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Chap 9 Answer

Reference groups are sources of comparison, influence and norms that shape people's opinions and behaviors. Word-of-mouth is an unpaid form of promotion where satisfied customers tell others about a product or service. Informal sources are people personally known like friends, while formal sources are paid by an organization. The family is often the most influential early reference group. Normative groups influence broadly defined values and behaviors, while membership groups involve actual group participation through activities or publications.

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237 views4 pages

Chap 9 Answer

Reference groups are sources of comparison, influence and norms that shape people's opinions and behaviors. Word-of-mouth is an unpaid form of promotion where satisfied customers tell others about a product or service. Informal sources are people personally known like friends, while formal sources are paid by an organization. The family is often the most influential early reference group. Normative groups influence broadly defined values and behaviors, while membership groups involve actual group participation through activities or publications.

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Nancy Võ
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Consumer Behavior, 11e (Schiffman/Wisenblit)

Chapter 9 Reference Groups and Word-of-Mouth


1) _____________________________ are groups that serve as sources of comparison,
influence and norms for people’s opinions, values and behaviors.
A) Age cohorts
B) Reference groups
C) Norming groups
D) Norming cohorts
E) Social conduct groups
Answer: B
2) _________________ is an unpaid form of promotion, oral or written, in which
satisfied customers tell other people how much they like a business, product, service or
event.
A) Word-of-mouth
B) Source credibility
C) Comparative influence
D) Normative influence
E) Symbolic influence
Answer: A
3) A(n) _______________ is either a person or medium providing consumption-related
information and hired and paid by and organization. A(n) __________________ is
person whom the message receiver knows personally, such as a parent or friend who
gives product information or advice, or an individual met and respected online.
A) informal source; symbolic source
B) informal source; formal source
C) formal source; symbolic source
D) formal source; informal source
E) symbolic source; formal source
Answer: D
4) When Joe wanted to get a new outboard motor for his sailboat, he consulted a forum
for British Seagull motors and connected with Jim. Jim gave him information about the
outboard motor he was considering. Jim, the individual Joe met and respected online
who gave him product information and advice, is an example of a(n)
_________________________.
A) symbolic source
B) formal source
C) informal source
D) normative source
E) comparative source
Answer: C
5) The consumer’s earliest and often most influential reference group is
__________________.
A) the family
B) their religious organization
C) their classmates
D) their friends
E) their heroes
Answer: A
6) ________ reference groups influence broadly defined values or behavior.
A) Comparative
B) Normative
C) Membership
D) Informal
E) Symbolic
Answer: B
7) Sheila admires her boss, Jerry, so she aspires to live her lifestyle and have similar
possessions. Jerry exerts _________________ influence on Sheila.
A) comparative
B) normative
C) membership
D) informal
E) symbolic
Answer: A
8) Bill is an avid coin collector and belongs to a coin collectors' club, receiving a
monthly magazine and invitations to exclusive events. This coin collectors' club is an
example of a(n) ________ group.
A) comparative
B) normative
C) membership
D) informal
E) symbolic
Answer: C
9) Professional tennis players may constitute a(n) ________ group for an amateur tennis
player who identifies with certain players by imitating their behavior whenever possible
despite the fact that the amateur tennis player does not qualify for membership as a
professional tennis player because he/she has neither the skills nor the opportunity to
compete professionally.
A) comparative
B) normative
C) membership
D) informal
E) symbolic
Answer: E
10) A group of foodies that Nora has never met and only interacts with through online
websites and a Facebook group, where group members share recipes and
recommendations, is an example of a _______________________.
A) friendship group
B) shopping group
C) virtual community
D) advocacy group
E) aspirational group
Answer: C
11) A group of irate parents who join together to protest the opening of an adult, X-
rated book store across from the elementary school is an example of a(n)
___________________________.
A) friendship group
B) shopping group
C) virtual community
D) advocacy group
E) aspirational group
Answer: D
12) Marketers of new brands or brands that are not market leaders may argue against
__________________, trying to convince consumers not to follow the crowd.
A) conformity
B) group power
C) individual experience
D) individual personality
E) conspicuousness
Answer: A
13) Which of the following is a characteristic of a conformist?
A) They always pay close attention to others’ reactions to their behaviors
B) They often pick up slang expressions from others and start using them
C) They change their mannerisms and approaches if they feel someone they are interacting
with disapproves of them
D) They are guided by others’ behavior if they feel unsure how to behave in a situation
E) All of the above are characteristics of conformists
Answer: E

14) Individuals may be influenced to conform to a group based on the group’s


__________________, but they are unlikely to change their attitudes or internalize their
choices if they conform for this reason.

A) attractiveness
B) power
C) experience
D) personality
E) conspicuousness
Answer: B
15) Which of the following statements is true about spokespeople?
A) When message comprehension is low, the expertise of the spokesperson has little impact
on the receiver's attitude.
B) A physically attractive model always enhances message credibility.
C) Consumers with strong ethnic identities are more likely to be persuaded by endorsers with
similar ethnicity than individuals with weaker ethnic identities.
D) The endorser's credibility substitutes for corporate credibility, therefore, companies are
sure to hire highly credible spokespeople to overcome the lacking credibility of the company
itself.
E) As long as a celebrity is giving the testimonial, it doesn't matter whether or not the specific
wording of the endorsement lies within the recognized competence of the spokesperson.
Answer: C
16) Explain what viral marketing is and provide an example of how it is used.
Answer: Viral marketing includes marketing techniques that utilize pre-existing social
networks and other technologies to produce increases in brand awareness or to achieve other
marketing objectives by encouraging individuals to pass along email messages or other
messages. Examples may vary. One example from the text noted a hair gel company that
posted humorous a/v clips on the web and encouraged viewers to pass along the clips’
location to others.
17) Differentiate between normative influence and comparative influence. In your
response, please select an example of each type of influence.
Answer:
Normative influence consists of learning an adopting a group’s norms, values, and behaviors.
The most pertinent normative influence comes from groups to which people naturally belong,
such as family, peers, and other members of one’s community. Generally, normative
influence occurs among members of the same socioeconomic group. For example, families
have a large normative influence on children because they mold young children’s initial
consumption-related values (such as which foods to select for good nutrition, appropriate
ways to dress for specific occasions, how and where to shop, or what constitutes “good
value”). Comparative influence takes place when people compare themselves to others,
whom they respect and admire, and then adopt some of their values or imitate their behaviors.
For example, when a person who holds a “start of the ladder” position in a corporation
admires his boss and aspires to live her lifestyle and have similar possessions, the boss exerts
comparative influence on the lower-level employee.

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