Consumer Behavior: Perception, Learning, Motivation, and Attitudes Study Guide

What is perception?

A consumer's awareness and interpretation of reality.

What is information processing?

The series of activities by which stimuli are perceived, transformed into information, and stored.

What are the stages of information processing?

Exposure, attention, interpretation, and memory.

What does perception encompass?

The first three stages: exposure, attention, and interpretation.

What is the difference between perception and information processing?

Perception is the awareness and interpretation of reality, while information processing involves the activities of perceiving and storing stimuli.

What is exposure in the context of consumer behavior?

Exposure occurs when a stimulus comes within range of our sensory receptor nerves.

What is selective exposure?

Consumers favor information that reinforces existing views and avoid contradictory information.

What is zipping?

Fast-forwarding through a commercial on a prerecorded program.

What is zapping?

Switching channels when a commercial appears.

What is voluntary exposure?

Consumers actively seek out marketing stimuli for information or entertainment.

What is attention in consumer behavior?

Attention occurs when a stimulus activates one or more sensory receptor nerves and sensations go to the brain for processing.

What factors determine attention?

Stimulus factors, individual factors, and situational factors.

What are stimulus factors?

Physical characteristics of the stimulus itself (size, intensity, color, movement).

What are individual factors?

Characteristics that distinguish one person from another (mood, motivation, product involvement).

What are situational factors?

Stimuli in the environment and temporary characteristics induced by the environment (time, clutter, program involvement).

What is Adaptation Level Theory?

If a stimulus does not change over time, consumers habituate to it and begin to notice it less.

What is information overload?

A condition that can shut down information processing entirely.

What is interpretation in consumer behavior?

The assignment of meaning to sensations.

What is cognitive interpretation?

The process whereby stimuli are placed into existing categories of meaning.

What is semantic meaning?

The conventional, dictionary meaning assigned to a word.

What is psychological meaning?

The meaning derived from personal associations.

What is affective interpretation?

The emotion or feeling response triggered by a stimulus such as an ad.

What does perceptual relativity mean?

Interpretation is relative rather than absolute.

What is differential threshold?

The detectable difference between two stimuli.

What is just noticeable difference (JND)?

The minimum amount one stimulus must differ from another for the difference to be noticed.

What type of learning situation involves high motivation?

High-involvement learning.

What type of learning situation involves low motivation?

Low-involvement learning.

Why is learning not directly observable?

Only behavior change is observable.

What is short-term memory?

The portion of total memory currently activated or in use.

What is the capacity and duration of short-term memory?

7 to 9 chunks and 5 to 15 seconds without rehearsal.

What is long-term memory?

The portion of total memory devoted to permanent information storage.

What are the characteristics of long-term memory?

It has infinite capacity and permanent duration.

What is maintenance rehearsal?

Continual repetition of information to hold it in current memory or transfer it to long-term memory.

What is semantic memory?

Basic knowledge and recall of general facts an individual has about a concept.

What is episodic memory?

Memory of a sequence of events in which a person participated, including personal facts, feelings, and emotions.

What is a schema?

A complex web of associations stored in long-term memory.

What is a script?

Memory of how an action sequence should occur.

What distinguishes short-term memory from long-term memory?

Short-term memory is for current use; long-term memory is for permanent storage.

What type of memory is vivid recollection of personal events?

Episodic memory.

What is the difference between a schema and a script?

A schema is a web of associations; a script is a sequence of actions.

Which type of memory is also referred to as working memory?

Short-term memory.

What are the two basic forms of conditioned learning?

Classical conditioning and operant conditioning.

What type of conditioning is used when a brand plays upbeat music in ads?

Classical conditioning.

What type of conditioning is a loyalty program that rewards customers?

Operant conditioning.

What does cognitive learning encompass?

All the mental activities humans use to solve problems or cope with situations.

What is iconic rote learning?

Association between two or more concepts in the absence of conditioning, relying on repetition.

What is vicarious learning?

Observing the outcomes of others' behaviors and adjusting one's own accordingly.

What is analytical reasoning?

Engaging in creative thinking to restructure and recombine existing information.

What is brand image?

Schematic memory of a brand, including cognitive and affective associations.

What is brand personality?

A set of human characteristics associated with a brand.

What are the five dimensions of brand personality?

Sincerity, excitement, competence, sophistication, and ruggedness.

What is product positioning?

A decision by a marketer to achieve a defined brand image relative to competition.

What is product repositioning?

A deliberate decision to significantly alter the way the market views a product.

What is motivation?

The energizing force that activates behavior and provides purpose and direction.

What is a motive?

An activated state within a person that leads to goal-directed behavior.

What are latent motives?

Motives that are either unknown to the consumer or that the consumer is reluctant to admit.

What are manifest motives?

Motives the consumer is aware of and willing to acknowledge.

What is Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs?

A general theory explaining a broad array of human behavior.

What are the five levels of Maslow's hierarchy?

Physiological, safety, belongingness, esteem, and self-actualization.

What level of Maslow's hierarchy is targeted by the tagline 'Be all you can be'?

Self-actualization.

What distinguishes a general motivation theory from a midrange theory?

General theories explain broad behavior; midrange theories focus on specific motives.

What are cognitive motives in McGuire's classification?

Motives that focus on being adaptive to the environment and achieving a sense of meaning.

What are affective motives?

Motives that focus on the need to reach satisfying feeling states and obtain personal goals.

What are preservation-oriented motives?

Motives that focus on striving to meet equilibrium.

What are growth-oriented motives?

Motives that emphasize development.

What are the two prominent motive sets under regulatory focus theory?

Promotion-focused and prevention-focused.

Which motivation theory asserts that humans are driven by latent desires?

Freud's psychoanalytical theory.

What does personality refer to?

The relatively stable behavioral tendencies that individuals display across situations.

How can personality be communicated?

Through celebrity endorsers, user imagery, and executional factors.

Which motivation theory asserts that we are driven by latent desires?

Latent motives

What is personality?

Relatively stable behavioral tendencies individuals display across various situations.

How is personality different from emotion?

Personality involves stable traits, while emotions are strong, uncontrollable feelings.

What are emotions?

Strong, relatively uncontrollable feelings that affect behavior.

What triggers emotions?

The environment, accompanied by physiological changes, thought, and behavior.

How do emotions differ from personality traits?

Emotions are temporary and triggered by specific situations, while personality traits are stable.

What are the three components of an attitude?

Affect (feelings), behavior (actions), and cognitions (beliefs and thoughts).

What does the cognitive component of attitude represent?

The beliefs and knowledge a consumer has about an object.

What does the affective component of attitude represent?

The feelings or emotional reactions a consumer has toward an object.

What does the behavioral component of attitude represent?

The consumer's tendency to act in a particular way toward the object.

In a low-involvement purchase, which attitude component typically forms first?

Cognitions.

In a high-involvement purchase, what is the typical order in which attitude components form?

Cognitions first, then affect, then behavior.

What are the two routes to persuasion in the Elaboration Likelihood Model?

Central route and peripheral route.

Under which condition do central cues influence persuasion primarily?

High involvement.

What is the central route in the Elaboration Likelihood Model?

Used under high involvement; consumers carefully process message arguments.

What is the peripheral route in the Elaboration Likelihood Model?

Used under low involvement; consumers use simple cues rather than processing message arguments.

What attitude change strategy is used when a brand adds a new environmental benefit to its product messaging?

Adding a new attribute.

What is the difference between a value-expressive appeal and a utilitarian appeal?

Value-expressive appeals build brand image; utilitarian appeals focus on functional benefits.

What are the three stages of information processing?

Exposure, attention, and interpretation.

What is the difference between zipping and zapping?

Zipping is fast-forwarding through commercials; zapping is switching channels during commercials.

What is the Adaptation Level Theory?

A theory that explains how consumers adapt to stimuli over time.

What is the differential threshold?

The minimum amount one stimulus must differ from another for the difference to be perceived.

What is the difference between classical and operant conditioning?

Classical conditioning associates stimuli; operant conditioning involves rewards and punishments.