MKT310: Consumer Behavior

***PRACTICE***
FINAL EXAMINATION

DePaul Student ID#: ___________________________

Course section: T/Th 1:30-3:00pm OR Th 6:00-9:15pm

(please circle the appropriate section)

**PLEASE DO NOT BEGIN UNTIL INSTRUCTED TO DO

SO.**

When instructed to do so, you may turn this page and begin the examination.
 MULTIPLE CHOICE (20 pts.)

DIRECTIONS: Read each question carefully and select the one best answer.

1. Laura is a fitness buff. Lately, she has been comparing herself to marathoners (i.e., people
who routinely run marathons), a group she would like to be a part of. She also compares
herself and her fitness level to friends doing Crossfit, a group she has no intention of joining
but benchmarks against. In this example, the marathoners represent a ______________ and
the friends doing Crossfit represent a ______________. (1 pt.)
a. Friend group; Work group
b. Aspirational group; Motivational group
c. Comparative reference group; Normative reference group
d. Conformists group; Nonconformist group
e. Normative reference group; Comparative reference group

2. You manage a restaurant and your head chef says she would prefer that the kitchen is open
to the diners so they can watch her prepare the food. This seems strange to you, but your head
chef replies, Its easier for me to make the food when our customers are watching me. What
psychological phenomenon may be at play here? (1 pt.)
a. Prima Donna Theory
b. People Watching Theory
c. Social Belonging Theory
d. Social Facilitation Theory
e. People Needs Theory

3. Johnny, only 10 years old, often plays games on his parents current iPad. Apple recently
launched a newer, improved iPad. His parents dont know much about the tech specifications
of the new device, so Johnny enlightens them. There have been some negative reviews on
websites like Gizmodo.com, but Johnny cleverly blocked those sites so his parents could not
see. His parents then select a new iPad option and order it. In this example, which consumer
roles does Johnny play in his family with respect to the iPad? (1 pt.)
a. Influencer, Gatekeeper, User
b. User, Decision-Maker, Influencer
c. Purchaser, User, Gatekeeper
d. User, Influencer, Purchaser
e. Influencer, Gatekeeper, Decision-Maker

4. Using Miss America to influence children to eat healthy relies on what kind of power? (1 pt.)
a. Referent power
b. Legitimate power
c. Expert power
d. Reward power
e. Coercive power
5. A member of your marketing team proposes running a promotion in which customers bring
in a coupon they receive in the mail, scan it in the store, and then learn the percent discount
they receive after they make a purchase. He proposes rolling this out at all your stores in every
country around the world. Which Dimension of Culture suggests that may not be a great idea?
(1 pt.)
a. Individualism v. Collectivism
b. Long-Term v. Short-Term
c. Masculinity v. Femininity
d. Power Distance
e. Uncertainty Avoidance

6. A Japanese chocolate company that is very popular in Japan has tried internationalizing to
the United States and Europe, but the company has been very unsuccessful in these attempts.
If you were hired to serve as a marketing consultant for the company, what is one obvious
change you would suggest based on the notion of the Country-of-Origin Effect? (1 pt.)
a. Tout Japan as a leader in the world economy and a beautiful country
b. Emphasize the commonalities between Japanese culture and those of Europe/the U.S.
c. Prominently highlight that the chocolate comes from Japan on the package
d. Rebrand the packaging so it features images of Switzerland and Alpine ingredients
e. Negotiate a free trade agreement among Japan, Europe, and the U.S.

7. Socioeconomic Status (SES) is comprehensive in that it includes several components that,

together, help reveal someones position in society based on resources and how this might affect
their consumer choices and behaviors. Which of the following are included in our
understanding of SES? (1 pt.)
a. Income, Marriage Status, Family Size
b. Employment, Location, Investments
c. Income, Demographics, Education
d. Income, Employment, Education
e. Savings, Investments, and Cash Flow

8. Nothing is worse than people who overeat at holiday parties. If you wanted to limit the
amount of food your party guests eat this Thanksgiving without their conscious awareness of
doing so, what is one strategy the notion of Cultural Fluency suggests would work? (1 pt.)

a. Use clear dinner plates

b. Use Christmas-themed dinner plates
c. Use Thanksgiving-themed plates
d. Give them bigger plates
e. Give them smaller plates
9. In subcultures, like the Bronies, there exist markers of culture that are easily identified by
members of the group and that reinforce the values and norms of the subculture itself.
Examples include words like Pegasisters, plushy toys, names like Canterlot, and even the word
Brony itself. Which of the following is not an example of a cultural marker? (1 pt.)
a. Language
b. Symbols
c. Subcultures
d. Myths
e. Rituals

10. Mint is a popular flavor added to tea and other beverages in the northern region of Africa.
If Coca-Cola added a taste of mint to its popular products in these markets, this would be an
example of what? (1 pt.)
a. Internationalization
b. Localization
c. Maximization
d. Globalization
e. Nationalization

11. A local tanning company has found that patrons who tan in a room featuring a bright
orange wall consistently report greater satisfaction with their experience than those who tan in
a room with a dark blue wall. In order to boost satisfaction ratings the marketing manager
suggests telling customers that tanning in the room with the orange wall is better because the
wall is orange. With respect to nonconscious influence, why is this not a great idea? (1 pt.)
a. Customers dont like feeling pressured to do something; this is too forceful
b. The blue wall is probably just as effective; this is just a fluke
c. He should talk up tanning in the blue room so that the effect evens out
d. The effect is likely due to misattribution; if you point it out, the effect may disappear
e. They should charge more for tanning in the blue room to make people think its valuable

12. Groupon hires you because they wanted a Consumer Behavior genius and know you took
this class. They say they want to incorporate the use of the circadian rhythm in their timed
promotions. Which one of the following might you suggest they do? (1 pt.)
a. Time promotions for the holiday season; people shop more in December
b. Use well-designed, picture-based promotions when people are most focused
c. Advertise upcoming sales a week in advance so people have time to prepare
d. Use verbal, rational promotions around 9:00pm when melatonin release increases
e. Save coffee promotions for a few hours after peak alertness times
13. You are in the market for a new computer. You need a computer that will allow you to type
papers and complete homework. You want a computer that looks nice and is easy to carry (i.e.,
not too heavy). In this instance, the ability to type papers/do work provides _________ while
the weight and design of the computer provide ________________? (1 pt.)
a. Proximal value; Distal Value
b. Primary value; Secondary Value
c. Utilitarian value; Hedonic value
d. Stability value; Flexibility value
e. Functional value; Aesthetic value

14. You begin a job with Target and your first assignment is to review the way promotions (i.e.,
savings) and costs are listed on a customers receipt. Because you took this class and
understand Prospect Theory, what might you suggest?
a. Combine all the promotions into one and separate out the costs as separate line items
b. Subtract the costs from the promotions and list the overall net savings
c. Only list the costs on the receipt; the promotions/savings should not be listed
d. Show just what the original overall total would have been and the new overall total
e. Combine all the costs into one and separate all the promotions into separate line items

15. You are looking for a new apartment and conclude that five attributes matter to you: price,
commute, design, size, and neighborhood. You decide that price is the most important
attribute and select the apartment option that offers the best price. Which decision strategy
did you use in this instance? (1 pt.)
a. Conjunctive Decision Rule
b. Disjunctive Decision Rule
c. Lexicographic Decision Rule
d. Elimination-By-Aspects (EBA) Decision Rule
e. Compensatory Decision Rule

16. You are planning a vacation to Walt Disney World because you want to see every last
Hidden Mickey. Despite there being several negative reviews about visiting Florida this time of
year, you keep paying attention to only the good bits of news you hear. This is an example of
what bias? (1 pt.)
a. Halo Effect
b. Fundamental Attribution Error
c. Confirmation Bias
d. Availability Heuristic
e. Bias Blind Spot
17. A local bank has started giving out candy to customers who correctly fill out their deposit
slips with accurate math and the correct account information, as this speeds up the banking
process. In terms of operant conditioning, this best corresponds to: (1 pt.)
a. Positive reinforcement
b. Negative reinforcement
c. Positive punishment
d. Negative punishment
e. Extinction

18. Facebook has a problem with young users in that although teens have a Facebook account,
teens believe that other teens think using Facebook is uncool. In the context of the Behavioral
Intentions Model, what does Facebook need to focus on if it hopes to change this perception if
it is unable to change the amount of attention one pays to him/herself v. others? (1 pt.)
a. w1
b. Abehavior
c. w2
d. SN
e. BI

19. Sleep Number beds allow users to customize their sleeping experience by adjusting the
firmness of their mattress, the position of their mattress, and other features to ensure the best,
individualized, custom comfort. Which need does this extreme customizing address? (1 pt.)
a. Physiological Needs
b. Safety Needs
c. Love/Belonging Needs
d. Esteem Needs
e. Self-Actualization Needs

20. Your company wants to run an emotional marketing campaign for the holidays. Your boss
suggests focusing on laughing, crying, and other strong emotions, but you propose a different
approach in which you focus on directing the thoughts of consumers. Which model are you
relying on in your approach to emotions in marketing? (1 pt.)
a. Emotional Contagion
b. Misattribution of Emotions
c. Cognitive Appraisal Theory
d. Emotions as Information Theory
e. Universality of Emotions
 SHORT ANSWER (20 pts.)

The Swiss watchmaker, Swatch, is interested in tapping into the Chinese market. They hire you, a
marketing consultant with vast knowledge of how culture influences consumer behavior (thanks to
this really fun class you took in undergrad), to help them enter China. You immediately track down
the chart pictured above that summarizes China on Hofstedes Dimensions of Culture. Below, write
a few sentences for each of the dimensions that demonstrate your ability to translate this cultural
information into a meaningful, useful, and practical applications for Swatch and its watches in
China. Give *specific* suggestions for what Swatch could/should do based on this cultural
information.

21. Individualism/Collectivism (4 pts.):

22. Uncertainty Avoidance (4 pts.):

23. Masculinity/Femininity (4 pts.):

24. Short-Term/Long-Term Orientation (4 pts.):

25. Power Distance (4 pts.):

COMPUTATION (20 pts.)

Congratulations! You were selected to be on a dating show (whoo!) in which you must choose from
three mystery dates. You know nothing about the mystery dates except for some ratings the audience
provided about each mystery date on attributes that you indicated were important to you. You told
the audience that Intelligence, Sense of Humor, and Good Looks are important to you; the audience
then rated the three candidates on these three attributes. You also weighted the importance of those
attributes and established a minimum acceptable cutoff for each (on a scale from 1 to 10).

Mystery Date #1 Mystery Date #2 Mystery Date #3

Attribute Attribute Importance Weight
Minimum Acceptable Rating for Mystery Rating for Mystery Rating for Mystery
Cutoff Date #1 Date #2 Date #3
Intelligence .3 6 2 8 9
Sense of .2 5 4 10 2
Humor
Good Looks .5 7 10 5 7

Each of the questions below will indicate one of the Decision Making Rules we discussed in class.
Your job is to use the rule indicated for each question and to identify which Mystery Date - #1, #2,
or #3 you would choose if you were to use that rule. If no decision can be made, say so and
explain why (e.g., All the choices remain in the consideration set, None of the choices remain in
the consideration set.)

26. Conjunctive Decision Rule (4 pts.):

27. Disjunctive Decision Rule (4 pts.):

28. Lexicographic Decision Rule (4 pts.):

29: Elimination-By-Aspects Decision Rule (4 pts.):

30. Compensatory Decision Rule (4 pts.):

REAL WORLD APPLICATION QUESTION #1 (20 pts.)

You are hired as a political consultant for an upcoming national election. When conducting
your research you find that voter turnout is at an all-time low. You find out that individuals
believe that their vote doesnt count (i.e., that going to vote is a waste of their time). However,
these same individuals believe that other people believe that voting is important and valuable.
Unfortunately, individuals pay attention to their own beliefs about 90% of the time and only
listen to other peoples advice about 10% of the time.

31. Match each variable from the Behavioral Intentions Model with the correct piece of
information from this specific example (i.e., write the letter corresponding to each correct
variable in the blank provided next to the information 5 pts.):

______ 10% a. SN

______ Individuals believe their vote doesnt count b. w1

______ Individuals believe that others find voting to be valuable c. w2

______ 90% d. Abehavior

32. With respect to w1 and w2, what strategy would you pursue as a political consultant in
order to increase voter turnout at the upcoming election? Be specific in the kind of message
you would send to voters. (5 pts.)

33. With respect to Abehavior, what strategy would you pursue as a political consultant if your
goal is to increase the intention to vote? That is, what specific message would you send to
consumers if the goal is to change Abehavior? (5 pts.)

34. Two other components of the Behavioral Intentions Model include BI and B. What is
represented by BI and B, and why is the relationship between them represented by a ? What
practical implication does this have for you, the political consultant? (5 pts.)
 REAL WORLD APPLICATION QUESTION #2 (20 pts.)

Although few students realize it, applying for a job is similar to creating and positioning a new
consumer product in the marketplace. In the job context, you are the product. We can use
Perceptual Maps and Preference Maps to help us think about how you should position yourself.

When we talk to job recruiters from companies, they list several attributes they think are important
in a prospective job candidate. In order from most important to least important recruiters say they
are looking for: 1) experience (diverse or focused), 2) personality (friendly or feared), 3) sociability
(extraverted or introverted), and 4) organization (orderly or messy), each rated on a scale from -10 to
+10.

You find out that 10 other students are applying for similar jobs to the ones youre applying for.
Because you know them, you have an idea of where they fall on the attributes:

Job Candidates Experience Personalit Sociability Organization

y
Allison -7 +7 -4 +5
Brady -8 -9 +6 +3
Carson -9 +8 +7 +2
Dwayne -6 -2 -2 -9
Elizabeth -4 +9 -6 2
Frank -2 -8 +8 -4
Gina -7 -9 -1 +7
Heather -9 +7 -10 +1
Isaac -6 -7 +8 -1
Jessica -9 -7 +3 -8

In addition to this information, 50 companies have indicated their ideal candidates based on the
two most important attributes. A plot of these companies ideal candidates is included below.

-10 -9 -8 -7 -6 -5 -4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
35. a) Write the name of the attribute (i.e., the most important) represented by the x-axis (1 pt.):

b) Write the name of the attribute (i.e., the second-most important) represented by the y-axis (1 pt.):

36. Identify the consumer clusters by circling them on the map. (3 pts.)

37. Using the data provided about the 10 job applicants, plot and label each job candidate on the chart
provided on the previous page. NOTE: To save space you can label each point with the initial of the
persons name (e.g., Allison = A, Brady = B, etc.) (5 pts.)

38. Now that your chart has both 1) the clusters circled, and 2) the current job candidates placed within
the market, is there a cluster whose preferences are not satisfied by any of the job candidates? Identify
this cluster by drawing a star in the middle of its circle. (1 pt.)

39. As a savvy marketer who understands consumer behavior, how would you position yourself in this
particular job market based on what the combined perceptual and preference maps suggest? Be
specific give example numbers of where you would ideally fall on the chart? (5 pts.)

40. Pretend that Dwayne, one of the job candidates listed, is also your good friend. You want to help
Dwayne get a job, so you offer him some unsolicited advice that you know will help him be better
positioned in the marketplace. What do you tell Dwayne to do? (4 pts.)