Chapter 6—Consumer Decision Making
TRUE/FALSE
1. If consumer behavior is not well understood, a marketer will have difficulty creating an appropriate
marketing mix.
2. A stimulus is a unit of input from either an external or internal source that can affect sight, smell, taste,
touch, or hearing
3. Chantel would like to try a good Mexican restaurant for dinner tonight, so she asks a couple of
coworkers for suggestions. She is using an internal information search.
4. Consumers with prior experience in buying a certain product will spend less time searching for product
information and will limit the number of products that they consider.
5. When Alan buys rock-climbing equipment, he will only buy Black Diamond, Petzl, Edelweiss, or
Wild Country brands even though other brands exist. These listed brands make up Alan’s awareness
set.
6. Once an individual’s evoked set has been established, evaluation of those alternatives will determine
what information must be obtained during the information search.
7. There are several tools marketing managers can use to increase cognitive dissonance, which enhances
consumers’ attitude toward their brand.
8. The purchase of products like soft drinks, cleaning products, and gasoline generally exemplify routine
response behavior.
9. Noah perceives the purchase of a tattoo to be a socially risky decision because he thinks people will
judge him unfairly if he has a tattoo. Hayley, however, does not perceive getting a tattoo as
particularly risky behavior. As far as social risk is concerned, getting a tattoo will be a
higher-involvement activity for Noah than for Hayley.
10. In general, detailed, informative advertisements are most effective for high-involvement products
because consumers actively search for additional information prior to making their decisions.
11. Over the past two decades, the United States has entered a period of slow cultural change.
12. The majority of Americans today define themselves as middle class, regardless of their actual income
or educational attainment.
13. A newly hired employee at an advertising agency chose the clothes she purchased for work by
observing the clothes she saw worn in The Apprentice, a popular television reality show. In this
example, the women hoping to work for Donald Trump served as primary reference groups.
14. Opinion leaders are often the first to try new products and services.
15. One way marketers are identifying true opinion leaders is by looking to teen blogs to identify the
social trends that are shaping consumer behavior.
16. The socialization process involves adopting the values of the culture in which a person was raised and
is usually strongly influenced by the family.
17. Laurie would like to be fashionable and trendy. This would be considered her real self-image.
18. Low self-monitors typically have a very poor self-image, and are therefore more likely to respond to
image-based appeals that promise to make them look good.
19. Selective exposure occurs when consumers change information that conflicts with their feelings or
beliefs.
20. An ad showing a thirsty athlete drinking a cold bottle of Gatorade is an example of an appeal to
self-actualization needs.
21. There are two types of learning: concrete and abstract.
22. By keeping the blue triangle in the corner and the Nabisco name on several similar Nabisco snack
products, Nabisco is attempting to capitalize on stimulus generalization.
23. Stimulus discrimination is a learned ability to differentiate among similar products.
24. An attitude is a physiological difference among consumers.
25. It is usually easier to change consumer beliefs about a service attribute than a product attribute.
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. The processes consumers use when making purchase decisions are called:
a.
consumer behavior
b.
marketing
c.
consumerism
d.
perceptual mapping
e.
database mining
2. The steps of the consumer decision-making process in order are:
a.
need recognition, alternative aggregation, reevaluation, purchase decision, postpurchase
behavior
b.
need positioning, stimulus response reactions, evaluation of alternatives, purchase
decision, postpurchase behavior
c.
need positioning, alternative aggregation and divestment, purchase decision, postpurchase
evaluation
d.
information search, need positioning, evaluation of alternatives, product trial, purchase
decision, postpurchase satisfaction
e.
need recognition, information search, evaluation of alternatives, purchase, and
postpurchase behavior
3. Which step in the consumer decision-making process is a result of an imbalance between actual and
desired states?
a.
Evaluation of alternatives
b.
Want recognition
c.
Purchase
d.
Need recognition
e.
Postpurchase behavior
4. Sam was driving when someone ran a stop sign and totaled his car. His car cannot be repaired, so he
realized he’s going to have to get another one. What stage of the consumer decision-making process
does this represent?
a.
Need recognition
b.
Purchase
c.
Evaluation of alternatives
d.
Postpurchase behavior
e.
Information search
5. The way a consumer goes about addressing a need is called a:
a.
need
b.
tactic
c.
stimulus
d.
want
e.
desire
6. Which of the following is any unit of input affecting one or more of the five senses: sight, smell, taste,
touch, and hearing?
a.
tactic
b.
need
c.
stimulus
d.
want
e.
desire
7. Rod saw a television commercial for a Honda S2000 and wants to test drive one. The commercial is
an example of a(n) _____ stimulus.
a.
internal
b.
external
c.
primary
d.
secondary
e.
non-personal
8. As a result of hearing the adventures of returning soldiers, Monroe decided to enlist in the U.S. Army.
These stories he heard from the soldiers acted as:
a.
affective states
b.
external stimuli
c.
internal stimuli
d.
purchase outcomes
e.
a dissonance creator
9. Which of the following is the BEST example of an internal stimulus that would create need
recognition?
a.
A friend comments on how shabby your coat looks
b.
A radio station runs an ad for a new video game rental store
c.
A headache
d.
An invitation to a graduation for which you need a gift
e.
A billboard promoting a new national Internet service provider
10. Lisa has to have a Diet Coke for breakfast. At a breakfast meeting, she was offered coffee and refused.
She only wanted a Diet Coke. This illustrates that Lisa needs Diet Coke to:
a.
satisfy a want
b.
satisfy a need
c.
satisfy a belief
d.
satisfy a physiological drive
e.
satisfy a momentary stimulus
11. The imbalance between actual and desired states is sometimes referred to as the:
a.
want-got gap
b.
self-actualization quandary
c.
either-or principle
d.
got-want gap
e.
cognitive-dissonance paradox
12. After a need or want is recognized, a consumer may search for information about the various
alternatives available to satisfy it. This occurs during which part of the consumer decision-making
process?
a.
Evaluation of alternatives
b.
Information search
c.
Cognitive dissonance
d.
Consideration stage
e.
Product identification
13. While looking at the DVDs at Target, Tee tried to remember the name of the action movie starring
Harrison Ford as an archeologist so he could buy the DVD. Which step of the consumer
decision-making process is this?
a.
Antecedent search
b.
Need recognition
c.
External information search
d.
Alternative evaluation
e.
Internal information search
14. Which of the following products would most likely require the purchaser to use only an internal
information search?
a.
A doctor for recently detected illness
b.
A new washer and dryer
c.
A formal dance
d.
Favorite restaurant you love to patronize regularly
e.
Choose a movie to see at the theater
15. The types of products people purchase using only an internal search are typically:
a.
frequently purchased, low-cost items
b.
frequently purchased, high-cost items
c.
infrequently purchased, low-cost items
d.
infrequently purchased, high-cost items
e.
all types of items, regardless of price or frequency of purchase
16. An external information search is especially important when:
a.
there is a great deal of past experience
b.
there are high costs associated with making an incorrect decision
c.
the cost of gathering information is high
d.
buying frequently purchased, low-cost items
e.
there is little risk of making an incorrect decision
17. Which of the following is an information source that is NOT associated with advertising or promotion?
a.
External
b.
Nonmarketing-controlled
c.
Marketing-controlled
d.
Unbiased
e.
Primary
18. Bethany is in the market for a new cell phone. She tweets to her followers on Twitter: “Hey, looking
for some info about good cell phone deals. Any advice?” Bethany is using a(n) _____ information
source to help her make her decision.
a.
experiential
b.
marketing-controlled
c.
internal
d.
unbiased
e.
nonmarketing-controlled
19. A product information source that originates with marketers promoting the product are referred to as a:
a.
manipulative information source
b.
primary information source
c.
secondary information source
d.
marketing-controlled information source
e.
biased information source
20. While Robinson was looking at the CDs at Walmart, he was trying to remember the name of the group
that sang the song he liked on last night’s episode of his favorite TV show so he could buy it. Since
recording companies pay to have their CDs promoted on television shows, the source of information
Robinson is trying to recall is:
a.
a fortuitously evoked set
b.
marketing-controlled
c.
nonmarketing-controlled
d.
unitary data
e.
a credible consideration set
21. All of the following are examples of marketing-controlled information sources EXCEPT:
a.
a review of laser printers in Consumer Reports
b.
brochures about kitchen products sold by the Home Depot
c.
a coupon for $1.00 off of laundry detergent
d.
recipe for oatmeal raisin cookies on a package of oatmeal
e.
an advertisement in a magazine
22. David is shopping for tires for his Audi. He looks in the yellow pages of the local phone book and calls
Costco, Sam’s Club, Sears and a local car repair shop. In his decision-making process, David is using:
a.
marketing-controlled information sources
b.
demographic information sources
c.
nonmarketing-controlled information sources
d.
secondary data sources
e.
internal search sources
23. All of the following influence the extent to which an individual conducts an external search for
information EXCEPT:
a.
perceived risk
b.
knowledge
c.
prior experience
d.
social class
e.
level of interest
24. A group of brands, resulting from an information search, from which a buyer can choose is referred to
as the buyer’s:
a.
evoked set
b.
primary set
c.
inert set
d.
complete set
e.
justifiable set
25. Warren loves to go to the beach on his vacation but hates to have to worry about the possibility of
hurricanes. As Warren looked for where he should go on vacation this summer, he consulted a
publication called Smart Money and learned the islands of Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao are not in the
hurricane belt. Now he will only consider these island resorts as possible vacation destinations. This
group of resort islands is called Warren’s:
a.
involvement set
b.
evaluative set
c.
evolved set
d.
evoked set
e.
intuitive set
26. Tariq is throwing a party tonight and needs to order a couple of pizzas. There are many pizza joints in
town, but Tariq has narrowed down his choices to Tony’s Pizzeria, Domino’s, and Montoni’s. These
three restaurants represent Tariq’s:
a.
evaluative criteria
b.
dissonance suppressors
c.
discretionary discriminators
d.
discriminatory set
e.
evoked set
27. Another name for evoked set is:
a.
called array
b.
reminder assortment
c.
induced memory
d.
consideration set
e.
awareness set
28. Rose is shopping for a new camera. She has set a maximum of $250 as the highest price she will pay,
so she doesn’t even bother considering cameras that cost more than that. Rose is narrowing the number
of available choices by using a:
a.
cost margin
b.
product attribute
c.
cutoff
d.
boundary
e.
knockoff
29. Extending a well-known and respected brand name from one product category to another product
category is referred to as:
a.
brand stretching
b.
brand extensions
c.
brand bouncing
d.
brand transfer
e.
brand building
30. Arm & Hammer is a well-known and respected brand of baking soda. The company has put its brand
name on several products, such as laundry detergent, toothpaste, kitty litter, and many more. These
are examples of:
a.
brand transfers
b.
brand modifications
c.
brand banks
d.
brand hierarchies
e.
brand extensions
31. Mai Lin is checking out at the grocery store when she notices the candy display right next to the cash
register. “I haven’t had a Mounds bar in years,” she thinks. “That looks good! I think I’ll grab one.” So
she hands the candy to cashier and says, “I’ll take this too.” Mai Lin has just made a(n):
a.
partially planned purchase
b.
unplanned purchase
c.
unwise purchase
d.
fully planned purchase
e.
frivolous purchase
32. Which of the following items is MOST likely to be a fully planned purchase?
a.
a pair of jeans
b.
a bottle of soda pop
c.
a motorcycle
d.
a flashlight
e.
All of the above.
33. Inner tension that a consumer experiences after recognizing an inconsistency between behavior and
values or opinions is referred to as:
a.
cognitive dissonance
b.
psychological discomfort
c.
affect referral
d.
perceptual imbalance
e.
dissatisfaction
34. Andrea just purchased a trip to Jamaica as a present to her husband for their tenth wedding
anniversary. Andrea is anxious about the trip, afraid Bill will not like her choice of location and
worried she spent too much money. Andrea is experiencing:
a.
selective dissatisfaction
b.
temporal distortion
c.
perceptual disharmony
d.
cognitive dissonance
e.
self-actualization involvement
35. Feeding her family healthy foods is important to Terri. She makes a point of buying organic products
as often as possible. As she goes through the grocery store she remembers that she needs milk, so she
heads over to the dairy case, intending to purchase the organic variety. She notices that a carton of
organic milk is priced at $4.89; however, the store-brand milk is on sale for 99 cents. She hesitates for
a moment, then selects the cheaper store brand, telling herself that she just can’t pass up such a good
bargain. As Terri wonders if she made the right purchase decision, she is experiencing:
a.
attribute remorse
b.
cognitive dissonance
c.
evaluation distortion
d.
consumer cognition
e.
perceptual disharmony
36. All of the following are ways consumers can reduce cognitive dissonance EXCEPT:
a.
justify decision
b.
seek new information
c.
send a letter to the marketer
d.
avoid contradictory information
e.
return product
37. How can marketers reduce consumers’ cognitive dissonance?
a.
Offer guarantees
b.
Offer sales promotions
c.
Avoid contradictory information
d.
Change the product
e.
Ignore it
38. _____ is the amount of time and effort a buyer invests in the search, evaluation, and decision processes
of consumer behavior.
a.
Economic value
b.
Involvement
c.
Opportunity cost
d.
Temporal cost
e.
Perceived level of personal risk
39. _____ is characterized by low involvement, a short time frame, an internal-only information search,
and low costs.
a.
Limited decision making
b.
Routine response behavior
c.
Emotional buying
d.
Intensive decision making
e.
Temporally-limited behavior
40. Each week Jess comes to the supermarket with a list of essential items: milk, bread, peanut butter, and
chocolate. This is an example of:
a.
buyer’s harmony
b.
situational convenience
c.
routine response behavior
d.
limited decision making
e.
consistent decision making
41. Which of the following activities is most likely to be an example of routine response behavior?
a.
The purchase of a three-week vacation cruise
b.
A homeowner’s purchase of a new grill for $600
c.
The first-time purchase of a copy machine for your home office
d.
The purchase of toilet paper
e.
The purchase of a infant car seat
42. The type of decision making that requires a moderate amount of time for gathering information and
deliberating about an unfamiliar brand in a familiar product category is referred to as:
a.
routine response behavior
b.
limited decision making
c.
extensive decision making
d.
uninvolved decision making
e.
affective decision making
43. Mario usually purchases Old Spice deodorant. Unfortunately, the drug store is sold out of Old Spice
today, so Mario will have to choose a brand that’s in stock. In making his decision, Mario will engage
in _____ consumer decision making.
a.
limited
b.
extended
c.
habitual
d.
classical
e.
routine
44. The electricity for lighting outdoor billboards is powered by transformers. The operator of a company
that installs and manages billboards has purchased many such transformers. Today he plans to buy a
replacement for one that was destroyed by a recent hurricane. Before making this purchase, he will
look at cost and also see if he can find one that is more weatherproof. He wants to make sure he buys
the best transformer for the job and that he does not pay more money than he should. In other words,
he will engage in _____ decision making.
a.
limited
b.
extended
c.
habitual
d.
classical
e.
routine
45. Nellie’s boss sells merchandise through Internet auctions. He needs to mail a $1,500 hexagonal antique
picture frame. He has instructed Nellie to buy packaging that will make sure the oddly shaped frame
arrives at its new owner’s home undamaged, but he has not told her how or where she will find such
packaging. Given that she frequently has to purchase packaging supplies, what kind of purchase
decision process would she most likely employ?
a.
High-involvement response behavior
b.
Low-involvement decision making
c.
Extensive decision making
d.
Limited decision making
e.
Routine response behavior
46. When a consumer is purchasing an unfamiliar, expensive product or an infrequently bought item, he or
she is practicing:
a.
extensive decision making
b.
cognitive harmonizing
c.
limited problem solving
d.
strategic behavior
e.
stimulus discrimination
47. Alanna is looking into purchasing a scooter as gas prices continue to rise. She needs a
reasonably-priced, comfortable, and safe, scooter with room to store her books. She is not familiar
with these products and this is a major purchase for her. Purchasing a scooter will probably involve:
a.
low-involvement problem solving
b.
low-involvement decision making
c.
extensive decision making
d.
limited decision making
e.
dedicated cognitive behavior
48. This type of risk occurs if consumers feel that making the wrong decision might cause some concern
or anxiety.
a.
Financial risk
b.
Psychological risk
c.
Physiological risk
d.
Social risk
e.
Situational risk
49. All of the following factors directly influence consumers’ level of involvement in the purchase process
EXCEPT:
a.
consumer’s age
b.
previous experience with the product
c.
financial risk associated with the product
d.
social visibility of the purchased item
e.
perceived risk of negative consequences as a result of the purchase
50. Your best friend has sought your advice on what type of clothing she should buy for a job interview. If
she gets the job, she will be the assistant to the producer of her favorite television program. She really
wants this job and considers it a once in a lifetime opportunity. By asking your help with her
wardrobe, your friend is most likely trying to:
a.
eliminate cognitive dissonance
b.
eliminate the low involvement in the decision
c.
reduce perceived risk of negative consequences
d.
increase the chances of selective exposure
e.
increase the motivation involved in the decision
51. A marketing manager would expect his or her product to be a high-involvement product for most
consumers if it:
a.
is a product adaptation of a market leader
b.
is a necessity
c.
has not been purchased before
d.
has low social visibility
e.
requires substantial financial investment
52. Kim places huge importance on what she wears to sing in front of her church and therefore takes her
time to shop for the right clothes and shoes. This is due to the:
a.
opportunity costs
b.
fear of cognitive dissonance
c.
situational factors
d.
social visibility of the products
e.
cost of the products
53. When Avril went to purchase a birthday card for her new boyfriend, she went to three stores and spent
four hours reading over five hundred cards before selecting the perfect one. This card (which cost
$3.25) is properly designated a high-involvement product because of:
a.
brand loyalty
b.
situational factors
c.
financial risk
d.
cognitive dissonance
e.
trial investment
54. Marketing managers often use in-store promotions to stimulate sales of:
a.
technical products
b.
high-involvement products
c.
high-priced products
d.
industrial products
e.
low-involvement products
55. All of the following are examples of individual factors that affect the decision-making process for
consumers EXCEPT:
a.
gender
b.
age
c.
reference groups
d.
lifestyles
e.
personality
56. _____ is the set of values, norms, attitudes, and other meaningful symbols that shape human behavior
and is transmitted from one generation to the next.
a.
Socialization
b.
Customerization
c.
Consumerism
d.
Lifestyle
e.
Culture
57. All of the following are characteristics of culture EXCEPT:
a.
culture is pervasive
b.
culture is learned
c.
culture is functional
d.
culture is an inherent trait
e.
culture is dynamic
58. The fact that mothers in Japan feed their babies freeze-dried sardines and rice and most mothers in the
United States would not eat a freeze-dried sardine, much less feed it to their babies, indicates how
_____ influences the consumer decision-making process.
a.
culture
b.
perception
c.
motivation
d.
family life-cycle stage
e.
reference group membership
59. Danny and Ron are coworkers in an office. When they have a conversation about work, they stand
about 2-3 feet from each other as they chat. The amount of personal space people expect to have when
interacting with a coworker is an example of which cultural component?
a.
customs
b.
laws
c.
myths
d.
values
e.
artifacts