Question 1

Mark is shopping for a new suit to wear to an important interview. He really wants to impress his prospective employer and is shopping at many stores to find the right outfit. Martin is using which type of consumer decision-making process?

Accepted Answer

Mark is engaging in a high involvement purchase decision as he is shopping for a new suit for an important interview. He is likely to engage in an extended decision-making process which involves extensive research and evaluation of alternatives before making a purchase decision.

Question 2

The five major stages of the consumer buying decision process, in order, are

Accepted Answer

The five major stages of the consumer buying decision process in order are: problem recognition, information search, evaluation of alternatives, purchase, and postpurchase evaluation. Choice B correctly identifies these stages in the correct order.

Question 3

In shopping for a new laptop computer for her master's degree program, Jocelyn has narrowed the alternatives to four brands. She is considering Dell, Toshiba, Sony, and Hewlett-Packard. These four brands make up Jocelyn's

Accepted Answer

The consideration set refers to the options that a consumer is seriously considering purchasing. In this scenario, Jocelyn is actively considering Dell, Toshiba, Sony, and Hewlett-Packard, making them her consideration set. The other options, such as the awareness set and inert set, do not accurately describe Jocelyn's situation.

Question 4

Within the information search step of the consumer buying decision process, what two primary aspects exist?

Accepted Answer

The two primary aspects within the information search step of the consumer buying decision process are internal search and external search. Internal search involves the consumer using their own knowledge and past experiences to gather information about potential products or brands, while external search involves seeking information from external sources such as friends, family, reviews, or advertising. Option A is incorrect because consideration sets and evoked sets are subsets of options that the consumer evaluates during the information search step. Option B is incorrect because personal and non-personal information can both be part of an internal or external search. Option C is incorrect because selective retention and selective distortion are biased cognitive processes that can occur during the evaluation of information gathered during the information search step, but they do not represent the primary aspects of information search. Option E is incorrect because company-produced information and internal information are both types of information that can be gathered during an internal or external search.

Question 5

Which of the following statements about the consumer buying decision process is true?

Accepted Answer

Limited decision making involves low involvement, low risk purchases where the consumer may not go through all five stages of the buying decision process. Therefore, option E is the correct statement. Option A is incorrect because limited decision making does not necessarily involve all five stages of the process. Option B is incorrect because the order of the steps in the process may vary based on the specific decision being made, not solely on the customer's level of involvement. Option C is incorrect because the purchase is just one of the steps in the process, not the key element that exists in all decision processes. Option D is incorrect because the process does not end with the purchase; post-purchase evaluation is also a step in the process.

Question 6

When shopping for detergent, Josh looks at Tide, Fresh Start, Surf, and All and chooses the one that is on sale. These four brands make up his ____ set.

Accepted Answer

The set of options that Josh is considering for detergent is his consideration set.

Question 7

A group of brands that a consumer views as alternatives for possible purchase is called a(n)

Accepted Answer

An evoked set is a group of brands that a consumer considers when making a purchase decision. This set is based on the consumer's past experiences, external information, and personal preferences. Other options like the awareness set, inert set, evaluative group, and evaluation criteria may also be important factors in a consumer's decision-making process, but they do not specifically refer to the group of brands the consumer is considering.

Question 8

Problem recognition occurs when a consumer

Accepted Answer

Problem recognition is the stage in the consumer decision-making process where the consumer becomes aware of a difference between their desired state (what they want) and their actual condition (what they currently have). This recognition triggers the search for information and eventually leads to the evaluation of different options to resolve the problem. Therefore, option B accurately describes this process.

Question 9

All of the following are marketer-dominated sources of information except

Accepted Answer

Friends are considered a consumer-dominated source of information, as they are people in the individual's personal network who are not affiliated with a marketing organization. The other options listed are marketer-dominated sources, as they are all controlled by the company or brand.

Question 10

When Julia goes to the first class of her Operations Management course, she finds out that in addition to the textbook she already purchased, she also needs a copy of the book The Goal. At which stage of the consumer buying decision process is Julia?

Accepted Answer

Julia is at the problem recognition stage, where she realizes that she needs additional materials (The Goal) to fulfill the requirements of her course.

Question 11

A customer shopping for a fax machine tells a salesperson that it is important for the fax machine to have several attributes. It must use plain paper, be able to make copies, be compatible with all other fax machines, and not require a separate phone line. The buyer has expressed his or her

Accepted Answer

The buyer has listed specific attributes that are important to them when evaluating and choosing a fax machine, which are evaluative criteria.

Question 12

During the evaluation of alternatives stage of the consumer buying decision process, framing most likely influences the decision process of ____ buyers.

Accepted Answer

Framing is most likely to influence the decision process of inexperienced buyers who may have limited knowledge and experience to rely on when evaluating alternatives. Older, wealthier, and veteran buyers may have more knowledge and experience to rely on, while younger buyers may be influenced by other factors such as peer pressure and social influence.

Question 13

During which stage of the consumer buying decision process does a consumer decide from which seller he or she will buy the product?

Accepted Answer

During the purchase stage of the consumer buying decision process, the consumer has already evaluated alternatives, searched for information, and decided on the product they want to buy. The purchase stage is where the decision of from which seller to buy the product is made.

Question 14

Jeff needs to buy his textbooks for the coming semester of college. It is only two weeks before the first day of class, and he still has not made a purchase. Jeff wants to buy them somewhere other than the bookstore since he is still living at his parents' home and won't be on campus until the day before class. Jeff goes online and looks for sites that sell the textbook. Then he remembers that one of his friends had said something earlier about finding the book for a great price. Jeff then calls his friend to get the name of the site. In terms of Jeff's buying decision process, his going online to look for sites was part of _______, and his calling a friend was ______.

Accepted Answer

Jeff's going online to look for sites is an external information search, and calling a friend for the name of the site is also an external information search.

Question 15

When Trevor realizes his liquor cabinet supply was devastated by last weekend's party, he first retrieves information from his memory about what types of liquor he and his friends like most and then asks the attractive clerk at the liquor store what she would recommend. Trevor started with a(n) ____ search and then progressed to a(n) ____ search.

Accepted Answer

Trevor begins with an internal search, retrieving information from his memory, and then moves to an external search by asking the clerk at the liquor store for recommendations. This fits the categories of an internal-external search.

Question 16

In the consumer buying decision process, the information search stage

Accepted Answer

During the information search stage, a buyer gathers information about various brands and the features they offer. This leads to a consideration set of brands that are viewed as possible alternatives for purchase. Therefore, option A is the correct choice. Option B refers to the need recognition stage, option C is incorrect as information search is an essential part of extensive decision making, option D is incorrect as evaluation of alternatives come after the information search stage, and option E is incorrect as routine response behavior involves minimal information search.

Question 17

Evaluative criteria for brands within the consideration set are both

Accepted Answer

Evaluative criteria can be both objective and subjective, as they may involve tangible attributes (such as price or quality) as well as intangible ones (such as brand image or emotional association). While some criteria may be more universally agreed upon (objective), others may vary from person to person based on individual preferences, experiences, or beliefs (subjective).

Question 18

Marissa goes to Target to purchase school supplies for her two children. As she is approaching the check-out counter, she sees a vase she just has to have and buys it immediately. Marissa's purchase of the vase is an example of

Accepted Answer

Marissa's purchase of the vase was not a planned purchase, rather it was a result of an impulse. Impulse buying is characterized by sudden and unplanned purchases stimulated by external cues, such as seeing the vase on display at the store.

Question 19

Beth Hines is buying furniture for her apartment for the first time. She is spending considerable time and effort comparing the products that different stores offer. Which type of decision-making process is she using?

Accepted Answer

Beth Hines is spending considerable time and effort comparing the products of different stores, which indicates that she is using an extended decision-making process. This type of decision-making process is usually used when a consumer is buying a product for the first time, is not sure about the available options, and has a high level of involvement in the purchase decision.

Question 20

Stefanie is shopping for groceries at her local supermarket. As she picks up laundry detergent, she sees the display of bathroom cleaners and remembers that she is about to run out of it at home. Stefanie tries to remember the specific brand that she used last time, because she thought that was the best in terms of performance and value. In terms of the consumer buying decision process, Stefanie's remembering that she was almost out of bathroom cleaner is the ____ phase of the buying decision process, where trying to remember what brand she last used was an example of the _____ phase.

Accepted Answer

Stefanie realizing that she needs to buy bathroom cleaner is the problem recognition phase, while trying to remember the brand she used last time is an example of internal information search phase, as she is trying to recall information from her memory.

Quiz 7: Consumer Buying Behavior