Question 1

The most significant consumer social group is the consumer unit.

Accepted Answer

The consumer unit, often referred to as a household, is considered the most significant consumer social group because it encompasses individuals who make joint decisions on consumption and purchases, sharing resources and needs.

Question 2

The family is a primary, formal, contactual membership group.

Accepted Answer

The family is considered a primary, informal, non-contractual membership group, based on kinship and emotional bonds rather than formal agreements or contracts.

Question 3

A buying center is a fixed, formally identifiable department within a firm, such as the procurement department.

Accepted Answer

A buying center refers to all the individuals and units that participate in the business decision-making process. It is not a fixed or formally identifiable department but a concept that includes a variety of roles across different departments within a firm.

Question 4

The gatekeeper provides information, advice, and persuasion during the information search and alternative evaluation stages.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The gatekeeper provides information, advice, and persuasion...

Question 5

A syncratic decision is when either the husband or wife makes an individual decision and occurs in cases where one spouse has more expertise in a decision area.

Accepted Answer

A syncratic decision involves joint decision-making by both spouses, not individual decision-making by one spouse.

Question 6

Family life cycle describes the phases a family of procreation typically goes through in their process of formation, development, and ultimate dissolution.

Accepted Answer

The family life cycle concept outlines the common stages that a family goes through over time, from marriage (formation) through the growing stages of parenthood (development), to the period after the children leave home (dissolution or transformation into a new stage), encompassing major life events and changes within the family structure.

Question 7

Family life cycle stages are based primarily on critical transition points or life stage changes such as marriage, having children, and retirement from the work force.

Accepted Answer

The family life cycle stages are indeed based on critical transition points or life stage changes, including marriage, having children, and retirement, which significantly impact the family structure and dynamics.

Question 8

Matriarchal decisions occur when the wife of the family dominates the decision with some input from her spouse, often including major purchase decisions.

Accepted Answer

Matriarchal decisions involve the wife taking a leading role in decision-making, often with input from her spouse, especially in significant matters like major purchases.

Question 9

The solitary survivor II stage of the family life cycle is when one spouse dies and the other continues on and returns to work in order to earn income and remain socially active.

Accepted Answer

The solitary survivor II stage of the family life cycle refers to the period after one spouse dies, but it does not specifically imply that the surviving spouse returns to work to earn income and remain socially active. This stage focuses on the adjustment to living alone and can involve various activities, not just returning to work.

Question 10

The baby boomerang is an emerging market of young adults who either return to or continue to live with their parents.

Accepted Answer

The term "baby boomerang" refers to young adults who, after initially leaving home for education, work, or other reasons, return to live with their parents due to economic pressures, job market challenges, or personal choice, making it an emerging trend in many societies.

Question 11

The Juicy Couture brand started out as a designer t-shirt company and has rapidly expanded into casual wear, dog wear, kids clothing, yoga attire, and kids' accessories. It even combines marketing efforts with the upscale Maclaren baby stroller brand to offer a Juicy stroller. What is this an example of?

Accepted Answer

The answer of The Juicy Couture brand started out as...

Question 12

Bargaining, persuasion, and accommodation are all examples of conflict resolution strategies for which prepurchase role?

Accepted Answer

Influencers in the prepurchase role often use strategies such as bargaining, persuasion, and accommodation to resolve conflicts and sway decisions in their favor.

Question 13

What general implications are there for target marketing and product promotion for the family role concept?

Accepted Answer

Targeting multiple roles within the family through different ads (A) and addressing more than one role in a single ad (B) are effective strategies for comprehensive family marketing.

Question 14

Janelle tells her mother every morning how outdated her hair and wardrobe are. She offers to take her mother shopping all the time to update her look. What family decision role is Janelle taking on in this particular example?

Accepted Answer

Janelle is taking on the role of Monitor in this particular example. As a Monitor, she is responsible for observing and evaluating the family's progress towards their goals. In this case, she is monitoring her mother's appearance and offering suggestions for improvement.

Question 15

Hillary has recently developed an intolerance to lactose, so in an effort to continue to be able to drink milk, she suggested that her mother purchase soy milk with the household groceries that week. What prepurchase role is Hillary taking on in this example?

Accepted Answer

Hillary is taking on the role of the Initiator because she is the one who suggests buying soy milk due to her lactose intolerance.

Question 16

Which stage of the Wells and Gubar Family Life Cycle Model is Paul in if his daughter Emily has gone off to college and he has begun to receive AARP Magazine and has just purchased a vacation for his wife and himself for seven days at the Sandals Resort in Aruba?

Accepted Answer

Paul is in the Empty Nest I stage, which occurs when the children have left home, and the parents are adjusting to living without them. This stage is characterized by parents adapting to their new roles and often rekindling their relationship, as indicated by Paul purchasing a vacation for himself and his wife.

Question 17

What is the specific term used to describe adults who are caring for their aging parents as well as their own children?

Accepted Answer

The term "the sandwich generation" specifically refers to adults who are in the middle of caring for their aging parents while also raising their own children, effectively being "sandwiched" between the needs of two different generations.

Question 18

What two factors account for families trending toward becoming smaller in size?

Accepted Answer

Dual career couples and delayed marriages are two significant factors contributing to the trend of families becoming smaller in size. Dual career couples often prioritize their careers and financial stability before starting a family, which can lead to delayed marriages and subsequently delayed childbearing. Delayed marriages also contribute directly to this trend, as people tend to have fewer children the later they start.

Question 19

The combination of children from previous families and children from a new marriage is called __________.

Accepted Answer

Blended families are formed when parents from previous relationships marry or cohabit, bringing together their children from those relationships along with any children they may have together.

Question 20

Financial pressures and convenience have led to a trend where almost one half of college students return home to live with their parents post graduation. What do we call this family trend?

Accepted Answer

Boomerangers refer to young adults who return to live with their parents after a period of living away from home, often after college graduation, due to financial pressures or for convenience.

Quiz 9: Family Influences