Question 1

A consumer researcher wants to understand the attributes that guide consumers' preferences when deciding among different brands of laundry detergent. She asks consumers to compare alternatives across levels of attributes, such as price, gentleness, and scent. These comparisons allow the researcher to determine the expected utility associated with each alternative. Which type of analysis is the researcher conducting?

Accepted Answer

The researcher is conducting conjoint analysis, which involves presenting consumers with various combinations of attributes and then analyzing the preferences expressed by the consumers. This type of analysis is used to determine the relative importance of different attributes in a consumer's decision-making process.

Question 2

Which type of quality is based on consumer perceptions?

Accepted Answer

Perceived quality is based on consumer perceptions and is often influenced by factors such as brand image, marketing messages, and personal experiences with the product. This type of quality may differ from the actual underlying quality of the product.

Question 3

Using which rule does the consumer set minimum mental cutoff points for various features and rejects any product that fails to meet or exceed this cutoff point across all features?

Accepted Answer

The conjunctive rule is when the consumer sets minimum cutoff points for various features and rejects any product that fails to meet or exceed this cutoff point across all features. This means that all features have to meet the minimum standard, and if any feature falls below that standard, the product is rejected. Therefore, the conjunctive rule is the best choice for this scenario.

Question 4

A consumer was deciding among three vacation options and ended up choosing the one that actually performed the worst on the most important attribute, price. Which type of decision rule was the consumer using that allowed this alternative to be selected?

Accepted Answer

The compensatory rule allows a consumer to evaluate each option by considering all attributes and trade-offs, meaning a poor performance on one important attribute like price can be compensated by better performance on other attributes.

Question 5

Which type of quality can be assessed through industry specification or expert rating?

Accepted Answer

Objective quality can be assessed through industry specifications or expert ratings as it relies on measurable and verifiable criteria.

Question 6

Lisa is evaluating different brands of sewing machines and has determined the features that are important to her. She has decided that all features must meet or surpass a mental cutoff of 4 for an alternative to be selected. Which decision rule is Lisa using?

Accepted Answer

Lisa is using the conjunctive decision rule, which requires that all features meet or surpass a certain cutoff level for an alternative to be considered acceptable.

Question 7

The attitude-toward-the-object model is an example of which type of consumer choice decision rule?

Accepted Answer

The attitude-toward-the-object model is a compensatory decision rule where consumers consider all attributes of a product and balance their positive and negative attitudes towards it to arrive at an overall evaluation. This means that consumers are willing to trade off one positive attribute for a negative one or vice versa.

Question 8

Which term is used to describe the practice of offering essentially identical products with different model numbers or names?

Accepted Answer

Branded variants refer to the practice of offering essentially identical products with different model numbers or names to create a perception of variety or to target different market segments.

Question 9

The two major types of rules that consumers use when selecting products are _____.

Accepted Answer

Compensatory rules allow consumers to weigh the strengths and weaknesses of different product attributes against each other, while noncompensatory rules allow consumers to eliminate products that do not meet certain criteria (such as minimum price or quality thresholds). Utilitarian and hedonic are types of product benefits, while primary and secondary may refer to sources of information. Feature-based and attribute-based are similar concepts and do not reflect the two major types of decision rules. Superordinate and subordinate refer to levels of categorization.

Question 10

How does the disjunctive rule differ from the conjunctive rule?

Accepted Answer

The disjunctive rule differs from the conjunctive rule in that the cutoff point for the disjunctive rule is usually high, and the product that meets or exceeds this cutoff on any feature is selected. On the other hand, the conjunctive rule selects the product that is thought to perform best on all attributes, which may not be realistic or practical. Therefore, the disjunctive rule allows for more flexibility and focuses on finding a product that meets the consumer's minimum standards on at least one important feature.

Question 11

Which type of decision rule allows consumers to select products that may perform poorly on one attribute by compensating for the poor performance by good performance on another attribute?

Accepted Answer

The compensatory rule allows consumers to weigh the different attributes of a product and make trade-offs between them. This means that if a product performs poorly on one attribute, but well on another, the consumer can compensate for the poor performance by valuing the good performance on another attribute. The other options are not relevant to this type of decision-making.

Question 12

All of the following are types of noncompensatory rules EXCEPT _____.

Accepted Answer

Conjoint rule is not a type of noncompensatory rule. Instead, it is a type of compensatory rule in which consumers evaluate products based on multiple attributes and make trade-offs between them. Lexicographic rule, disjunctive rule, conjunctive rule, and elimination-by-aspects rule are all types of noncompensatory rules, where consumers evaluate products based on specific criteria or eliminate options that do not meet certain criteria.

Question 13

Consumers make judgments about all of the following EXCEPT _____.

Accepted Answer

Consumers do make judgments about product categories as they consider which products fit their needs, but they do not make judgments about product categories themselves. Rather, they make judgments about the products within those categories based on features, benefits, and value. Therefore, the correct answer is C.

Question 14

Which type of decision rules have strict guidelines set prior to selection, and any option that does not meet the specifications is eliminated from consideration?

Accepted Answer

Noncompensatory rules involve strict guidelines where options failing to meet the set criteria are immediately eliminated from consideration.

Question 15

All of the following are discussed as issues affecting consumer judgments EXCEPT _____.

Accepted Answer

The answer of All of the following are discussed as...

Question 16

Which of the following describes the perceived relationship between attributes of products?

Accepted Answer

Attribute correlation refers to the perceived relationship between attributes of products. It involves the association of certain attributes with each other, such as quality and price or durability and design, in the minds of consumers. This helps them to form overall impressions of products and make decisions based on their preferences for specific combinations of attributes.

Question 17

Carl is evaluating an xBox 360, a PS3, and a Nintendo Wii and has identified attributes to compare, such as price, game options, DVD players, and so on. He has decided that a game player must score above his minimum cutoffs. However, he has set these minimum cutoffs relatively high, and he will select the one that exceeds the relatively high cutoff on any attribute he's identified. Which decision rule is Carl using?

Accepted Answer

Carl is using a disjunctive decision rule because he has set a relatively high cutoff for each attribute and will select any game player that exceeds the cutoff on at least one attribute. This means he is willing to accept a game player that may not excel in all attributes but meets the minimum requirement for at least one.

Question 18

Jose is trying to determine the actual quality of different brands of lawn mowers by looking at Consumer Reports ratings. This type of quality is referred to as _____.

Accepted Answer

Consumer Reports ratings provide an objective measure of quality, as they are based on specific testing criteria and standards. This type of quality is not subjective or based on personal opinions or preferences, but rather on measurable factors. Therefore, the correct answer is D) objective quality.

Question 19

Using which type of decision rule does a consumer set a minimum, but usually high, mental cutoff for various features and selects the product that meets or exceeds this cutoff on any feature?

Accepted Answer

In the disjunctive decision rule, a consumer sets a high cutoff for various features and selects the product that meets or exceeds this cutoff on any one feature.

Question 20

_____ is used to understand the attributes that guide preferences by having consumers compare products across levels of evaluative criteria and the expected utility associated with the alternatives.

Accepted Answer

Conjoint analysis is used to understand consumer preferences by asking them to compare products across different attributes (evaluative criteria) and the expected utility associated with each alternative. It helps businesses understand how consumers make trade-offs between different features or characteristics of a product or service and which attributes are most important to them.

Quiz 13: Decision Making Ii: Alternative Evaluation and Choice