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.
