CMP Consumer Behavior and Insights 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which psychological concept explains why consumers tend to favor information that confirms their existing beliefs when evaluating products?
- Cognitive dissonance
- Confirmation bias (Correct answer)
- Anchoring effect
- Framing effect
Correct answer: Confirmation bias
Confirmation bias leads consumers to seek and interpret information in a way that validates their pre-existing attitudes or decisions.
Question 2: In Maslow's hierarchy of needs, which level must be satisfied before a consumer will seek products that fulfill esteem needs?
- Physiological needs
- Self-actualization needs
- Social/belonging needs (Correct answer)
- Safety needs
Correct answer: Social/belonging needs
Maslow's hierarchy requires social and belonging needs (Level 3) to be met before esteem needs (Level 4) become motivating factors.
Question 3: A consumer who buys a luxury car primarily because their neighbors own one is most influenced by which reference group dynamic?
- Aspirational group influence
- Normative group influence (Correct answer)
- Informational group influence
- Dissociative group influence
Correct answer: Normative group influence
Normative group influence occurs when consumers conform to group norms and expectations of those around them, such as neighbors.
Question 4: What is the term for the mental shortcut consumers use when they assume a higher-priced product is of better quality?
- Value heuristic
- Price-quality heuristic (Correct answer)
- Brand equity bias
- Availability heuristic
Correct answer: Price-quality heuristic
The price-quality heuristic is a cognitive shortcut where consumers infer that products with higher prices are superior in quality.
Question 5: Which stage of the consumer decision-making process involves comparing available options against established criteria?
- Problem recognition
- Information search
- Evaluation of alternatives (Correct answer)
- Post-purchase behavior
Correct answer: Evaluation of alternatives
During the evaluation of alternatives stage, consumers assess and compare products based on attributes and decision criteria they have established.
Question 6: A marketer notices that customers who receive a free sample are more likely to purchase the full product. This behavior is best explained by:
- Reciprocity principle (Correct answer)
- Scarcity principle
- Social proof principle
- Authority principle
Correct answer: Reciprocity principle
The reciprocity principle suggests that receiving something for free creates a psychological obligation in consumers to give something back, often a purchase.
Question 7: Which research method is best suited for uncovering the subconscious motivations behind consumer purchasing decisions?
- Online surveys with Likert scales
- Projective techniques and depth interviews (Correct answer)
- Point-of-sale transaction data analysis
- A/B testing of product variants
Correct answer: Projective techniques and depth interviews
Projective techniques and depth interviews are qualitative methods designed to reveal deep, subconscious motivations that consumers may not articulate in structured surveys.
CMP Consumer Behavior and Insights 2
Which psychological concept explains why consumers tend to favor information that confirms their existing beliefs when evaluating products?