Consumer Behavior, 12e (Schiffman/Wisenblit)
Chapter 9 Reference Groups and Word-of-Mouth
1) ________ are groups that serve as sources of comparison, influence, and norms for people’s
opinions, values, and behaviors.
A) Age cohorts
B) Reference groups
C) Norming groups
D) Norming cohorts
E) Symbolic groups
2) A communicator’s expertise, objectivity, and trustworthiness refer to ________.
A) corporate social responsibility
B) ethics
C) source credibility
D) expert power
E) none of the above
3) Chris tells his father about a great new restaurant. Chris is practicing ________.
A) word-of-mouth communication
B) social advertising
C) group advertising
D) viral advertising
E) celebrity endorsement
4) When Joe wanted to get a new outboard motor for his sailboat, he consulted a forum for
British Seagull motors and connected with Jim. Jim gave him information about the outboard
motor he was considering. Jim, the individual Joe met and respected online who gave him
product information and advice, is an example of a(n) ________.
A) symbolic source
B) formal source
C) informal source
D) normative source
E) comparative source
5) The key factor underlying the persuasive impact of a personal or interpersonal message
received from either a formal or informal source is ________.
A) the number of times the message is sent
B) the source’s credibility
C) the number of times the message is received
D) the type of broadcast medium used
E) the extent to which the receiver’s peers understand the message
6) ________, or the source’s persuasive impact, stems from its perceived expertise,
trustworthiness, and believability.
A) Source recognition
B) Source encoding
C) Source decoding
D) Source degradation
E) Source credibility
7) The consumer’s earliest and often most influential reference group is ________.
A) the family
B) their religious organization
C) their classmates
D) their friends
E) their heroes
8) A(n) ________ is an actual or imaginary individual or group conceived of having significant
relevance upon an individual’s evaluations, aspirations, or behavior.
A) opinion group
B) demographic group
C) reference group
D) focus group
E) formal group
9) ________ reference groups influence broadly defined values or behavior.
A) Comparative
B) Normative
C) Membership
D) Informal
E) Symbolic
10) John is a member of a small Harley-Davidson motorcycle club. Members meet once a week
to ride and talk about their bikes. This club might exert a ________ influence on John as he
decides which model of bike he buys for his girlfriend.
A) referent power
B) normative
C) coercive power
D) legitimate power
E) none of the above
11) ________ reference groups serve as benchmarks for specific or narrowly defined attitudes or
behavior.
A) Comparative
B) Normative
C) Membership
D) Informal
E) Symbolic
12) Sheila admires her boss, Jerry, so she aspires to live her lifestyle and have similar
possessions. Jerry exerts ________ influence on Sheila.
A) comparative
B) normative
C) membership
D) informal
E) symbolic
13) A group to which a person either belongs or would qualify to belong to is called a(n)
________ group.
A) comparative
B) normative
C) membership
D) informal
E) symbolic
14) Bill is an avid coin collector and belongs to a coin collectors’ club, receiving a monthly
magazine and invitations to exclusive events. This coin collectors’ club is an example of a(n)
________ group.
A) comparative
B) normative
C) membership
D) informal
E) symbolic
15) A(n) ________ group is one in which an individual is not likely to receive membership,
despite acting like a member by adopting the group’s values, attitudes, and behavior.
A) comparative
B) normative
C) membership
D) informal
E) symbolic
16) Professional tennis players may constitute a(n) ________ group for an amateur tennis player
who identifies with certain players by imitating their behavior whenever possible despite the fact
that the amateur tennis player does not qualify for membership as a professional tennis player
because he/she has neither the skills nor the opportunity to compete professionally.
A) comparative
B) normative
C) membership
D) informal
E) symbolic
17) A(n) ________ provides companionship, security, and opportunities to discuss problems that
an individual might be reluctant to discuss with family members.
A) friendship group
B) shopping group
C) virtual community
D) advocacy group
E) aspirational group
18) A(n) ________ provides expertise regarding a particular product category, reduces
uncertainty related to making an incorrect purchase, or increases consumer confidence because it
provides a collective decision.
A) friendship group
B) shopping group
C) virtual community
D) advocacy group
E) aspirational group
19) Referral programs, which offer rewards to current members who convince others to join, are
an important element of ________.
A) friendship groups
B) shopping groups
C) virtual communities
D) advocacy groups
E) aspirational groups
20) Standing in a crowd waiting for a retail shopping experience, shoppers see themselves as
making the right buying decision — a concept known as ________.
A) diffusion of responsibility
B) diffusion of innovation
C) social queuing
D) social loafing
E) social proof
21) A group of foodies that Kathleen has never met and only interacts with through online
websites and a Facebook group, where group members share recipes and recommendations, is an
example of a(n) ________.
A) friendship group
B) shopping group
C) virtual community
D) advocacy group
E) aspirational group
22) A(n) ________ assists consumers in making consumption decisions and supports consumers’
rights.
A) friendship group
B) shopping group
C) virtual community
D) advocacy group
E) aspirational group
23) A group of irate parents who join together to protest the opening of an adult, X-rated
bookstore across from the elementary school is an example of a(n) ________.
A) friendship group
B) shopping group
C) virtual community
D) advocacy group
E) aspirational group
24) The degree of ________ that a reference group exerts on an individual’s behavior depends on
the individual, product, and social factors.
A) personality
B) experience
C) conspicuousness
D) intensity
E) influence
25) Marketers of new brands or brands that are not market leaders may argue against ________,
trying to convince consumers not to follow the crowd.
A) conformity
B) group power
C) individual experience
D) individual personality
E) conspicuousness
26) Which of the following is NOT something a reference group must do to influence its
members?
A) inform or make members aware that the brand or product exists
B) provide the individual with the means or capital to purchase the product
C) provide the individual with the opportunity to compare his or her own thinking with the
attitudes and behavior of the group
D) influence the individual to adopt attitudes and behavior that are consistent with the group’s
norms
E) legitimize the member’s decision to use the same products as other members
27) Which of the following is a characteristic of a conformist?
A) They always pay close attention to others’ reactions to their behaviors.
B) They often pick up slang expressions from others and start using them.
C) They change their mannerisms and approaches if they feel someone they are interacting with
disapproves of them.
D) They are guided by others’ behavior if they feel unsure how to behave in a situation.
E) All of the above are characteristics of conformists.
28) Which of the following is a characteristic of a conformist?
A) They prefer wearing stylish clothing and pay attention to what others are wearing.
B) They are inner-directed when it comes to ascertaining the right way to behave.
C) They are not interested in fitting in during social gatherings.
D) They behave the way they feel is right, regardless of what others might think.
E) They are unlikely to change their mannerisms and approaches.
29) Individuals may be influenced to conform to a group based on the group’s ________, but
they are unlikely to change their attitudes or internalize their choices if they conform for this
reason.
A) attractiveness
B) power
C) experience
D) personality
E) conspicuousness
30) Consumers with low ________ are more likely to seek the advice or example of others.
A) conformity
B) group power
C) individual experience
D) individual personality
E) conspicuousness
31) The degree of reference group influence on purchase decisions varies according to product
________, or how much it stands out and is noticed by others.
A) conformity
B) power
C) experience
D) personality
E) conspicuousness
32) Before e-readers, many women avoided reading printed erotica books in public because they
felt the titles and covers of the books would reflect badly on them. The use of e-readers made the
consumption of erotica books in public less ________.
A) stigmatized
B) conformist
C) conspicuous
D) influential
E) acceptable
33) What is the group’s power, the individual’s level of expertise with the product, and the
conspicuousness of the product called?
A) conformity
B) group power
C) individual experience
D) individual personality
E) conspicuousness
34) ________ is the believability of the endorser, spokesperson, or individual in an
advertisement.
A) Source degradation
B) Source informality
C) Source formality
D) Source credibility
E) Source attractiveness
35) Which of the following is NOT one of the dimensions in measuring the credibility of a
person or organization?
A) expertise
B) perseverance
C) trustworthiness
D) attractiveness
E) likability
36) John thought he had been cheated by a local Chevrolet car dealership. He was so upset that
he created a website to share his story with the world. What is the most likely result of John’s
action?
A) Most readers will think that John is a little nutty and ignore his website.
B) John’s website will decrease the credibility of the dealership’s ad and will influence potential
buyers to stay away from the dealership.
C) Even if it is read extensively, John’s website will have little effect on how people see the
dealership or John.
D) The website will actually increase sales at the dealership by giving them free advertisements.
E) none of the above
37) ________ consists of promoting a company’s image without referring to any of its offerings.
A) Institutional advertising
B) Family branding
C) Umbrella positioning
D) Formal advertising
E) Informal advertising
38) ________ sources generally have more credibility than ________ sources.
A) For-profit; not-for-profit
B) Not-for-profit; for-profit
C) Neutral; for-profit
D) For-profit; neutral
E) Neutral; negative
39) Which of the following is NOT one of the factors that affects the relationship between the
effectiveness of messages and the spokespersons or endorsers they feature?
A) synergy between the endorser and the type of product/service advertised
B) similarity between the endorser’s demographic characteristics and those of the target audience
C) the trust the consumer has in the marketer of the advertised product
D) whether the spokesperson is a member of a symbolic reference group
E) the congruency of the contents of the message with the spokespersons’ qualifications
40) Which of the following statements is true about spokespersons?
A) When message comprehension is low, the expertise of the spokesperson has little impact on
the receiver’s attitude.
B) A physically attractive model always enhances message credibility.
C) Consumers with strong ethnic identities are more likely to be persuaded by endorsers with
similar ethnicity than individuals with weaker ethnic identities.
D) The endorser’s credibility substitutes for corporate credibility, therefore, companies are sure
to hire highly credible spokespeople to overcome the lacking credibility of the company itself.
E) As long as a celebrity is giving the testimonial, it doesn’t matter whether or not the specific
wording of the endorsement lies within the recognized competence of the spokesperson.
41) Celebrity credibility includes the audience’s perceptions of the celebrity’s ________ and
________.
A) fame; talent
B) charisma; talent
C) expertise; charisma
D) fame; trustworthiness
E) expertise; trustworthiness
42) A celebrity’s credibility is reduced when he or she endorses a variety of products because
________.
A) the economic motivation underlying the celebrity’s endorsements becomes too pronounced
B) the celebrity becomes less famous
C) teens find celebrities more authentic than other customers
D) the celebrity has positive associations with the products
E) almost a quarter of advertisements use a celebrity spokesperson
43) A ________ involves a celebrity who attests to the product’s quality based on his/her own
personal usage of the product.
A) celebrity testimonial
B) celebrity endorsement
C) celebrity actor
D) celebrity spokesperson
E) celebrity official
44) When celebrity/pro golfer Phil Mickelson appears in a commercial to talk about his
experience with a prescription medication for arthritis, he is serving as a ________.
A) celebrity testimonial
B) celebrity endorsement
C) celebrity actor
D) celebrity spokesperson
E) celebrity official
45) A ________ is when celebrities appear on behalf of products with which they may or may
not have any direct experience or familiarity, for extended periods of time.
A) celebrity testimonial
B) celebrity endorsement
C) celebrity actor
D) celebrity spokescharacter
E) celebrity official
46) Chuck Norris appears in social media for Era detergent, because he is tough on bad guys and
the detergent is tough on stains. If he does not mention his own personal experience with the
product, it is an example of a ________.
A) celebrity testimonial
B) celebrity endorsement
C) celebrity actor
D) celebrity spokesperson
E) celebrity official
47) Which of the following does NOT enhance the credibility of a salesperson?
A) looking the customer/prospect in the eye
B) outward signs of success
C) driving an expensive, late-model car
D) dressing the part of an expert
E) All of the above enhance the credibility of a salesperson.
48) ________, or the reputation of the retailer who sells the product, has a major influence on
message credibility.
A) Vendor aura
B) Vendor credibility
C) Retail aura
D) Advertiser credibility
E) Advertiser aura
49) The key basis for message credibility is ________.
A) the ability of the product, service, or brand, to deliver consistent quality, value, and
satisfaction to consumers
B) the medium in which the message is delivered
C) the time of day at which the message is delivered
D) the synergies between the brand spokesperson and the product itself
E) the rate of repetition of the advertisement
50) The image of Vogue magazine adds status to the products advertised within the magazine.
This is an example of ________.
A) message credibility
B) celebrity credibility
C) medium credibility
D) general credibility
E) time credibility
51) A salesperson who “looks you in the eye” often is perceived as more honest than one who
evades direct eye contact. This is referred to as ________.
A) celebrity endorsement credibility
B) medium credibility
C) vendor credibility
D) salesperson credibility
E) none of the above
52) Products sold by well-known, quality stores that carry the added endorsement (and implicit
guarantee) of the store itself (e.g., “If Amazon.com recommends it, it must be a good book”) is
referred to as ________.
A) medium credibility
B) salesperson credibility
C) celebrity endorsement credibility
D) vendor credibility
E) none of the above
53) The process by which one person informally influences the actions or attitudes of others is
known as ________.
A) targeting
B) positioning
C) opinion leadership
D) referencing
E) blogging
54) The key characteristic of the influence associated with opinion leadership is that ________.
A) it is interpersonal and formal and takes place between two or more people, none of whom
represents a commercial selling source that would gain directly from the sale of something
B) it is impersonal and informal and takes place between two or more people, none of whom
represents a commercial selling source that would gain directly from the sale of something
C) it is interpersonal and informal and takes place between two or more people, none of whom
represents a commercial selling source that would gain directly from the sale of something
D) it is impersonal and formal and takes place between two or more people, none of whom
represents a commercial selling source that would gain directly from the sale of something
E) it is interpersonal and informal and takes place between two or more people, one of whom
represents a commercial selling source that would gain directly from the sale of something