate 1
Blooms: Remember 29
Blooms: Understand 53
Difficulty: 1 Easy 29
6-35
Difficulty: 2 Medium 54
Difficulty: 3 Hard 69
Learning Objective: 06-01 Articulate the steps in the consumer buying process. 15
Learning Objective: 06-02 Describe the difference between functional and psychological needs. 11
Learning Objective: 06-03 Describe factors that affect information search. 44
Learning Objective: 06-04 Discuss postpurchase outcomes. 19
Learning Objective: 06-05 List the factors that affect the consumer decision process. 46
Learning Objective: 06-06 Describe how involvement influences the consumer decision process. 17
Topic: Buying Situations 3
Topic: Consumer Purchase Decision Process 110
Topic: CRM 1
Topic: Enhancing Customer Satisfaction 8
Topic: Extended Problem Solving 3
Topic: Involvement 6
Topic: Limited Decisions 4
Topic: Marketing Metrics 4
Topic: Routine Decisions 3
Topic: Situational Influences 4
Topic: Social-cultural Environment 6