Consumer Behavior, 6th Edition solutions manual and test bank by Wayne D. Hoyer | Deborah J. MacInnis | Rik Pieters

Consumer Behavior, 6th Edition solutions manual and test bank by Wayne D. Hoyer | Deborah J. MacInnis | Rik Pieters

Chapter 2—Motivation, Ability, and Opportunity

TRUE/FALSE

1. Movie Tavern faces growing competition from big industry players, so they try to have an appeal that saves consumers' time by integrating a meal with dinner.

ANS: T PTS: 1 REF: p. 44 NAT: AACSB: Analytic

2. Goal-relevant behavior is an outcome of motivation.

ANS: T PTS: 1 REF: p. 45 NAT: AACSB: Analytic

3. Felt involvement can be enduring, situational, and disappointing.

ANS: F PTS: 1 REF: p. 47 NAT: AACSB: Analytic

4. When a consumer watches a funny movie and experiences intense emotions, he/she is cognitively involved.

ANS: F PTS: 1 REF: p. 48 NAT: AACSB: Analytic

5. Any kind of offering may be personally relevant to the extent that it bears on your self-concept, or your view of yourself and the way you think others view you.

ANS: F PTS: 1 REF: p. 48 NAT: AACSB: Analytic

6. Voters are more likely to be motivated to attend to a politician who expresses their values.

ANS: T PTS: 1 REF: p. 50 NAT: AACSB: Analytic

7. Your self-concept is influenced by you.

ANS: T PTS: 1 REF: p. 50 NAT: AACSB: Analytic

8. The Skin Cancer Foundation ran an ad on TV conveying to parents the need for them to put sunscreen on their children to avoid skin damage that might lead to cancer. This is an example of making an ad campaign personally relevant.

ANS: T PTS: 1 REF: p. 49 NAT: AACSB: Communication

9. The most important factor affecting personal relevance is needs.

ANS: F PTS: 1 REF: p. 50 NAT: AACSB: Reflective

10. Maslow's hierarchy focuses on different levels of motivation in an individual's life.

ANS: F PTS: 1 REF: p. 50 NAT: AACSB: Analytic

11. Consumers exert the same amount of effort in achieving their consumption goals.

ANS: F PTS: 1 REF: p. 55 NAT: AACSB: Analytic

12. Needs are dynamic, exist in a hierarchy, can cause conflict, and can be internally or externally aroused.

ANS: T PTS: 1 REF: p. 53 NAT: AACSB: Analytic

13. Perceived risk is higher when little information is available about the offering, its price is high, and it is relatively new.

ANS: T PTS: 1 REF: p. 59 NAT: AACSB: Analytic

14. Physiological risk is one of the types of perceived risk.

ANS: F PTS: 1 REF: p. 60 NAT: AACSB: Analytic

15. Consumers are more motivated to satisfy their social needs than their hedonic needs.

ANS: T PTS: 1 REF: p. 51 NAT: AACSB: Reflective

MULTIPLE CHOICE

16. ____ influence how much effort consumers put into searching for information, how they make choices, how they form attitudes, and what they remember.

a.	Motivation, ability, and opportunity
b.	Motivation and persistence
c.	Ability and persistence
d.	Risk and persistence
e.	Risk, ability, and persistence

ANS: A PTS: 1 REF: p. 44 NAT: AACSB: Analytic

17. ____ is an inner force that denotes energy to achieve a goal.

a.	Retrieval
b.	Motivation
c.	Ability
d.	Opportunity
e.	Persistence

ANS: B PTS: 1 REF: p. 44 NAT: AACSB: Analytic

18. Ben spent a lot of time deciding on a tablet. He searched all of the technology consumer blogs. In purchasing a tablet, Ben can be considered

a.	risk averse.
b.	a decision avoider.
c.	opportunistic.
d.	able.
e.	motivated.

ANS: E PTS: 1 REF: p. 45 NAT: AACSB: Analytic

19. Chris wants to buy a new car. He saw a commercial for a Smart car and has decided that he would like to test-drive a Smart car. He is probably motivated by the commercial because the information was

a.	personally relevant.
b.	presented in a humorous way.
c.	risky.
d.	moderately inconsistent with his prior attitudes about Honda.
e.	based on knowledge and experience.

ANS: A PTS: 1 REF: p. 45 NAT: AACSB: Communication

20. Outcomes of high MAO include goal-relevant behavior, high-effort information processing and decision making, and

a.	high process clutter.
b.	felt involvement.
c.	complex reactions.
d.	disposition.
e.	perceived risk.

ANS: B PTS: 1 REF: p. 47 NAT: AACSB: Analytic

21. If you are motivated to make the right choice in buying a car, you might do all of the following except

a.	spend a lot of time and energy comparing the brands.
b.	try to understand just what certain attributes mean.
c.	imagine how you would look driving them.
d.	choose the first car you see on the lot.
e.	actively try to remember the details of the information.

ANS: D PTS: 1 REF: p. 47 NAT: AACSB: Reflective

22. Shelly did not take much time to make a decision about her toothpaste. She looked to see if either of the two brands she regularly bought was on sale and then tossed the cheaper one into her shopping cart. Shelly's ____ in choosing toothpaste.

a.	ability is low
b.	risks are high
c.	motivation is high
d.	opportunity is low
e.	motivation is low

ANS: E PTS: 1 REF: p. 47 NAT: AACSB: Analytic

23. Motivation in purchasing common grocery products

a.	is always high.
b.	is often low.
c.	is high for frequently purchased items, but low for durables.
d.	is low for coupon users, but high for others.
e.	is always high in Western Europe and the United States, but is low elsewhere.

ANS: B PTS: 1 REF: p. 47 NAT: AACSB: Analytic

24. Tara sees an ad for quick weight loss. She has been thinking about losing some weight before her cousin's birthday party. Some research indicates that she may want to believe the ad because she wants it to be true, so she convinces herself that the product will work. This type of information processing is called

a.	motivated reasoning.
b.	felt involvement.
c.	image-based reasoning.
d.	enduring involvement.
e.	fad reasoning.

ANS: A PTS: 1 REF: p. 47 NAT: AACSB: Analytic

25. ____ is the psychological experience of the motivated consumer that includes psychological states such as interest, excitement, anxiety, passion, and engagement.

a.	SEVA
b.	External positive agitation
c.	Felt involvement
d.	Emotional processing mode
e.	Active agitational processing

ANS: C PTS: 1 REF: p. 47 NAT: AACSB: Analytic

26. Jonathan loves Turtle Car Wax. He uses it on his vehicles and when someone notices his car he always engages in a conversation about his favorite car wax. Jonathan has what is known as a(n) ____ with Turtle Car Wax.

a.	social involvement
b.	model involvement
c.	felt involvement
d.	socialized involvement
e.	outcome involvement

ANS: C PTS: 1 REF: p. 47 NAT: AACSB: Communication

27. Cindy has had an interest in Barbie dolls since she was 7 years old. She continues to collect Barbie dolls and attends trade shows with other Barbie doll enthusiasts. Cindy has what is known as a(n) ____ in Barbie dolls.

a.	internal motivation
b.	situational involvement
c.	felt involvement
d.	enduring involvement
e.	processing motivation

ANS: D PTS: 1 REF: p. 47 NAT: AACSB: Analytic

28. Alan had an interest in baby toys. It started while his wife was pregnant and lasted until their daughter was about 2 years old. This is known as

a.	internal motivation.
b.	processing motivation.
c.	felt involvement.
d.	enduring involvement.
e.	situational involvement.

ANS: E PTS: 1 REF: p. 48 NAT: AACSB: Analytic

29. Before buying a PC, Nathan read computer magazines daily and knew all of the different types of components. This is best thought of as an example of

a.	cognitive involvement.
b.	felt motivation.
c.	cognitive agitation.
d.	affective elaboration.
e.	elaborative cognition.

ANS: A PTS: 1 REF: p. 48 NAT: AACSB: Analytic

30. Kimberly was really excited and happy about her purchase of a Rainbow Vacuum Cleaner. She couldn't wait until her husband came home to see the living room carpet and show him the dirt she was able to extract from the carpet. Kimberly felt so proud of her purchase because it represented her ability to take care of her family. This is best thought of as an example of

a.	cognitive involvement.
b.	affective involvement.
c.	cognitive agitation.
d.	affective elaboration.
e.	elaborative cognition.

ANS: B PTS: 1 REF: p. 48 NAT: AACSB: Analytic

31. In Japan, ads that emphasize interpersonal relationships, social circumstances and nonverbal expressions generate more involvement than ads with

a.	highly emotional messages.
b.	friends and family.
c.	facial expressions.
d.	clearly articulated and spoken messages.
e.	written messages.

ANS: D PTS: 1 REF: p. 48 NAT: AACSB: Communication

32. Consumers can be involved with many different entities so it is important to identify the

a.	object of involvement.
b.	person behind the involvement.
c.	specific emotions elicited by the involvement.
d.	type of brands in the product category.
e.	level of brand loyalty.

ANS: A PTS: 1 REF: p. 48 NAT: AACSB: Analytic

33. Response involvement is when consumers

a.	have a high degree of affective response to ads.
b.	are involved in certain decisions and behaviors.
c.	have a high degree of cognitive response to ads.
d.	are involved in a response to a sales campaign.
e.	have a high degree of both cognitive and affective response to ads.

ANS: B PTS: 1 REF: p. 48 NAT: AACSB: Analytic

34. Alma is involved with the brand Lululemon. Whenever she has extra spending money, she buys Lululemon sportswear or goods. Her response involvement in terms of deciding what brands to buy is

a.	high.
b.	affective
c.	cognitive.
d.	low.
e.	situational.

ANS: D PTS: 1 REF: p. 48 NAT: AACSB: Analytic

35. When she was a teenager, Carol owned a 1972 Ford Pinto. Therefore when a magazine article in 1973 claimed that the car was unsafe and could explode on impact if it was in an accident, Carol was motivated to pay attention to the article because of the information's

a.	perceived social risk.
b.	congruence with her values.
c.	approach-approach needs conflict.
d.	personal relevance.
e.	cognitive stimulation.

ANS: D PTS: 1 REF: p. 49 NAT: AACSB: Analytic

36. Something that is personally relevant

a.	has only indirect bearing on the self.
b.	leads to lower or moderate levels of motivation.
c.	leads to a moderate inconsistency with prior attitudes.
d.	has potentially significant consequences or implications for our lives.
e.	is less risky.

ANS: D PTS: 1 REF: p. 49 NAT: AACSB: Analytic

37. Our view of who we are and the way we think others view us is known as

a.	self-projection.
b.	consumer image.
c.	consumer projection.
d.	self-concept.
e.	ego imaging.

ANS: D PTS: 1 REF: p. 50 NAT: AACSB: Analytic

38. To Ted, avocados were personally relevant. He had grown up near an avocado farm and his family had always been involved in avocados. Avocados and guacamole were a part of how he saw himself. In other words, they were a part of his

a.	personal involvement.
b.	consumer values.
c.	consumer beliefs.
d.	consumer involvement.
e.	self-concept.

ANS: E PTS: 1 REF: p. 50 NAT: AACSB: Analytic

39. Motivation is affected by all of the following except the extent to which the object of motivation

a.	is personally relevant.
b.	is consistent with needs, values, and goals.
c.	has not been encoded in memory.
d.	is risky.
e.	is moderately inconsistent with our prior attitudes.

ANS: C PTS: 1 REF: p. 49-62 NAT: AACSB: Analytic

40. ____ reflect the objectives we would like to achieve given the current situation.

a.	Needs
b.	Values
c.	Goals
d.	Wants
e.	Brand loyalties

ANS: C PTS: 1 REF: p. 55 NAT: AACSB: Analytic

41. Needs

a.	are cognitions that create inner value for consumers.
b.	are deeper-level goals that reflect a high level of involvement.
c.	are temporary wants.
d.	reflect inner forces that create tension in individuals.
e.	are affects that create outer value for consumers.

ANS: D PTS: 1 REF: p. 50 NAT: AACSB: Analytic

42. All of the following are included in Maslow's hierarchy of needs except ____ needs.

a.	physiological
b.	safety
c.	social
d.	internal
e.	egoistic

ANS: D PTS: 1 REF: p. 50 NAT: AACSB: Analytic

43. In Maslow's hierarchy of needs, ____ is the need for self-fulfillment and enriching experiences.

a.	egoistic involvement
b.	safety
c.	social need
d.	physiological need
e.	self-actualization

ANS: E PTS: 1 REF: p. 50 NAT: AACSB: Analytic

44. The most basic level of Maslow's needs is

a.	physiological needs.
b.	egoistic needs.
c.	safety.
d.	social needs.
e.	self-actualization.

ANS: A PTS: 1 REF: p. 50 NAT: AACSB: Analytic

45. Gretchen found herself buying and wearing the same fashion clothes that her friends wore even though she really didn't like them. This is an example of ____ needs driving acquisition.

a.	safety
b.	social
c.	functional
d.	nonsocial
e.	egoistic

ANS: B PTS: 1 REF: p. 50 NAT: AACSB: Analytic

46. Needs for sleep, novelty, control, uniqueness, and understanding are all examples of ____ needs.

a.	safety
b.	social
c.	nonsocial
d.	functional
e.	egoistic

ANS: C PTS: 1 REF: p. 52 NAT: AACSB: Analytic

47. Helma needed to find a lawn mower to cut her grass, which was growing rapidly after recent rains. Her need is best classified as a(n) ____ need.

a.	self-actualization
b.	social
c.	hedonic
d.	functional
e.	egoistic

ANS: D PTS: 1 REF: p. 52 NAT: AACSB: Analytic

48. ____ needs are defined as those that reflect self-enhancement, role position, group membership, or ego identification.

a.	Social
b.	Functional
c.	Nonsocial
d.	Symbolic
e.	Hedonic

ANS: D PTS: 1 REF: p. 52 NAT: AACSB: Analytic

49. Bill loved hang gliding. He enjoyed going out by himself to enjoy the thrilling sensation of hanging in midair. This is best thought of as a ____ need.

a.	social
b.	functional
c.	nonsocial
d.	symbolic
e.	hedonic

ANS: E PTS: 1 REF: p. 52 NAT: AACSB: Analytic

50. Usually delicious desserts have a high fat and calorie content, thus the development of a low-calorie, good-tasting dessert as a substitute is an example of how marketers can help consumers to resolve

a.	avoidance-avoidance conflict.
b.	approach-avoidance conflict.
c.	approach-approach conflict.
d.	approach contradiction.
e.	avoidance contradiction.

ANS: B PTS: 1 REF: p. 53 NAT: AACSB: Analytic

51. Needs have all of the following characteristics except that they

a.	are dynamic.
b.	can conflict with one another.
c.	can be aroused by internal cues.
d.	can be aroused by external cues.
e.	result in higher levels of perceived risk.

ANS: E PTS: 1 REF: p. 53 NAT: AACSB: Analytic

52. ____ occurs when a given behavior is seen as both desirable and undesirable because it satisfies some needs but fails to satisfy others.

a.	Approach-avoidance conflict
b.	Approach-approach conflict
c.	Opposing-sided contradiction
d.	Open-sided contradiction
e.	Avoidance contradiction

ANS: A PTS: 1 REF: p. 53 NAT: AACSB: Analytic

53. Driving his BMW to the party, Skip felt great that driving well above the speed limit won him the admiration of his friends, but he also had safety concerns. This is a classic example of an

a.	opposing-sided contradiction.
b.	approach-avoidance conflict.
c.	approach-approach conflict.
d.	open-sided contradiction.
e.	avoidance contradiction

ANS: B PTS: 1 REF: p. 53 NAT: AACSB: Analytic

54. Consumers with a(n) ____ are likely to be highly involved in activities like reading, solving puzzles, and playing games that are mentally taxing.

a.	high need for cognition
b.	high optimum stimulation level
c.	low need for cognition
d.	low need for conation
e.	affectively oriented personality

ANS: A PTS: 1 REF: p. 52 NAT: AACSB: Analytic

55. Consumers with a(n) ____ have been found to be very involved in shopping and highly involved in seeking information about brands.

a.	high need for cognition
b.	high optimum stimulation level
c.	low need cognition
d.	low need for conation
e.	affectively oriented personality

ANS: B PTS: 1 REF: p. 52 NAT: AACSB: Analytic

56. ____ occurs when an individual faces the task of choosing among two or more equally desirable options that fulfill different needs.

a.	Approach-avoidance conflict
b.	Approach-approach conflict
c.	Opposing-sided contradiction
d.	Open-sided contradiction
e.	Avoidance contradiction

ANS: B PTS: 1 REF: p. 63 NAT: AACSB: Analytic

57. Marketers can use ____ to uncover consumers' needs, asking consumers to interpret a set of relatively ambiguous stimuli.

a.	scanner data
b.	observation
c.	indirect techniques such as interpreting ambiguous stimuli
d.	physiological measurements
e.	toe scans

ANS: C PTS: 1 REF: p. 54 NAT: AACSB: Analytic

58. Crystal went on a strict diet and lost 30 pounds. She was proud of her achievement. According to appraisal theory, her emotion of pride is the result of

a.	normative influence.
b.	achieving an outcome consistent with her goals.
c.	cognitive processing.
d.	affective referral.
e.	moral compatibility,

ANS: B PTS: 1 REF: p. 56 NAT: AACSB: Analytic

59. If you are hungry, one of your goals might be to eat a large lunch. This is an example of a(n) ____ goal.

a.	appraised
b.	abstract
c.	concrete
d.	normative
e.	affective

ANS: C PTS: 1 REF: p. 56 NAT: AACSB: Analytic

60. Bill is always on time for class, listens well, takes lengthy notes during lecture, and always studies hard for exams in an attempt to achieve his goal of being a good student. This is an example of a(n) ____ goal.

a.	appraised
b.	abstract
c.	concrete
d.	normative
e.	affective

ANS: B PTS: 1 REF: p. 55 NAT: AACSB: Analytic

61. Some groups of consumers like low sugar cakes and other groups of consumers like rich, decadent cakes and cookies. This is best thought of as an example of using consumers' needs, values, and goals to

a.	create new needs.
b.	create new beliefs.
c.	heighten emotional awareness.
d.	segment the market.
e.	stimulate cognitions.

ANS: D PTS: 1 REF: p. 57 NAT: AACSB: Analytic

62. As U.S. society becomes more violent, consumers have bought an increasing amount of safety equipment and paid attention to advertising for such equipment. This is an example of appealing to a need that increases

a.	wants.
b.	beliefs.
c.	affect.
d.	motivation.
e.	cognitions.

ANS: D PTS: 1 REF: p. 57 NAT: AACSB: Analytic

63. Eying the popularity of sports trading cards, companies introduced other types of trading cards, creating a new type of entertainment. This is best thought of as an example of

a.	creating beliefs.
b.	distracting motivation.
c.	creating affect.
d.	increasing cognitions.
e.	creating new needs.

ANS: E PTS: 1 REF: p. 58 NAT: AACSB: Analytic

64. One way to increase the likelihood that consumers will process a message is by suggesting that the product or service will

a.	fulfill a need, value, or goal.
b.	increase a consumer's safety needs.
c.	be able to create new affect.
d.	increase a consumer's functional needs.
e.	increase a consumer's processing of the message.

ANS: A PTS: 1 REF: p. 58 NAT: AACSB: Communication

65. Perceived risk is best thought of as the extent to which the consumer

a.	has a fear of using a product.
b.	has thought out the consequences of an action.
c.	has spent time using and considering a product or service.
d.	is uncertain about the consequences of an action.
e.	considers the potential rewards of using a particular product or service.

ANS: D PTS: 1 REF: p. 59 NAT: AACSB: Analytic

66. All of the following can increase perceived risk except when

a.	there is little information about the product or service.
b.	the product or service is new.
c.	the product has a high price.
d.	the product is technologically complex.
e.	there are no substantial quality differences between brands.

ANS: E PTS: 1 REF: p. 59 NAT: AACSB: Analytic

67. All of the following are types of perceived risk identified by researchers except

a.	uncertainty risk.
b.	performance risk.
c.	financial risk.
d.	physical risk.
e.	social risk.

ANS: A PTS: 1 REF: p. 60 NAT: AACSB: Analytic

68. Len loved his subcompact car, but as a partner in a major law firm he was expected to drive an expensive luxury automobile. This product contained a high degree of ____ for him.

a.	uncertainty risk
b.	social risk
c.	financial risk
d.	physical risk
e.	performance risk

ANS: B PTS: 1 REF: p. 60 NAT: AACSB: Analytic

69. Psychological risk reflects consumers' concern over the extent to which a product or service

a.	causes them a high level of psychological stress.
b.	may not fulfill a functional need.
c.	fits with the way they perceive themselves.
d.	leads them to high levels of affective involvement.
e.	may not fulfill a hedonic need.

ANS: C PTS: 1 REF: p. 60 NAT: AACSB: Analytic

70. Anne considers herself an environmentalist; however, she also likes the convenience of bottled water. Purchasing water in a non-ecological, disposable, plastic bottle may result in what kinds of perceived risk for Anne?

a.	performance
b.	financial
c.	safety
d.	social
e.	psychological

ANS: E PTS: 1 REF: p. 60 NAT: AACSB: Analytic

71. ____ refers to the potential harm that a product or service might pose to one's safety.

a.	Social risk
b.	Uncertainty risk
c.	Time risk
d.	Physical risk
e.	Performance risk

ANS: D PTS: 1 REF: p. 60 NAT: AACSB: Analytic

72. Joshua saw a PC ad with information that was slightly negative about the brand of PC he just bought. He then looked up articles on the internet to resolve the uncomfortable feeling. This is an example of ____ affecting motivation.

a.	increased aptitude
b.	decreasing the affective component of attitudes
c.	increased perceived risk
d.	inconsistency with attitudes
e.	increasing risk aversion

ANS: D PTS: 1 REF: p. 61 NAT: AACSB: Communication

73. ____ is the extent to which consumers have the necessary resources (knowledge, intelligence, money) to make an outcome happen.

a.	Involvement
b.	Motivation
c.	Opportunity
d.	Ability
e.	Achievement

ANS: D PTS: 1 REF: p. 62 NAT: AACSB: Analytic

74. Kimberly has used computers all of her life. She knows a lot about hardware and software. Kimberly can process information about computers more extensively when the information is stated in terms of

a.	attributes.
b.	discrete units of information rather than chunking of information.
c.	attitudes.
d.	beliefs.
e.	benefits.

ANS: A PTS: 1 REF: p. 62 NAT: AACSB: Analytic

75. Novices are able to process information more extensively when the information is stated in terms of

a.	benefits.
b.	discrete units of information rather than chunking of information.
c.	attitudes.
d.	beliefs.
e.	attributes.

ANS: A PTS: 1 REF: p. 62 NAT: AACSB: Analytic

76. Cognitive style refers to a consumer's

a.	ability to process information.
b.	preferences for information.
c.	style of processing information.
d.	way of thinking about the world.
e.	preferences for the style of processing information.

ANS: E PTS: 1 REF: p. 62 NAT: AACSB: Analytic

77. When Clay provides his friends directions to his new house, he draws a detailed map of the area rather than provide list written instructions. Clay's way of formatting information is influenced by his

a.	affective processing.
b.	cognitive style.
c.	expertise.
d.	intelligence.
e.	education.

ANS: B PTS: 1 REF: p. 63 NAT: AACSB: Analytic

78. Although Tony would like to own a Ferrari, he does not have the necessary funds to purchase such an expensive car. Thus, Tony lacks the ____ to purchase a Ferrari.

a.	felt involvement
b.	motivation
c.	ability
d.	opportunity
e.	All of these choices are correct.

ANS: C PTS: 1 REF: p. 64 NAT: AACSB: Analytic

79. ____ reflects the extent to which a situation is conducive to achieving an outcome.

a.	Ability
b.	Motivation
c.	Opportunity
d.	Involvement
e.	Achievement

ANS: C PTS: 1 REF: p. 64 NAT: AACSB: Analytic

80. ____ refers to any processing situation that can divert a consumer's attention away from the processing of a message.

a.	Involvement
b.	Cognitive pause
c.	Opportunistic pause
d.	Distraction
e.	Cognition

ANS: D PTS: 1 REF: p. 65 NAT: AACSB: Analytic

81. All of the following are factors affecting opportunity except

a.	time.
b.	distraction.
c.	the amount of information.
d.	the complexity of information.
e.	cognitive complexity.

ANS: E PTS: 1 REF: p. 65 NAT: AACSB: Analytic

82. Ellen is driving down the road with her radio on. An ad for a new store is being aired as Ellen maneuvers through heavy traffic. Although Ellen enjoys shopping and is always interested in new stores, she is paying more attention to her driving than the ad. Thus she has limited ____ to pay attention to the ad.

a.	motivation
b.	ability
c.	opportunity
d.	felt involvement
e.	cognitive capacity

ANS: C PTS: 1 REF: p. 65 NAT: AACSB: Analytic

ESSAY

83. What is motivation?

ANS:

Answer not provided.

PTS: 1 REF: p. 45 NAT: AACSB: Analytic

84. Elbow and Pliers Baking Soda is about to engage in an extensive marketing campaign to motivate consumers about baking soda. If successful, what effects might this campaign have on consumers?

ANS:

Answer not provided.

PTS: 1 REF: p. 47-49 NAT: AACSB: Analytic

85. Helga loves Coca-Cola and she is an avid collector of products with that brand's logo on it. What might be some of the effects of her interest on her behavior as a consumer?

ANS:

Answer not provided.

PTS: 1 REF: p. 47 NAT: AACSB: Analytic

86. What is the link between motivation and involvement?

ANS:

Answer not provided.

PTS: 1 REF: p. 47 NAT: AACSB: Analytic

87. What are the different types of felt involvement?

ANS:

Answer not provided.

PTS: 1 REF: p. 47-48 NAT: AACSB: Analytic

88. Milo is highly involved in cars. In what ways will this high level of involvement affect his behavior as a consumer?

ANS:

Answer not provided.

PTS: 1 REF: p. 47-48 NAT: AACSB: Analytic

89. Why does the personal relevance of a product lead to higher motivation levels?

ANS:

Answer not provided.

PTS: 1 REF: p. 49 NAT: AACSB: Analytic

90. How is our self-concept related to personal relevance and our behavior as consumers?

ANS:

Answer not provided.

PTS: 1 REF: p. 50 NAT: AACSB: Reflective

91. Why might certain consumer goods be personally relevant to us?

ANS:

Answer not provided.

PTS: 1 REF: p. 49 NAT: AACSB: Reflective

92. Compare and contrast the different types of consumer needs.

ANS:

Answer not provided.

PTS: 1 REF: p. 51-52 NAT: AACSB: Analytic

93. Are the different consumer needs mutually exclusive? Explain.

ANS:

Answer not provided.

PTS: 1 REF: p. 50 NAT: AACSB: Reflective

94. What are the different levels of Maslow's hierarchy of needs and how might different types of products satisfy these needs?

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Answer not provided.

PTS: 1 REF: p. 50-51 NAT: AACSB: Analytic

95. Gallo positions its wine as an instrumental part of family festivities. Advertisements portray families gathering for picnics and parties with Gallo wine present. Why is such a position appealing to the consumer?

ANS:

Answer not provided.

PTS: 1 REF: p. 49-50 NAT: AACSB: Communication

96. How can marketers identify consumers' needs?

ANS:

Answer not provided.

PTS: 1 REF: p. 53-54 NAT: AACSB: Analytic

97. Discuss how the achievement of goals can affect consumers' emotions.

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Answer not provided.

PTS: 1 REF: p. 56 NAT: AACSB: Analytic

98. What is perceived risk and how does it affect consumer behavior?

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Answer not provided.

PTS: 1 REF: p. 59 NAT: AACSB: Analytic

99. How can attitudes that are inconsistent with a consumer's attitude affect the consumer's behavior?

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Answer not provided.

PTS: 1 REF: p. 62 NAT: AACSB: Analytic

100. What factors affect a consumer's ability to act?

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Answer not provided.

PTS: 1 REF: p. 62-64 NAT: AACSB: Analytic

101. What factors affect a consumer's opportunity to process information or behave in a certain way?

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Answer not provided.

PTS: 1 REF: p. 64-66 NAT: AACSB: Analytic

 

CHAPTER 2

Motivation, Ability, and Opportunity

Chapter Summary

This chapter is the students’ introduction to factors that can influence consumers to behave in ways that result in market exchanges. The role of the instructor in this chapter is to help the students understand these concepts, as well as to help place them in a marketing context that the students can understand.

Motivation reflects goal-directed arousal that ultimately results in goal-relevant behaviors or elaborated information processing and decision making about things that the consumer views as important and self-relevant. When motivation has these effects, consumers often experience considerable affective or cognitive involvement in the activity. In some cases, this involvement may be enduring, lasting for a long period of time. In other cases, it may be situational, lasting only until the goal has been achieved. Consumers can also be involved in many different kinds of objects: product categories, brands, ads, the media, and consumption behaviors.

Many factors affect motivation. First, motivation tends to be greater when the consumer sees something as personally relevant—meaning that it has important consequences for his or her life. Often things are seen as relevant because they relate to our values, goals, and needs; because they are seen to entail considerable risk, or because they are moderately inconsistent with our prior attitudes.

Even when motivation is high, consumers may not achieve the goal of their motivation if their ability and/or opportunity to do so are low. If consumers lack the knowledge, experience, intelligence, education, or monetary resources to engage in a behavior, process information, or make a decision, they cannot achieve a goal. Goal achievement may also be blocked if consumers are attending to information that is incompatible with their processing styles, which are age related, or if the information is presented in too complex a fashion. Highly motivated consumers may also fail to achieve goals if their opportunity to do so is limited. Opportunity may be affected when consumers lack time, are distracted, and are not given sufficient information to learn something, when the information is too complex or infrequently repeated, or when consumers lack control over what information they receive, how long, and in what order, the information is presented.

Chapter Learning Objectives

After studying this chapter, students will be able to

1. Discuss the four types of influences that effect the consumer’s motivation to process information, make a decision, or take an action.

2. Explain how financial, cognitive, emotional, physical, social, and cultural resources, plus age and education, can affect the individual’s ability to engage in consumer behaviors.

3. Identify the three main types of influences on the consumer’s opportunity to process information and acquire, consume, or dispose of products.

chapter outline

I. Consumer Motivation and Its Effects

A. High-Effort Behavior

1. Motivation is an inner state of aroused energy directed toward achieving a goal. An outcome of motivation is behavior that takes effort.

2. Consumers can be motivated to engage in behaviors, make decisions, or process information in the context of acquisition, usage, or disposition of an offering.

B. High-Effort Information Processing and Decision Making

1. Motivation impacts how consumers process information and decide.

2. When motivation to achieve a goal is high, consumers are willing to spend time and energy on reaching their goal, including searching for information and spending time shopping for the product.

3. When motivation is low, consumers devote little effort to processing information about a stimulus and making decisions.

4. Consumers may engage in motivated reasoning or the biased processing of information to reach a desired conclusion.

C. Felt Involvement

1. Types of Involvement: Felt involvement is a psychological state that is an outcome generated by motivation.

a) Enduring involvement exists when one is interested in an offering for a long period of time.

b) Situational involvement exists when involvement with the offering is only temporary.

c) Cognitive involvement means that the psychological state the consumer experiences is exhibited by interest in thinking about, and processing information related to, his or her goal.

d) Affective involvement means that the psychological state the consumer experiences involves emotional energy and heightened feelings.

2. Objects of Involvement

a) Consumers can be involved with product categories and brands,

b) Consumers can be involved with an advertisement or the medium in which the ad is placed.

II. What Affects Motivation?

A. Personal Relevance

1. Consistency with Self-Concept

a) Something may be personally relevant to the extent that it has direct bearing on the self and has potentially significant consequences or implications for one’s life.

b) As things become more personally relevant, they are more likely to motivate us to behave, process information, or engage in effortful decision making about these things, and we will experience considerable involvement when buying, using, or disposing of them.

c) Marketers can increase a consumer’s motivation to process promotional materials by trying to make the information as personally relevant as possible.

B. Values

1. Something may be personally relevant.

2. Your self-concept or your view of yourself and the way you think others see you is important in marketing.

3. Consumers are more motivated to attend to and process information when they find it consistent with their values or beliefs that guide what people regard as important or good.

C. Needs

1. Types of Needs

a) Social needs (Social needs are externally directed and relate to other individuals (e.g., the need for esteem, succor, and modeling).

b). Nonsocial needs (those whose achievement is not based on other people (e.g., the need for sleep, novelty, control, and understanding).

c) Functional needs (those that motivate the search for products that solve consumption-related problems.)

d) Symbolic needs (those that affect our sense of self, self expression, and social position or role.)

e) Hedonic needs (reflect sensory pleasure and includes needs for sensory stimulation, cognitive stimulation and novelty (nonsocial hedonic needs), as well as need for reinforcement, sex and play (social hedonic needs).

f) Needs for cognition and stimulation. (Those who have a high need for cognition are more likely to process information actively and engage in cognitive processing during decision making as compared to those who have a low need for cognition.) Also, Those who have a high OSL need more sensory stimulation; have been found to be involved in shopping and seeking information about brands; they show higher involvement in ads than those with a lower OSL.

2. Characteristics of Needs

a) Needs are dynamic.

b) Needs exist in a hierarchy.

c) Needs can be aroused by internal or external cues.

d) Needs can conflict. There are 3 kinds of need conflicts:

(1). Approach-avoidance conflict occurs when a given behavior is seen as both desirable and undesirable because it satisfies some of the consumer’s needs but fails to satisfy others.

(2). Approach-approach conflict occurs when the consumer faces the task of choosing among two or more equally desirable options that fulfill different needs.

(3). Avoidance-avoidance conflict occurs when the consumer faces the task of choosing between equally undesirable options.

3. Identifying Needs

a) Identifying consumers’ needs is useful to marketers, but doing so is not easy.

b) Consumers may be unaware of their needs or have trouble explaining them.

c) Inferring consumers’ needs based only on behaviors is difficult as the same need can be expressed in diverse behaviors

d) Inferring needs in a cross-cultural context is particularly difficult.

e) Methods like non-directed projection ask consumers to interpret ambiguous stimuli (like cartoons, word associations, sentence completions). These techniques often allow consumers to reveal their needs by using their own words to express thoughts about a topic.

D. Goals

1. A goal is a particular end state or outcome that a person would like to achieve.

2. Goal Setting and Pursuit

a) After we set a goal, we are motivated to form a goal intention; plan to take action; implement and control the action; and evaluate success or failure in attaining the goal.

3. Goal and Effort

a) Consumers vary in how much effort they will exert to achieve a goal.

b) Research suggests that the amount of effort exerted by a consumer may depend on the success of achieving other, potentially unrelated goals.

c) The amount of effort also depends on feedback showing progress toward goal achievement.

4. Types of Goals

a) Goals vary in whether they are concrete or abstract.

b) Goals may be described as promotion-focused (achieving positive outcomes) or prevention-focused (avoiding negative outcomes).

c) Consumers may have goals to regulate how they feel and/or what they do.

5. Goals and Emotions

a) Goals are important because the success or failure to achieve a goal can affect how consumers feel.

b) According to appraisal theory, emotions are determined by how consumers evaluate (or appraise) a situation. When an outcome is consistent with consumers’ goals, they appraise the situation favorably and feel positive emotions.

c) Appraisal theory also posits that other appraisal dimensions, including normative/moral compatibility, certainty, and agency, will affect how consumers feel.

6. Self-Control and Goal Conflict

a) Self control is the process consumers use to regulate feelings, thoughts, and behavior in line with long-term goals.

b) Ego depletion is the outcome of decision-making effort that results in mental resources being exhausted.

7. Marketing Implications

a) Marketers need an understanding of consumers’ self-concept, needs, goals, and self-control processes.

b) Consumers’ needs and goals have particular relevance to marketers.

(1). Enhance motivation to process communications.

(2). Product development and positioning.

(3). Encouraging specific behaviors.

E. Perceived Risk

1. Perceived Risk Overview

a) Perceived risk is defined as the extent to which the consumer is uncertain about the consequences of an action (buying, using, or disposing of an offering).

b) Perceived risk tends to be higher when: 1) little information is available about the offering; 2) the offering is new; 3) the offering has a high price; 4) the offering is technologically complex; 5) brands differ significantly in quality allowing consumers to make an inferior choice; 6) the consumer has little confidence or experience in evaluating the offering; and/or 7) the opinions of others are important and the acquisition, use or disposition of the offering may be judged by others.

c) Perceived risk may also vary by culture or by specific demographic categories within a culture.

2. Types of Perceived Risk

a) Performance risk reflects uncertainty about whether the product or service will perform as expected.

b) Financial risk reflects consumers’ concerns about their monetary investment in a product or service.

c) Physical (or safety) risk refers to the potential harm that a product or service might pose to one’s safety.

d) Social risk refers to the potential harm to one’s social standing that may arise from buying, using, or disposing of an offering.

e) Psychological risk reflects consumers’ concern over the extent to which a product or service fits with the way they perceive themselves.

f) Time risk reflects uncertainties over the length of time consumers must invest in buying, using, or disposing of the product or service.

3. Risk and Involvement

a) Involvement can be classified by risk level. The higher the risk, the higher the involvement.

b) Since high risk is uncomfortable, consumers are likely to attempt to reduce or resolve risk by gathering more information or by relying on brand loyalty.

4. Marketing Implications

a) When perceived risk is high, marketers can either reduce uncertainty or reduce the perceived consequences of failure.

b) When perceived risk is low, marketers have to increase risk perceptions to make emotional appeals more convincing.

E. Inconsistency with Attitudes

1. Consumers tend to be motivated to process messages that are moderately inconsistent with existing knowledge or attitudes, because they are perceived as moderately threatening or uncomfortable. The consumer is motivated to remove or understand this inconsistency.

2. Consumers are less motivated to process information that is highly inconsistent with their prior attitudes.

III. Consumer Ability: Resources to Act

A. Ability is defined as the extent to which consumers have the necessary resources (knowledge, intelligence, and money) to make the outcome happen.

B. Financial Resources

1. Often managed by a financial planner.

2. The lack of money constrains consumers who might otherwise have the motivation to engage in monetary exchanges with marketers.

C. Cognitive Resources

1. Based on experience and knowledge.

D. Emotional Resources

1. The consumers’ ability to experience empathy and sympathy.

2. Higher levels of intelligence and education will both enhance the consumer’s ability to process information that is more complex and to make decisions.

E. Physical Resources

1. Body power can impact how, when and where consumers make decisions.

F. Social and Cultural Resources

1. Who consumers know and cultural knowledge impacts consumer behavior. Freshmen with these resources are more likely to stay in school, for example.

G. Education and Age

1. Better educated consumers will both enhance the consumer’s ability to process information that is more complex and to make decisions.

2. Old age has been associated with a decline in certain cognitive skills and thus reduced ability to process information.

H. Marketing Implications

1. Marketers should be sure that their targeted customers have knowledge to process the information.

2. Marketers should be sensitive to differing processing styles.

3. Understand that a lack of money is often a constraint to consumers.

IV. Consumer Opportunity

A. Three key influences:

B. Time

1. Time impacts information processing. Time is a pressure and constraint at times.

a) Consumers under time pressure will engage in limited information processing. They also tend to put more weight on negative information, and thus quickly reject brands because of negative features.

C. Distraction

1. Distraction refers to any aspect of the processing situation that can divert consumers’ attention from processing a message.

a) Direct interference includes talking while a consumer is viewing an ad.

b) Background factors in an ad such as music or attractive models could distract consumers from the central message.

D. Complexity, Amount, Repetition, and Control of Information

1. As information becomes more complex, the consumer’s ability to process it decreases. Information is considered complex if it is technical or quantitative, if messages contain text with no pictures, and if there is a vast amount of it.

2. Consumers remember more when they control the flow of information by determining:

a) What information is presented?

b) How long it is presented?

c) In what order information is presented?

E. Marketing Implications

1. Marketers should repeat marketing communications (up to a point) and make them easy to process.

2. Marketers should reduce time-pressured decision making.

3. Marketers should reduce the amount of time needed to buy, use, and learn about a product.

4. Marketers should offer information when and where consumers choose to access it.

QUESTIONS FOR REVIEW AND DISCUSSION

Possible answers are as follows.

1. How is motivation defined, and how does it affect felt involvement?

An inner state of arousal that provides energy needed to achieve a goal. Motivation impacts felt involvement as it is a final outcome of motivation, which evokes a psychological state in consumers termed involvement.

2. What are some objects of involvement for consumers?

Consumers can have a cognitive and or affective involvement. Examples are involvement with a product (car), or experience (white water rafting). Or, consumers can be involved with fashion because it is a form of self-expression.

3. What determines the ranking of needs in Maslow’s hierarchy?

Needs have a basic hierarchy as established by higher or lower order needs. People fulfill lower-order needs such as water and food before higher-order needs such as ego-based needs.

4. What types of goals do consumers have?

A goal is a particular end state or outcome that a person would like to achieve. Goals are more specific and concrete than needs are. Consumer goals may be about how much they will spend, what collections of products they will acquire, or to only buy organic foods. They can be concrete or abstract. They can also be promotion focused or prevention focused goals. Promotion goals motivate consumers to act in positive ways-such as putting on sunscreen to have beautiful skin. Prevention goals motivate consumers to avoid negative outcomes-such as getting skin cancer.

5. According to appraisal theory, what do emotions have to do with goals?

Consumer emotions are formed based on how they appraise a situation or outcome, including from other sources and how it pertains to their goals. It is a theory of emotion that proposes that emotions are based on a person’s assessment of a situation or an outcome and its relevance to his or her goals.

6. What is self-control and how does it relate to conflicting goals?

Self-control is the process that consumers use to regulate feelings, thoughts, and behavior in line with long-term goals. Sometimes goals conflict, such as when consumers face decisions about actions related to goals that are in conflict. For instance, you may want to lose weight, but join friends for desert. So, self-control is needed to go out for ice-cream with friends, but order a small.

7. How does perceived risk affect personal relevance, and what are six types of perceived risk?

Perceived risk is the extent to which the consumer is uncertain about the consequences of an action. It impacts personal relevance because greater risks are perceived when the risk is real and relevant to the individual. Consumers are motivated to engage in behaviors to reduce risk. 6 types of risk are: performance risk, financial risk, physical risk, social, psychological, and time.

8. What five types of resources affect ability to process information and make decisions?

Cognitive resources (knowledge), emotional resources (desire), physical resources (money), social and cultural resources (family in another country) each impact ability to process information and make decisions.

9. Identify some of the elements that contribute to consumer opportunity for processing information and making decisions.

In addition to the five types of resources, time, involvement, distraction, and complexity, amount, repetition and control of information impact one’s opportunity for processing information and making decisions.

Consumer behavior case

USAA: Million of Customers, One Bank Branch

USAA (United States Automobile Association) maintains only one bank branch to serve more than 8 million consumers worldwide, yet it boasts a 98 percent customer retention rate and often ranks way ahead of competitors in surveys of customer service and satisfaction. Hundreds of banks, brokerage firms, and other financial services firms offer checking and savings accounts, insurance, mortgage loans, and credit cards; some of these have extensive branch systems and ATM networks. So why do consumers choose USAA—and why do they remain customers, year after year?

USAA specializes in serving military personnel and their families, including those on active duty and those who have left the military due to retirement or honorable separation. Although some of its products are available to the general public, the firm’s marketing efforts are primarily geared toward consumers in uniform and their spouses and children. Many of these consumers have much in common with non-military consumers: They marry, start a family, buy cars or trucks, look forward to buying a home, save for their children’s college education, and as retirement approaches, worry about financial security. However, consumers in this segment also face difficult challenges unique to the military life, such as being deployed many miles from home, frequent or unexpected transfers, lengthy separations from family members, and eventual transition to civilian life.

In marketing to this segment, USAA focuses on these consumers’ particular needs, goals, values, and self-concepts. All members of a military family may not be on the same continent for weeks or months at a time, but each adult in the household will still need access to the family’s accounts, insurance, and so on. In response, USAA offers a variety of ways to manage money matters at any hour from any location via phone or Internet. It was an early adopter of apps for cell phone banking, including an app for scanning and depositing checks without an in-person branch visit. Customers receive daily text messages with updated balance details, whether they’re at home or on overseas assignment. The website is full of details that are available 24/7, and e-mail assistance is just a few clicks away.

For more personalized attention, customers can make a call and speak with one of USAA’s 12,000 representatives, who will discuss their needs, inquire about their goals, and then offer advice on choosing the right product. In the past, customers had to determine who to call at USAA when they wanted information—should they contact the banking department or the financial advisory department about retirement accounts? Now USAA makes it easier to get information by phone or online according to life event (getting married or divorced, planning for retirement) or product (home insurance, car loans). And instead of pushing for an immediate purchase, USAA’s phone reps are trained to make suggestions that will best serve the customer in the long run. “The answer may be to not buy that product, if that is the right thing to do for the [customer] in that situation,” says a top USAA official.

Online at the USAA site, customers can get information at their own pace, including watching video seminars, reading experts’ blog entries, and posting questions or comments on customer-only forums. While researching complex issues such as retirement options, any customer can arrange an individual consultation with USAA’s financial advisors via videoconference. USAA’s professionals do more than answer questions and educate customers about their choices: They also communicate respect for their customers. As one customer observes: “It’s not every day I get addressed ‘sergeant’ by a customer service agent.”[i]

Case Questions

1. How does USAA enhance consumer motivation by making itself and its offerings personally relevant to customers?

USAA often features pictures of men and women and their families who are in the service. They have unique needs, and USAA enhances motivation by understanding their needs and offering relevant services to members.

2. What is USAA doing to facilitate consumers’ ability and opportunity to process information about its services and make informed financial decisions?

USAA allows customers to talk to a person-not a machine or an outsourced rep. They can talk to one of USAA’s 12,000 representatives for personalized attention. They also have iPhone aps, an interactive website, and text message capability for consumers who opt-in.

3. What types of needs (functional, symbolic, hedonic, social, nonsocial) are USAA’s customers likely to experience? How does USAA respond to these needs?

Main needs are getting insurance, a car loan, a home loan, refinancing a mortgage, helping a family through a major life event (marriage, child, deployment, divorce, death of a parent). USAA offers services for each of these needs. They also respond quickly to needs related to natural disasters, so their insurance and financial services can be synergistic to help those impacted.

4. Does USAA do anything to reduce perceived risk? Explain your answer.

Yes, USAA allows members to plan ahead for major life events. This alleviates perceived risk, as they ensure that with their help, you can be prepared for life. USAA professionals manage risk by educating consumers upfront.

Suggested Exercises and TEACHER GUIDELINES

1. Randomly select ten ads from a magazine. Develop questions designed to assess a consumer’s involvement in an ad (both cognitive and affective) and motivation to process information from the ad. Select a sample of 20–30 consumers to look at the ads and answer the questions. Which types of ads tend to be higher in involvement? Which types of ads tend to be lower in involvement?.How do these ads tend to differ in terms of (a) recognition of consumers’ needs, (b) structure and content, and (c) assumption of consumer knowledge or expertise?

Refer students to utilize the discussion from the chapter to help them answer this question. Have them focus on involvement.

2. Develop your own projective test, depicting some purchase or usage situation for a product or service of your choice. What kinds of needs are revealed by your test? What are the implications for the marketer of that product or service?

Suggest that students consider a product/service usage situation that is extremely involving. These dynamic situations should allow for an increased likelihood that the student would be able to uncover information that might not be readily apparent.

3. Watch TV and the associated ads for half an hour. At the end of your viewing, write down ads, you remember. Use the concepts of motivation, ability and opportunity to describe why you processed and remembered these commercials. What was it about the ad, your prior knowledge or use of these products, or the environment in which you viewed the ads that made them memorable?

This exercise is designed to cement the concepts of MAO (motivation, ability, and opportunity) in the student’s mind. Pay careful attention to the notion of ‘time.’ Students commonly categorize ‘time’ as a factor of ability instead of opportunity. It is easy for a student to think that if they had more time, they would have a better ability to reach an optimal situation, when in fact ‘time’ should be classified as a factor of opportunity.

4. Visit a retail website (e.g., Staples.com, HotTopic.com, and BarnesandNoble.com) and carefully examine the description and information provided about one of the featured products. Also, read the site’s descriptions of shipping and payment options. What perceived risks are being addressed by the information on this site? How does the retailer either reduce risk perceptions or enhance risk perceptions with respect to the featured product or the shipping and payment options?

Using BarnesandNoble.com as an example, this website allows consumers to order and pay for products on-line and if they choose, to pick them up at the nearest Barnes & Noble location. Additionally, perceived risk is greatly reduced by the fact that they can exchange or return an item that was purchased on-line in any physical store location. They also have a web page on privacy policies that explains that the company collects only personal information such as contact information, billing/shipping information, or personal preferences. Another asset for Barnes & Noble shoppers is that the brand is established and has a good reputation. If a consumer goes into a Barnes & Noble and that store does not have a particular book available, the customer can order it to be sent to the store postage free for pickup there.

5. Select a high-involvement product you are interested in buying, such as a new car or a new computer system. Identify the factors that make this product personally relevant to you, such as how it relates to your specific goals or needs. Next, consider how product knowledge or experience, age, and money affect your ability to process marketing information about this product and make a purchase. Finally, analyze how the opportunity factors related to time, distraction, and information affect your behavior toward making this purchase. What can marketers of this type of product do to enhance your motivation, ability, and opportunity to buy from them?

An interesting in-class use of this exercise is to ask students the same questions with respect to how they chose their current school. Was the student’s application at another school rejected? On the other hand, were they seeking a school that was considered prestigious? It can be informative to understand the reasons behind such a choice, and to illustrate the concepts of motivation, ability, and opportunity.

ADDITIONAL DISCUSSION QUESTIONS WITH SAMPLE ANSWERS

These discussion questions can be used as in-class activities or as thought questions for students to consider while reading the chapter, or to test their understanding of the material after the reading and lecture are complete.

1. How can consumer needs be classified? Define each term and provide an example of how a vehicle or a piece of jewelry, for example, might meet each type of need.

Consumer needs can be categorized as (a) social or nonsocial, (b) functional, symbolic, or hedonic, or (c) cognition or stimulation needs. (Note: you can use the chart below to lead a discussion of each type of need.)

TYPE OF NEED	EX: VEHICLE	EX: FANCY WATCH
A. (1) Social needs: externally directed needs that require the presence of others.	To keep up with the Joneses.	Because a friend said you’ll love it.
A. (2) Nonsocial needs: needs for which achievement is not based on other people.	Consistency. “I always buy this brand of vehicle.”	Because it is a reliable brand.
B. (1) Functional needs: needs that satisfy a consumption-related problem.	It’s a way to get to the office.	I need to know what time it is.
B. (2) Symbolic needs: needs connected to the sense of self (how we are perceived by others).	To appear cool; to fit in with my friends; everybody has one.	The watch lets my clients know I have “made it.”
B. (3) Hedonic needs: needs that fill a desire for sensory pleasure and emotional arousal.	To feel the sensation of speed; to feel the engine’s power.	The watch looks attractive and feels sleek.
C. (4) Cognition or stimulation needs: need for mental and sensory challenge.	It has the latest complex global tracking device, a DVD player, etc.	It can keep track of the time in three different time zones, take messages and act as compass.

2. Explain how motivation influences consumer behavior.

Motivation is an inner state of arousal or tension that drives consumers to action. Motivation tends to be greater when consumers see the goal-object as personally relevant, in other words, if it meets their values, goals, and needs.

3. Discuss the three factors that determine the amount of effort and involvement consumers put into searching for information, making choices, and judging whether an experience is satisfactory.

The three factors are motivation, ability, and opportunity. Motivation, the inner state of arousal directed at achieving a goal, is influenced by (a) the personal relevance of the goal, (b) the goal’s consistency with the consumer’s values, goals, and needs, (c) the risk the consumer associates with buying the product or service, and (4) the new information’s level of consistency with the consumer’s prior information and attitudes. Motivation increases when (a) the goal is more relevant and consistent with the consumer’s values, goals, and needs, (b) the risk level is higher and therefore requires more involvement, and (c) the new information is somewhat inconsistent with the consumer’s prior information and attitudes.

ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS

1. Describe those factors that might influence consumers’ (a) motivation to process, (b) ability to process, and (c) opportunity to process the information contained in an ad.

2. Describe the key aspects of motivation. Explain how these aspects operated the last time you (or members of your group) (a) went out to eat, (b) bought new clothes, (c) went to a movie.

3. Select one of the following products for discussion in your group: car, CD, pair of shoes, or shampoo. Develop a list of needs that might motivate you to buy the product you have selected. Make sure to think about (a) functional vs. symbolic vs. hedonic needs, (b) social vs. nonsocial needs, (c) types of risk, (d) prior attitudes, and (e) cognition or stimulation needs.

4. Develop a list of the five levels of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and provide an example of each level from the behaviors of each member of your group. Note the similarities and differences between the needs that emerge at each level. Explain how understanding these similarities and differences can be important to marketers.

5. Discuss why an understanding of consumer needs is important for marketing strategy. Explain specific ways that an understanding of needs can be used to influence consumers. Provide an example.

6. Discuss what is meant by the term involvement. Describe the kinds of objects a consumer can be involved with. Explain what determines the level of involvement a consumer may have in a given situation. Show why involvement is an important concept in consumer behavior.

7. Within your group, define each of the following terms and provide an example of each: (a) enduring involvement, (b) situational involvement, (c) felt involvement, and (d) cognitive vs. affective involvement.

8. Select three products, services, or situations in which consumer involvement would be high, and three in which it would be low. Describe how the decision processes related to each of these examples would proceed for a consumer. Identify how high- and low-involvement decision-making processes differ.

9. Explain what is meant by the term perceived risk. Provide an example for each of the six major types of risk and explain why understanding each type is important for marketers.

10. Explain the need for cognition and how it affects information processing. Describe how knowing about this concept is helpful to marketers in different industries.

11. Many consumers consider online buying risky. What steps can marketers implement to reduce consumers’ sense of risk?

12. What techniques have marketers developed to address the approach-avoidance conflict?

EXPERIENTIAL EXERCISES AND CLASSROOM EXAMPLES

Students who learn more readily through visual and tactile stimuli will benefit from the introduction of physical examples into the classroom.

1. “Penny for Your Thoughts” Exercise^*

Take a large jar of pennies to class. Ask students to estimate the number of pennies they’ve seen, touched, saved, or handled in their lifetimes. Write these estimates, which generally are in the thousands, on the board. Tell students to take out a sheet of paper and draw a picture of each side of a penny, including words as well as images. After a few minutes, give each student a penny from the jar to compare to the drawing. Students typically realize that they failed to include a number of large and small details in their pictures. Use the exercise to demonstrate that even when we have the ability and opportunity to observe and/or learn about something, we will not do so if we lack the motivation or interest.

2. “An Enlightening Experience” Exercise^*

Take 12 to 15 votive candles (more or less, depending on the size of the room and the number of students) to class and position them around the room. At the start of class, light the candles, and then conduct the session as you normally would. Fifteen minutes before the end of class, talk to students about how the candlelight affected their MAO. Students usually report a variety of different responses and reactions to having the candles in the classroom. Some say they like it; others find it extremely uncomfortable. Some say it makes them sleepy and unable to concentrate, while others say the experience is so novel that they are more alert and engaged than usual. Some say it causes them to speak in softer tones, while some report that they felt as if they had to strain to see the instructor and others in the class. Use the experience to discuss the effect of environment on MAO.

3. Consider visiting local malls or auto dealerships to find examples of marketing efforts that relate to consumers’ motivation, ability, or opportunity to acquire a particular product that you can bring to the classroom. Examples of these efforts might include point-of-purchase displays, sample sizes of products, unique packaging, and interactive devices (e.g., sweepstakes). Use these examples to stimulate discussion about how marketers are or are not using principles of consumer behavior to support their marketing efforts. Here are a few examples you could bring into the discussion during class:

a. Advertisements that have a high amount of copy versus lesser amounts of copy. Discuss the factors that could affect the use of more or less copy in advertisements, considering the issues of consumer motivation, ability, and opportunity.

b. A product that has some risk associated with it that is relevant to your students. A credit card application is one such example, as is a student loan application. Discuss how risk can influence the likelihood of a consumer making a purchase decision.

c. A marketing communication that is designed to address consumers’ ability to process information. For instance, ads that use slang or languages other than English are targeted toward specific audiences. Discuss how these ads may or may not be more successful.

4. To better understand cognitive style, have students visit www.personalitytest.com. Students can easily determine their cognitive style by responding to a short inventory of choices at www.personalitytest.com/personality-test.htm. For further application and insight, visit www.typelogic.com to see which famous people share your same cognitive style.

Classroom Group Activity

Understanding Consumer Motivation, Ability, and Opportunity: 30 Minutes

I. Start Up

A. Purpose of the activity

1. This activity will give students an opportunity to consider the issues of consumer motivation, ability, and opportunity in a brief classroom exercise.

B. What the instructor will do

1. The instructor will divide people into small groups, assign them a product for consideration, and be available to coach and help the groups as needed.

C. What the participants will do

1. The participants will work in small groups to brainstorm ideas for applying concepts from the chapter to specific brands. After a period of small-group discussion, they will make reports to the large group.

D. Rules for this experience

1. Groups are to work separately from each other. Individuals should rely on their knowledge from the book and may refer to their notes and the book as necessary.

II. Experience

A. Group up

1. Have students form groups of no more than five. This exercise will work in groups of any size; however, room restrictions that do not allow for moving furniture may make group work more difficult.

B. Assign brands.

1. Assign each group a single brand on which to focus.

a) Consider using both national and local brands, including both products and services.

b) Consider using brands that are not the leaders in their categories (i.e., not Coke or McDonald’s) as well as those that are.

c) Consider bringing samples of the brands to the class for students to study and review in their groups (e.g., a box of crackers, a candy bar, a cola can).

C. Specific actions for groups

1. Instruct the groups to discuss consumer motivation, ability, and opportunity in relation to the brand they are considering.

2. Questions to be answered by small groups

a) What factors of motivation, ability, and opportunity could affect consumers whom you are trying to attract to your brand?

b) How would consumer motivation, ability, and opportunity affect your brand compared to others in your category (i.e., competitors)?

c) What would you do to address the issues of motivation, ability, and opportunity if you were preparing a marketing effort for your brand?

3. Large-group discussions

a) First have groups present their ideas about the first question, then proceed to discuss each of the subsequent questions.

b) If there are many groups, share the discussion among all groups, though not all groups may answer all of the questions.

III. Debrief and Unveil Concepts

A. Discuss the activity itself

1. The purpose of this discussion is to allow students to express what they felt about the experience itself.

2. Ask students to describe their experiences of “doing” the activity.

a) Likes and dislikes about what just happened

b) How they felt during the experience

c) What is realistic, unrealistic about the exercise?

d) What will be different when they do this for their own brand?

B. Discuss the content of the experience.

1. The purpose of this discussion is to ensure that students “take away” important learning points.

2. Ask students to describe the important points the experience teaches.

a) The importance of understanding a consumer’s motivation, ability, and opportunity to engage in exchange when developing a marketing effort

b) How to study consumers to learn about their motivation, ability, and opportunity to process information about your brand

3. Use the chalkboard to record student responses.

a) Write down their ideas as they are presented.

b) Concentrate on the principles being discussed rather than the examples.

c) Help them to see the interrelationships between their responses.

IV. Execute

A. Apply what has been learned

1. Lead a discussion on how the concepts can be applied in organizations.

a) What barriers may be faced in applying the concepts from the exercise?

b) What can be done to help others understand the concepts when you use them at work?

B. Transfer and use the knowledge.

1. Encourage students to make a record in their notes about how they will use the ideas in the workplace.

2. Even if they do not have a specific job, how will they remember to use what they have learned?

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* These experiential exercises have been contributed by Professor Sheri Bridges of Wake Forest University.

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[i] Jeremy Quittner, “USAA Tech Overhaul Makes Remote Banking Less Remote,” America Banker, July 12, 2011, p. 1; “Customer Experience: The Frontline,” Marketing Week, June 2, 2011, p. 25; Robert L. Mitchell, “Big Business Takes a (Small) Bite of the Apple,” ComputerWorld, August 22, 2011, p. 12; and Jena McGregor, “USAA’s Battle Plan,” BusinessWeek, February 18, 2010, www.businessweek.com.