Consumer Behavior Exam 1 Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering key definitions, theories, memory processes, thresholds, and calculations from consumer behavior lecture notes.

Von Restorff Effect

The more unusual a stimulus is, the more likely it will be remembered.

Chunking

short-term memory, grouping information into smaller, easier units (e.g., phone numbers or Social Security numbers).

Absolute Threshold

The minimum level of stimulation required to detect a sensory signal, marking the boundary from nothing to something (e.g., detecting a high-pitched sound).

Differential Threshold

“just noticeable difference”, the minimum difference that can be detected between two stimuli.

The Endowment Effect

physically touching or investing a part of oneself into an object makes an individual like that item more.

Psychophysics

The science of how people integrate the physical environment into their personal, subjective world.

Category Exemplar

A specific, highly familiar brand or product (such as an iPhone) that easily comes to mind and serves as a representative example of an entire product category.

Hedonic Needs

Needs that are driven by emotional responses, fun, excitement, or fantasies rather than purely functional or practical utility.

Greenwashing

The practice of making false or deceptive claims regarding how environmentally friendly a company's products or practices are.

Revenge (in Consumer Behavior)

Consumer actions that may not make sense on an individual level but act as a policing mechanism that serves a functional purpose for society.

Rule of Thumb (R.O.T.) for Message Exposure

The principle stating that message recall increases with each exposure, but eventually levels off after $8$ exposures.

Promotion Motivation vs. Prevention Motivation

The two primary types of consumer motivation; promotion motivation focuses on achieving positive outcomes, whereas prevention motivation focuses on avoiding negative outcomes.

Corrective Advertising

A legal requirement compelling a company to publish advertisements informing consumers that a previous message was incorrect or misleading.

Shrinkage

Cash and inventory losses experienced by businesses due to shoplifting and employee theft.

Sensory Overload

A state experienced by consumers when exposed to more sensory input than they can process, such as being exposed to approximately $3,500$ pieces of advertising information daily.

Haptic Senses

Refers specifically to a consumer's sense of touch.

Gestalt Psychology

Our brains tend to relate incoming sensations to others already in memory, based on some fundamental organizational principles. These principles derive from ________, a school of thought that maintains that people interpret meaning from the totality of a set of stimuli rather than from any individual stimulus. 

Learning

A relatively permanent change in behavior resulting from experience.

Incidental Learning

Casual or unintentional acquisition of knowledge, such as automatically humming a commercial jingle for a product one does not own or use.

Classical Conditioning

A learning theory in which a stimulus that naturally elicits a response is repeatedly paired with a neutral stimulus until the neutral stimulus produces the response independently. - PAVLOV

Halo Effect

A phenomenon in classical conditioning where consumers react to a stimulus that is similar to a conditioned stimulus with a similar response.

Stimulus Generalization

The tendency of stimuli that resemble a conditioned stimulus to evoke similar responses, often utilized in off-brand packaging and brand extensions.

Instrumental Conditioning

Learning through rewards and punishments, where individuals perform behaviors that yield positive outcomes or help them avoid negative outcomes (e.g., store loyalty programs).

Schema

An organized cognitive framework or network of knowledge developed through personal experience.

Recognition Test

A memory evaluation technique where subjects are shown advertisements individually and asked whether they have previously seen them.

Recall Test

An unassisted memory test where subjects must retrieve information from memory without prompts (e.g., naming a grocery brand off the top of their head).

Goal

The desired end state of a consumer within the motivation process.

Approach-Approach Conflict

A motivational conflict where a consumer must choose between two desirable options.

Inertia

Consumption at the extreme low end of involvement, where buying decisions are made purely out of routine habit.

Theory of Cognitive Dissonance

The theory stating that individuals require order and consistency, and that a state of psychological tension is created when beliefs or behaviors conflict.

Pre-attentive Processing

The nonconscious processing of stimuli that reside in a consumer's peripheral vision.

Semantic Knowledge

General, everyday facts and declarative knowledge stored in long-term memory.

Autobiographical (Episodic) Memory

Long-term memory containing information about personal past events and individual experiences.

Recirculation

Passive memory retention that occurs purely through repeated passive exposure to a stimulus over time rather than active study.

Rehearsal

Active processing and deliberate reviewing of information to enhance long-term memory encoding.

Visual Object Tracking Cells

The dual brain cell mechanism involved when tracking an object: one set detects motion while another suppresses background noise.

Obesity can be associated with food scarcity

true

Many consumers indicate they cant environmentally friendly products, sun chips recyclable packaging shows they may not be willing to deal with inconvenience 

True

In 1980, 7/10 most valuable businesses in USA were oil companies. Today, tops profit from converting attention into profit 

true

The rubber hand illusion shows we can integrate external objects into ____

Our sense of self

When our eyes track an object multiple brain cells go to work: One that detects motion and one that suppresses the background 

true

Self signaling

a message to ourselves that our choices sync with how we want to think about ourselves

Dichotomous thinking

perfectionists give up on a task when they realize that a perfect outcome is no longer possible (IF YOU AINT FIRST YOURE LAST)

Myers briggs type indicator

The scientific validity of these personality tests are questionable. The money making ability is proven. Myers briggs is NOT a recommended valid personality test

Consumption constellation

is a group of complementary products, specific brands, and activities that consumers use together to build, express, and perform a specific social role or identity (example: rolex, BMW, & Gucci)

Framing

How we pose something to someone. (beef that is 75% lean or 25% fat, 75% lean sounds healthier to more ppl even tho they are the same) 

Sunk cost fallacy

You are likely to make an irrational choice if you will lose something with the rational choice.

• if we have paid for something, we are more reluctant to waste it

prospect theory

how the value of a decision depends on GAINS and LOSSES

System 1

Fast, automatic, everyday decisions

System 2

Slow, complex

Compensatory

high scores make up for low ones

Non-compensatory

Product weakness cannot be offset by its strengths

Lexographical

Select the brand that is the BEST on the MOST IMPORTANT attribute

Conjunctive

meets minimum threshold on ALL attributes (if the minimum threshold is no “poor” ratings)

Pop stimulus

Point of purchase

• the strategic placement of in-store or online visual and sensory triggers designed to influence consumer buying decisions at the exact location where they choose to buy

• Goal is to trigger an impulse buy: samples at trader joes

Peripheral route (system 1)

Low involvement - low motivation OR ability OR opportunity (ANY LOW)

• WOO CAR GO VROOM

Central route (system 2)

High involvement - High motivation, ability, and opportunity (ALL HIGH)

• Logical, car has a safety feature that is a benefit

____ are not always the best tool for attitude changes

facts

Theory of reasoned action