Consumer Behavior, 10e (Solomon)

Chapter 6 Personality and Psychographics

1) ________ refers to a person's unique psychological makeup and how it consistently influences
the way a person responds to his or her environment.
A) Lifestyle
B) Belief system
C) Personality
D) Self-concept
Answer: C
Diff: 1
Learning Outcome: Explain the relevance of the major theories of personality to consumer
behavior.
Skill: Concept
Objective: 6-1

2) Which of the following theorists proposed that an individual's adult personality results from a
conflict between the individual's desires to gratify his or her physical needs and the necessity of
functioning within a society?
A) Maslow
B) Jung
C) Reisman
D) Freud
Answer: D
Diff: 2
Learning Outcome: Explain the relevance of the major theories of personality to consumer
behavior.
Skill: Concept
Objective: 6-1

3) In a Freudian interpretation, what is the function of the ego?

A) The ego is a system that mediates between the id and the superego.
B) The ego determines an individual's degree of self-involvement.
C) The ego operates on the pleasure principle and is constantly seeking psychological dominance
and enjoyment.
D) The ego is one of several archetypes that represent the shared memories and motives of
almost all humans.
Answer: A
Diff: 1
Learning Outcome: Explain the relevance of the major theories of personality to consumer
behavior.
Skill: Concept
Objective: 6-1

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4) In a Freudian interpretation, which of the following is most closely associated with the
pleasure principle?
A) the id
B) the ego
C) the superego
D) the anti-ego
Answer: A
Diff: 2
Learning Outcome: Explain the relevance of the major theories of personality to consumer
behavior.
Skill: Concept
Objective: 6-1

5) Consumer researchers have adapted some of Sigmund Freud's ideas. In particular, his work
highlights the potential importance of ________ that influence our purchases.
A) rational-thinking
B) unconscious motives
C) conscious motives
D) deviant behavior
Answer: B
Diff: 2
Learning Outcome: Explain the relevance of the major theories of personality to consumer
behavior.
Skill: Concept
Objective: 6-1
AACSB: Communication abilities

6) Most Freudian applications in marketing relate to the product's ________.

A) brand personality
B) hidden values
C) competitive advantage
D) sexual symbolism
Answer: D
Diff: 2
Learning Outcome: Explain the relevance of the major theories of personality to consumer
behavior.
Skill: Concept
Objective: 6-1
AACSB: Communication abilities

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7) In the 1950s, an approach called ________ research attempted to use Freudian ideas to
understand the deeper meanings of products and advertisements.
A) psychic
B) archetype
C) motivational
D) lifestyle
Answer: C
Diff: 1
Learning Outcome: Explain the relevance of the major theories of personality to consumer
behavior.
Skill: Concept
Objective: 6-1
AACSB: Communication abilities

8) Motivational research relies on ________ individual consumers.

A) psychographic profiles of
B) Jungian analysis of
C) behavioral targeting of
D) depth interviews of
Answer: D
Diff: 2
Learning Outcome: Explain the relevance of the major theories of personality to consumer
behavior.
Skill: Concept
Objective: 6-1
AACSB: Communication abilities

9) Esso (now Exxon in the United States) used the work of Ernest Dichter to influence its "Put a
Tiger in Your Tank" ad campaign. Which of the following conclusions formed the rationale for
the famous campaign?
A) Orange and black are two of the most powerful colors in the color spectrum.
B) The tiger supplies powerful animal symbolism and it contains vaguely sexual undertones.
C) The size of the tiger enhances a male's ego.
D) The playful nature of the tiger is appealing to female consumers.
Answer: B
Diff: 3
Learning Outcome: Explain the relevance of the major theories of personality to consumer
behavior.
Skill: Concept
Objective: 6-1
AACSB: Communication abilities

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10) Based on motivational research, which of the following consumption motives most likely
explains a person's motivation to purchase gourmet foods, foreign cars, cigarette holders, or
perfume?
A) security
B) eroticism
C) disalienation
D) individuality
Answer: D
Diff: 2
Learning Outcome: Explain the relevance of the major theories of personality to consumer
behavior.
Skill: Concept
Objective: 6-1

11) Jim sees himself as being confident, powerful, and heroic. According to the BrandAsset
Archetypes model developed by ad agency Young & Rubicam, Jim would be classified as a
________.
A) Patriarch
B) Sage
C) Troubadour
D) Warrior
Answer: D
Diff: 2
Learning Outcome: Explain the relevance of the major theories of personality to consumer
behavior.
Skill: Concept
Objective: 6-1

12) According to the theories of Carl Jung, our shared memories create ________, which involve
universal themes and appear frequently in myths and stories across cultures.
A) archetypes
B) patterns of behavior
C) Doppelgangers
D) symbolic communities
Answer: A
Diff: 1
Learning Outcome: Explain the relevance of the major theories of personality to consumer
behavior.
Skill: Concept
Objective: 6-1
AACSB: Communication abilities

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13) Popular online matchmaking services such as match.com and eharmony.com offer to create
your "personality profile" and then hook you up with other members whose profiles are similar.
This approach focuses on the quantitative measurement of ________.
A) ego
B) id
C) personality traits
D) animism
Answer: C
Diff: 2
Learning Outcome: Explain the relevance of the major theories of personality to consumer
behavior.
Skill: Concept
Objective: 6-1
AACSB: Use of information technology

14) What theory of personality suggests that one person differs from another because of a
number of different characteristics such as introversion or extroversion?
A) trait theory
B) collective unconscious theory
C) Freudian theory
D) archetype theory
Answer: A
Diff: 2
Learning Outcome: Explain the relevance of the major theories of personality to consumer
behavior.
Skill: Concept
Objective: 6-1

15) Today thousands of brands borrow personality traits of individuals or groups to convey an
image marketers want consumers to form of their brands. An early brand personality was
communicated in 1886 by the ________.
A) Coca-Cola polar bear
B) Jolly Green Giant
C) Quaker Oats man
D) Marlboro man
Answer: C
Diff: 2
Learning Outcome: Explain the relevance of the major theories of personality to consumer
behavior.
Skill: Concept
Objective: 6-1
AACSB: Communication abilities

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16) Brand ________ refers to the extent to which a consumer holds strong, favorable, and unique
associations with a brand in memory—and the extent to which the consumer is willing to pay
more for the branded version of a product than for a non-branded version.
A) dynamics
B) position
C) logo
D) equity
Answer: D
Diff: 2
Learning Outcome: Describe the factors influencing consumers' recall of product information.
Skill: Concept
Objective: 6-1

17) Variables that measure psychological, sociological, and anthropological characteristics are
referred to as ________.
A) demographics
B) ergonomics
C) symbionics
D) psychographics
Answer: D
Diff: 1
Learning Outcome: Explain the relevance of the major theories of personality to consumer
behavior.
Skill: Concept
Objective: 6-2
AACSB: Multicultural and diversity understanding

18) Which of the following psychographic studies would place a large sample of respondents
into homogeneous groups based on similarities of their overall preferences?
A) general lifestyle segmentation
B) lifestyle profile
C) product-specific segmentation
D) product-specific profile
Answer: A
Diff: 2
Learning Outcome: Explain the relevance of the major theories of personality to consumer
behavior.
Skill: Concept
Objective: 6-2

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19) One important system of psychographic research measures AIO categories. What do AIOs
measure?
A) Agreeableness, Ideas, and Observations
B) Activities, Ideas, and Operations
C) Activities, Interests, and Opinions
D) Age, Interests, and Otherness
Answer: C
Diff: 1
Learning Outcome: Explain the relevance of the major theories of personality to consumer
behavior.
Skill: Concept
Objective: 6-2

20) Based on the 80/20 rule, a company tries to identify and focus on the ________ of its
product.
A) occasional users
B) heavy users
C) competitors
D) investors
Answer: B
Diff: 2
Learning Outcome: Explain the relevance of the major theories of personality to consumer
behavior.
Skill: Concept
Objective: 6-2

21) An advertiser that uses its Web site to attract consumers classified as Innovators, Achievers,
and Experiencers most likely uses which of the following segmentation systems?
A) BrandAsset Archetypes
B) VALS2
C) RISC
D) PRIZM NE
Answer: B
Diff: 2
Learning Outcome: Explain the relevance of the major theories of personality to consumer
behavior.
Skill: Concept
Objective: 6-2
AACSB: Multicultural and diversity understanding

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22) The VALS2 group that has the highest degree of resources and innovation is termed the
________. This group is concerned with social issues and is open to change.
A) Believers
B) Strugglers
C) Innovators
D) Makers
Answer: C
Diff: 2
Learning Outcome: Explain the relevance of the major theories of personality to consumer
behavior.
Skill: Concept
Objective: 6-2

23) ________ refer(s) to analytical techniques that combine data on consumer expenditures and
other socioeconomic factors with geographic information about the areas in which people live in
order to identify consumers who share common consumption patterns.
A) Psychographics
B) Geographics
C) Demography
D) Geodemography
Answer: D
Diff: 1
Learning Outcome: Describe the influence of social class and economic class on consumer
behavior.
Skill: Concept
Objective: 6-2
AACSB: Multicultural and diversity understanding

24) Which of the following is based on the concept that "birds of a feather flock together"?
A) parallel scaling
B) psychometric synchronization
C) bimodal scaling
D) geodemography
Answer: D
Diff: 2
Learning Outcome: Describe the influence of social class and economic class on consumer
behavior.
Skill: Concept
Objective: 6-2
AACSB: Multicultural and diversity understanding

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25) The Claritas, Inc.'s PRIZM NE system classifies every ________ in the country into one of
66 categories reflecting different demographic and consumption patterns.
A) county
B) state
C) zip code
D) residence
Answer: C
Diff: 2
Learning Outcome: Describe the influence of social class and economic class on consumer
behavior.
Skill: Concept
Objective: 6-2
AACSB: Multicultural and diversity understanding

26) According to the PRIZM NE system, the ________ cluster is characterized as having new
money; being parents in their 40s and 50s; living in newly built subdivisions with tennis courts,
swimming pools, and gardens; and having high wine usage and low motorcycle usage.
A) Furs & Station Wagons
B) Tobacco Roads
C) Blue-Blood Estates
D) American Dreams
Answer: A
Diff: 3
Learning Outcome: Describe the influence of social class and economic class on consumer
behavior.
Skill: Concept
Objective: 6-2
AACSB: Multicultural and diversity understanding

27) Using ________, e-commerce marketers serve up customized ads on Web sites based on a
customer's prior online activity.
A) archetypes
B) behavioral targeting
C) motivational research
D) geodemography
Answer: B
Diff: 1
Learning Outcome: Explain the relevance of the major theories of personality to consumer
behavior.
Skill: Concept
Objective: 6-2
AACSB: Use of information technology

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28) Alcoholism and cigarette smoking are both examples of ________.
A) anticonsumption behaviors
B) consumer addictions
C) shrinkage
D) consumed consumer behaviors
Answer: B
Diff: 2
Learning Outcome: Explain the relevance of the major theories of personality to consumer
behavior.
Skill: Concept
Objective: 6-3

29) A buyer who shops to relieve tension, anxiety, depression, or boredom is best described as
a(n) ________ consumer.
A) activist
B) anticonsumption
C) compulsive
D) consumed
Answer: C
Diff: 1
Learning Outcome: Explain the influence of the needs and cultural values of consumers.
Skill: Concept
Objective: 6-3

30) People who are used or exploited, willingly or not, for commercial gain in the marketplace
are referred to as ________ consumers.
A) marginal
B) compulsive
C) jammed
D) consumed
Answer: D
Diff: 1
Learning Outcome: Explain the influence of the needs and cultural values of consumers.
Skill: Concept
Objective: 6-3
AACSB: Ethical understanding and reasoning abilities

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31) According to a recent human behavior survey by advertising agency McCann-Erickson,
________ of people say they lie regularly.
A) 91 percent
B) 62 percent
C) 40 percent
D) 19 percent
Answer: A
Diff: 3
Learning Outcome: Explain the relevance of the major theories of personality to consumer
behavior.
Skill: Concept
Objective: 6-3
AACSB: Ethical understanding and reasoning abilities

32) Shoplifting is America's fastest growing crime. What term does the retail industry use to
describe inventory and cash losses from shoplifting?
A) hard losses
B) shrinkage
C) write-offs
D) consumer costs
Answer: B
Diff: 1
Learning Outcome: Explain the relevance of the major theories of personality to consumer
behavior.
Skill: Concept
Objective: 6-3
AACSB: Ethical understanding and reasoning abilities

33) Which of the following is an example of anticonsumption behavior?

A) compulsively shopping
B) intentionally spreading a computer virus
C) gambling
D) culture jamming
Answer: B
Diff: 2
Learning Outcome: Explain the relevance of the major theories of personality to consumer
behavior.
Skill: Concept
Objective: 6-3
AACSB: Ethical understanding and reasoning abilities

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34) Members of the clergy serving areas that are heavily populated by minorities have organized
rallies to protest the proliferation of cigarette and alcohol advertising in their neighborhoods.
These protests sometimes include the defacement of billboards promoting alcohol or cigarettes.
This is an example of ________.
A) social marketing
B) anticonsumption
C) interpretivism
D) compulsive consumption
Answer: B
Diff: 2
Learning Outcome: Explain the influence of the needs and cultural values of consumers.
Skill: Concept
Objective: 6-3
AACSB: Ethical understanding and reasoning abilities

35) An advertisement emphasizes that if a consumer uses a certain deodorant he or she will not
offend other people and will not cause problems in the workplace because of bad body odor.
What part of the Freudian system is this ad appealing to?
A) the id
B) the superego
C) the anti-ego
D) the ego
Answer: B
Diff: 2
Learning Outcome: Explain the relevance of the major theories of personality to consumer
behavior.
Skill: Application
Objective: 6-1
AACSB: Analytic skills

36) Instead of spending the weekend working on the research paper due at the end of next week,
Andrew decided to spend the weekend going out with friends. According to Freudian theory,
which system dominated in Adam's decision?
A) the id
B) the superego
C) the anti-ego
D) the ego
Answer: A
Diff: 2
Learning Outcome: Explain the relevance of the major theories of personality to consumer
behavior.
Skill: Application
Objective: 6-1
AACSB: Analytic skills

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37) Frank Simms has decided to use Yoda (the "old wise man" from Star Wars) to promote a new
model of a notebook computer. Upon which of the following psychologist's ideas has Frank
based his advertising strategy?
A) Karen Horney
B) Sigmund Freud
C) Carl Jung
D) Leo Burnett
Answer: C
Diff: 3
Learning Outcome: Explain the relevance of the major theories of personality to consumer
behavior.
Skill: Application
Objective: 6-1
AACSB: Analytic skills

38) According to motivational research, when a woman wears long white gloves with her
evening gown and then removes those gloves in front of her date, she most likely has which of
the following motives?
A) disalienation
B) eroticism
C) magic-mystery
D) status
Answer: B
Diff: 2
Learning Outcome: Explain the relevance of the major theories of personality to consumer
behavior.
Skill: Application
Objective: 6-1
AACSB: Analytic skills

39) Our culture's current fascination with novels and movies such as the Harry Potter Series and
The Lord of the Rings, in which the magician and the patriarch triumph over the sorcerer and the
dictator, emphasizes the importance of ________.
A) consumption motives
B) archetypes
C) extroversion overcoming introversion
D) the superego overcoming the id
Answer: B
Diff: 2
Learning Outcome: Explain the relevance of the major theories of personality to consumer
behavior.
Skill: Application
Objective: 6-1
AACSB: Analytic skills

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40) L. L. Bean products are known to be rugged, outdoorsy, tough, athletic, and dependable.
Because the company has worked very hard to establish these thoughts in the minds of
consumers and has spent large sums of money to make sure that their products maintain the
favorable L. L. Bean reputation, L. L. Bean has achieved brand ________ with its products.
A) dynamics
B) animism
C) parity
D) equity
Answer: D
Diff: 2
Learning Outcome: Explain the relevance of the major theories of personality to consumer
behavior.
Skill: Application
Objective: 6-1
AACSB: Reflective thinking skills

41) Eric has a St. Christopher's medallion that he received from his late grandfather. The magical
qualities (e.g., good luck qualities) of this gift have helped Eric be less fearful about the world
around him. In times of need, Eric rubs the medallion and it seems as if St. Christopher actually
speaks to him through the medallion to help him through his difficulties. Eric's feelings toward
this medallion are best described by which of the following terms?
A) objectivism
B) animism
C) humanism
D) Doppelgangerism
Answer: B
Diff: 2
Learning Outcome: Explain the relevance of the major theories of personality to consumer
behavior.
Skill: Application
Objective: 6-1
AACSB: Analytic skills

42) Linda named the car, which she drove to work every day, Sylvia. She talked to her friends
about the personality traits her little car seemed to have. Linda has ________ her car.
A) branded
B) archetyped
C) anthropomorphized
D) repositioned
Answer: C
Diff: 2
Learning Outcome: Explain the relevance of the major theories of personality to consumer
behavior.
Skill: Application
Objective: 6-1
AACSB: Analytic skills

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43) Both Justin and Craig are business majors and live in the same dorm. Justin's room looks like
a Bass Pro Shops showroom, with fishing trophies and lures on the wall and framed photos of
fishing trips on his study desk. Craig's room features posters of his favorite musical group and
stacks of CDs. It is most accurate to say that the difference between the two rooms reflects a
difference in ________ between Justin and Craig.
A) motivation aptitudes
B) ego
C) brand awareness
D) lifestyle
Answer: D
Diff: 2
Learning Outcome: Explain the relevance of the major theories of personality to consumer
behavior.
Skill: Application
Objective: 6-2
AACSB: Analytic skills

44) Young teenage girls are very heavy users of makeup (especially eye shadow). Though the
size of this market is smaller than the larger adult market, marketers have learned that the
consumption pattern is very heavy and that these young women experiment with many varieties
of products. This market is most likely being governed by which of the following?
A) the 80/20 rule
B) the pyramid principle
C) the derived demand rule
D) the surrogate buyer principle
Answer: A
Diff: 2
Learning Outcome: Explain how marketers can best appeal to members of different age
subcultures.
Skill: Critical Thinking
Objective: 6-2
AACSB: Reflective thinking skills

45) Norma Shields is a researcher investigating lifestyles of the rich and famous. This week she
is examining her target audience's views on food, the media, fashion, and recreation. Which of
the AIO categories is the subject of Norma's research at present?
A) Activities
B) Interests
C) Opinions
D) Ideas
Answer: B
Diff: 2
Learning Outcome: Explain the relevance of the major theories of personality to consumer
behavior.
Skill: Application
Objective: 6-2
AACSB: Analytic skills

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46) Lee-Ann Wang is young and enjoys risky experiences such as skydiving, bungee jumping,
and snowboarding. To which of the following VALS2 groups would Lee-Ann most likely
belong?
A) Thinkers
B) Achievers
C) Strivers
D) Experiencers
Answer: D
Diff: 2
Learning Outcome: Explain the relevance of the major theories of personality to consumer
behavior.
Skill: Application
Objective: 6-2
AACSB: Analytic skills

47) Ad Bait Advertising Agency has a new technique for reaching consumers. It tailors its clients'
ads to consumers based on consumer Internet use. Specifically, Ad Bait tracks what Web sites are
visited by selected consumers and then determines what ads would be best suited to these
consumers. Which of the following terms most closely matches Ad Bait's strategy for reaching
consumers?
A) lifestyle research
B) personality research
C) behavioral targeting
D) personalized retargeting
Answer: C
Diff: 2
Learning Outcome: Explain the relevance of the major theories of personality to consumer
behavior.
Skill: Application
Objective: 6-2
AACSB: Use of information technology

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48) Hannah was embarrassed when her friends teased her about dancing on a table on Friday
night. She tried to tell her friends that she is really quite introverted and shy. Her friends
observed that Hannah does not appear shy when she is out on a weekend evening. Which of the
following statements is most applicable in understanding Hannah's personality?
A) Personality is a set of consistent traits that do not change from one environment to the next.
Either Hannah or her friends are wrong in their observations.
B) Personality is a person's unique psychological makeup that consistently influences behavior
within a certain environmental situation. Although behavior will be consistent within consistent
environments, it does not have to be consistent between environments.
C) Personality is a hypothetical construct that grows stronger with age. Hannah will likely be
extroverted for the rest of her life.
D) Hannah's behavior on a weekend night is due to Freudian problems with her superego.
Answer: B
Diff: 3
Learning Outcome: Explain the relevance of the major theories of personality to consumer
behavior.
Skill: Critical Thinking
Objective: 6-1
AACSB: Reflective thinking skills

49) Jeffrey Quills is seen by his friends as a somewhat strange person. At times he is lovable,
warm, and friendly. At other times he can be mean-spirited, uncaring, and hostile to all who
know him. Which of the following general statements about personality most closely matches
what friends observe about Jeffrey?
A) People have a standard personality that can be identified as belonging to one of five
categories.
B) Psychologists agree that a standard personality component exists in all people.
C) Many studies have found that people do not seem to exhibit stable personalities.
D) Most psychologists have completely abandoned the concept of personality.
Answer: C
Diff: 3
Learning Outcome: Explain the relevance of the major theories of personality to consumer
behavior.
Skill: Critical Thinking
Objective: 6-1
AACSB: Reflective thinking skills

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50) An individual who scores high on an assessment of materialism would be LEAST likely to
be categorized in which of the following VALS2 groups?
A) Innovators
B) Strivers
C) Achievers
D) Makers
Answer: D
Diff: 3
Learning Outcome: Explain the relevance of the major theories of personality to consumer
behavior.
Skill: Synthesis
Objective: 6-2
AACSB: Reflective thinking skills

51) Personality refers to a person's unique psychological makeup and how it consistently
influences the way a person responds to his or her environment.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 1
Learning Outcome: Explain the relevance of the major theories of personality to consumer
behavior.
Skill: Concept
Objective: 6-1

52) According to a Freudian system of analysis, the superego is the counterweight to the ego.
Answer: FALSE
Diff: 1
Learning Outcome: Explain the relevance of the major theories of personality to consumer
behavior.
Skill: Concept
Objective: 6-1

53) The ego is the referee in the fight between temptation and virtue.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 2
Learning Outcome: Explain the relevance of the major theories of personality to consumer
behavior.
Skill: Concept
Objective: 6-1

54) The reality principle, according to Freudian psychology, is behavior guided by the primary
desire to maximize pleasure and avoid pain.
Answer: FALSE
Diff: 1
Learning Outcome: Explain the relevance of the major theories of personality to consumer
behavior.
Skill: Concept
Objective: 6-1

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55) Motivational research is based on the trait theory of personality.
Answer: FALSE
Diff: 2
Learning Outcome: Explain the relevance of the major theories of personality to consumer
behavior.
Skill: Concept
Objective: 6-1

56) Conducting motivational research tends to be less expensive than conducting a large-scale,
quantitative survey because interviewing and data-processing costs are relatively minimal.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 2
Learning Outcome: Discuss why and how consumer research is conducted.
Skill: Concept
Objective: 6-1

57) Alfred Adler suggested that many actions that people take are motivated by their desire to
overcome feelings of inferiority.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 3
Learning Outcome: Explain the relevance of the major theories of personality to consumer
behavior.
Skill: Concept
Objective: 6-1

58) An individual with the personality trait of extroversion tends to be quiet and reserved.
Answer: FALSE
Diff: 2
Learning Outcome: Explain the relevance of the major theories of personality to consumer
behavior.
Skill: Concept
Objective: 6-1

59) The personality trait of need for cognition refers to the degree to which a person likes to
think about things.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 2
Learning Outcome: Explain the relevance of the major theories of personality to consumer
behavior.
Skill: Concept
Objective: 6-1

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60) A Doppelganger brand image is likely to be presented in a consumer-generated parody of a
brand.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 2
Learning Outcome: Explain the relevance of the major theories of personality to consumer
behavior.
Skill: Concept
Objective: 6-1
AACSB: Use of information technology

61) Marketing research has indicated that consumers have difficulty assigning personality
qualities to most everyday, functional products.
Answer: FALSE
Diff: 2
Learning Outcome: Explain the relevance of the major theories of personality to consumer
behavior.
Skill: Concept
Objective: 6-1

62) The terms animism and anthropomorphism have the same meaning.
Answer: FALSE
Diff: 2
Learning Outcome: Explain the relevance of the major theories of personality to consumer
behavior.
Skill: Concept
Objective: 6-1

63) It is common for companies to divide up their consumers along lifestyle dimensions and
label these groups with terms such as "Geek Chic Guy" or "Whole Foods Woman."
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 2
Learning Outcome: Explain the relevance of the major theories of personality to consumer
behavior.
Skill: Concept
Objective: 6-1

64) Using the product-specific profile form of psychographic studies, a researcher would look for
items that differentiate between users and nonusers of a product.
Answer: FALSE
Diff: 2
Learning Outcome: Explain the relevance of the major theories of personality to consumer
behavior.
Skill: Concept
Objective: 6-2

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65) According to the 80/20 rule, only 20 percent of a product's users account for 80 percent of
the volume of product a company sells.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 2
Learning Outcome: Explain the relevance of the major theories of personality to consumer
behavior.
Skill: Concept
Objective: 6-2

66) According to an interpretation of the VALS2 segmentation system, consumers who have
ideals as their primary motivation would be classified as Experiencers and Makers.
Answer: FALSE
Diff: 3
Learning Outcome: Explain the relevance of the major theories of personality to consumer
behavior.
Skill: Concept
Objective: 6-2

67) Consumer addiction can be classified as either a physiological or psychological dependency

on a product or service.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 1
Learning Outcome: Explain the relevance of the major theories of personality to consumer
behavior.
Skill: Concept
Objective: 6-3
AACSB: Ethical understanding and reasoning abilities

68) When a young child incorporates the beliefs and ethics of his parents into his own psyche,
according to Freudian theory, he is essentially building a superego.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 2
Learning Outcome: Explain the relevance of the major theories of personality to consumer
behavior.
Skill: Critical Thinking
Objective: 6-1
AACSB: Reflective thinking skills

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69) Janice feels that she makes many of her decisions based on the fact that she is an introvert.
Introversion seems to affect her taste in clothes, outside activities, and even her independence.
Janice is making consumption decisions based on a personality theory called trait theory.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 2
Learning Outcome: Explain the relevance of the major theories of personality to consumer
behavior.
Skill: Application
Objective: 6-1
AACSB: Analytic skills

70) Sony offers a five-year warranty and a free customer hot line. Based on this action,
consumers will most likely infer the brand personality traits of familiarity and sophistication.
Answer: FALSE
Diff: 3
Learning Outcome: Explain the relevance of the major theories of personality to consumer
behavior.
Skill: Application
Objective: 6-1
AACSB: Analytic skills

71) The Michelin Man is an illustration of the concept of animism.

Answer: TRUE
Diff: 2
Learning Outcome: Explain the relevance of the major theories of personality to consumer
behavior.
Skill: Application
Objective: 6-1
AACSB: Analytic skills

72) Elizabeth has few resources with which to purchase essentials. She tends to favor proven
brands and does not take many risks. She also is very concerned about the approval of others
when she goes out in public. Under the VALS2 classification system, Elizabeth would most
likely be labeled a Striver.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 3
Learning Outcome: Explain the relevance of the major theories of personality to consumer
behavior.
Skill: Application
Objective: 6-2
AACSB: Analytic skills

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73) Blockbuster.com uses software that recommends videos to a customer based on attributes the
movie shares with other movies the customer has already ordered. This is an example of
behavioral targeting.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 2
Learning Outcome: Explain the relevance of the major theories of personality to consumer
behavior.
Skill: Application
Objective: 6-2
AACSB: Use of information technology

74) A radical group that threatened to inject feed contaminated with "mad cow" disease into the
food supplies of several herds of cattle has threatened to commit bioterrorism.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 2
Learning Outcome: Explain the relevance of the major theories of personality to consumer
behavior.
Skill: Application
Objective: 6-3
AACSB: Ethical understanding and reasoning abilities

75) According to Freudian theory, a person's true motivation for buying a product may be forever
hidden from the customer's conscious mind.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 2
Learning Outcome: Explain the relevance of the major theories of personality to consumer
behavior.
Skill: Critical Thinking
Objective: 6-1
AACSB: Reflective thinking skills

76) Describe the basic premise of motivational research and how it might be conducted.
Answer: The approach was largely based on psychoanalytic (Freudian) interpretations with a
heavy emphasis on unconscious motives. A basic assumption is that socially unacceptable needs
are channeled into acceptable outlets. This form of research relies on in-depth interviews with
individual consumers. This work was pioneered by Ernest Dichter.
Diff: 2
Learning Outcome: Explain the relevance of the major theories of personality to consumer
behavior.
Skill: Application
Objective: 6-1
AACSB: Analytic skills

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77) List and briefly describe four of Ernest Dichter's major motives for consumption as
determined by motivational research.
Answer: Major motives as identified by Ernest Dichter are shown in Table 6.1. Students may
choose any of these for their choice of four. Table 6.1 also has a complete description of each of
the motives.

Motives can be listed as:

Power-masculinity-virility
Security
Eroticism
Moral purity—cleanliness
Social acceptance
Individuality
Status
Femininity
Reward
Mastery over environment
Disalienation (a desire to feel connectedness to things)
Magic-mystery
Diff: 3
Learning Outcome: Explain the relevance of the major theories of personality to consumer
behavior.
Skill: Application
Objective: 6-1
AACSB: Analytic skills

78) Describe the concepts of brand personality and brand equity and explain how they are
related.
Answer: A brand personality is the set of traits people attribute to a product as if it were a
person. These inferences are an important part of brand equity, which refers to the extent to
which a consumer holds strong, favorable, and unique associations with a brand in memory—
and the extent to which he or she is willing to pay more for the branded version of a product than
for a nonbranded (generic) version.
Diff: 2
Learning Outcome: Explain the relevance of the major theories of personality to consumer
behavior.
Skill: Application
Objective: 6-1
AACSB: Analytic skills

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79) Describe the concept of psychographics. Then compare the four forms of psychographic
analysis used in marketing.
Answer: Psychographics involves the "use of psychological, sociological, and anthropological
factors . . . to determine how the market is segmented by the propensity of groups within the
market—and their reasons—to make a particular decision about a product, person, ideology, or
otherwise hold an attitude or use a medium."
Psychographic studies can take several different forms:
a. A lifestyle profile looks for items that differentiate between users and nonusers of a product.
b. A product-specific profile identifies a target group, and then profiles these consumers on
product-relevant dimensions.
c. A general lifestyle segmentation places a large sample of respondents into homogeneous
groups based on similarities of their overall preferences.
d. A product-specific segmentation tailors questions to a product category.
Diff: 3
Learning Outcome: Explain the relevance of the major theories of personality to consumer
behavior.
Skill: Application
Objective: 6-2
AACSB: Analytic skills

80) List the various ways that psychographic segmentation can be used.
Answer:
a. To define the target market
b. To create a new view of the market
c. To position the product
d. To better communicate product attributes
e. To develop overall strategy
f. To market social and political issues
Diff: 2
Learning Outcome: Explain the relevance of the major theories of personality to consumer
behavior.
Skill: Concept
Objective: 6-2
AACSB: Communication abilities

81) Explain how addictive consumption is a dimension of the "dark side" of marketing.
Answer: Consumer addiction is a physiological or psychological dependency on products or
services. Many companies profit from addictive products or by selling solutions. Consumers can
use any product or service to relieve some problem to the point that reliance on it becomes
extreme.
Diff: 2
Learning Outcome: Explain the relevance of the major theories of personality to consumer
behavior.
Skill: Application
Objective: 6-3
AACSB: Analytic skills

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82) Define and provide examples of the following terms: addictive consumption, compulsive
consumption, and consumed consumers.
Answer:
a. Addictive consumption—Consumer addiction is a physiological and/or psychological
dependency on products or services. Example: Chapstick addict.
b. Compulsive consumption—Refers to repetitive shopping, often excessive, as an antidote to
tension, anxiety, depression, or boredom. Example: compulsive shopping disorder.
c. Consumed consumers—Situations in which consumers themselves become commodities.
Example: prostitutes.
Diff: 2
Learning Outcome: Explain the relevance of the major theories of personality to consumer
behavior.
Skill: Application
Objective: 6-3
AACSB: Ethical understanding and reasoning abilities

83) Explain the Freudian system of personality as it might apply to the behavior of a consumer.
Answer: Sigmund Freud developed the idea that much of one's adult personality stems from a
fundamental conflict between a person's desire to gratify his or her physical needs and the
necessity to function as a responsible member of society. This struggle is carried out in the mind
among three systems. The id is entirely oriented toward immediate gratification—it is the "party
animal" of the mind. It operates according to the pleasure principle. It tries to maximize pleasure
and minimize pain. The superego is the counterweight to the id. This system is essentially the
person's conscience. It internalizes society's rules and works to prevent the id from seeking
selfish gratification. The id would like another drink, but the superego reminds the customer that
one must drive home safely. Finally, the ego is the system that mediates between the id and the
superego. It is the referee in the fight between temptation and virtue. The ego tries to balance the
opposing forces according to the reality principle. The ego attempts to find a way for another
drink and still find a way to get home safely.
Diff: 2
Learning Outcome: Explain the relevance of the major theories of personality to consumer
behavior.
Skill: Application
Objective: 6-1
AACSB: Reflective thinking skills

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84) What were beliefs of the Neo-Freudians? Are those beliefs relevant to today's marketing?
Answer: Freud's psychoanalytic theory of personality emphasized the way people found socially
acceptable ways to satisfy sexual desires. The Neo-Freudians felt that an individual's personality
was more influenced by how relationships were handled. Students should analyze the work of
the following Neo-Freudians:
∙ Karen Horney proposed that people could be described as compliant (moving toward others),
detached (moving away from others), or aggressive (moving against others). Some research has
shown that Horney's theory might be helpful in relating product preferences to these three types
of people.
∙ Alfred Adler proposed that many actions are motivated by people's desire to overcome
feelings of inferiority relative to others.
∙ Harry Stack Sullivan focused on how personality evolves to reduce anxiety in social
relationships.
∙ Carl Jung was being groomed by Freud to become his successor ,but Jung could not accept
Freud's emphasis on sexual aspects of personality. Eventually the two dissolved their
relationship. Jung's approach to psychotherapy was called analytical psychology. A central part
of Jung's perspective is the collective unconscious, a storehouse of memories inherited from our
ancestral past. These shared memories create archetypes or universally shared ideas and behavior
patterns (e.g., themes involving birth, death, and the devil). Advertisers do indeed invoke
archetypes to link products with underlying meanings, using characters such as wizards, the "old
wise man," and the "earth mother" (e.g., "It's not nice to fool Mother Nature.").
Diff: 3
Learning Outcome: Explain the relevance of the major theories of personality to consumer
behavior.
Skill: Critical Thinking
Objective: 6-1
AACSB: Reflective thinking skills

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85) Explain the basic premise of trait theory. What are the problems in using trait theory for
consumer research?
Answer: One approach to personality is to focus on the quantitative measurement of personality
traits or identifiable characteristics that define a person. For example, introverts versus
extroverts. Trait theory explores these differences.
In theory, measuring consumers' traits would be a useful tool for marketers working on
segmentation issues. It would seem to make good sense that consumers buy products that are
extensions of their personalities. However, try as they may, marketing researchers have not been
able to predict consumers' behavior on the basis of standard personality trait measurements.
Reasons include the following:
∙ Many of the scales are not sufficiently valid or reliable; they do not measure what they are
supposed to measure and they are not stable over time.
∙ Personality tests often have been developed for specific populations (e.g., mentally ill
people), then "borrowed" and applied to the general population.
∙ Tests often are given under inappropriate conditions by untrained people.
∙ Researchers have been known to change the instruments to suit their own situations without
adequately revalidating the new scales. Thus, the measurements are questionable; the ability to
apply them across consumer samples has been reduced.
∙ Trait scales were intended to measure overall tendencies (e.g., emotional stability) but some
researchers have attempted to use them to make predictions about specific brand purchases.
∙ Choice and application of particular scales for research on consumer behavior often has not
received enough thought.

However, marketers have not given up the hope that personality measures may be helpful in the
study of consumer behavior.
Diff: 3
Learning Outcome: Explain the relevance of the major theories of personality to consumer
behavior.
Skill: Critical Thinking
Objective: 6-1
AACSB: Reflective thinking skills

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86) How are psychographics distinct from demographics? Why would it be necessary to study
psychographics to better understand marketing and consumer behavior?
Answer: Demographics are typically measures that are easily quantified and are readily
observable. A person's income is demographic data. Psychographics are composed of
psychological, sociological, and anthropological factors. Social class and introversion would be
examples of psychographics.

Demographics are useful to a person studying consumer behavior because they tell "what" is
happening. For example, a major marketing segment may have high gross incomes and live
mostly in apartment housing. However, demographics do not explain "why." Psychographics do
not always explain "why," but they do allow more understanding. They include important
marketing information and allow important consumer variables such as personality, motivation,
and lifestyles to be considered. Marketers use psychographic segmentation in a variety of ways:
∙ to define the target market
∙ to create a new view of the market
∙ to position the product
∙ to better communicate product attributes
∙ to develop overall strategy
∙ to market social and political issues
Diff: 3
Learning Outcome: Explain the relevance of the major theories of personality to consumer
behavior.
Skill: Critical Thinking
Objective: 6-2
AACSB: Reflective thinking skills

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87) There are eight categories listed in the VALS2 system. List and briefly describe each of the
categories. In which of the eight categories of the VALS2 system would a rich, 60-year-old
woman who is open to new ideas belong?
Answer:
a. Innovators—successful consumers with many resources, concerned with social issues and
open to change.
b. Thinkers—satisfied, reflective, and comfortable; they tend to be practical and value
functionality.
c. Achievers—career oriented and prefer predictability over risk or self-discovery.
d. Experiencers—impulsive, young, and enjoy offbeat or risky experiences.
e. Believers—have strong principles and favor proven brands.
f. Strivers—like the Achievers, but with fewer resources; they are very concerned about the
approval of others.
g. Makers—are action-oriented and tend to focus their energies on self-sufficiency; they often
will be found working on their cars, canning their own vegetables, or building their own houses.
h. Strugglers—are at the bottom of the economic ladder; they are most concerned with meeting
their needs of the moment and have limited ability to acquire anything beyond the basic goods
needed for survival.
The woman is most likely to be an Innovator.
Diff: 3
Learning Outcome: Explain the relevance of the major theories of personality to consumer
behavior.
Skill: Critical Thinking
Objective: 6-2
AACSB: Reflective thinking skills

88) What did Freud mean when he said, "Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar"?
Answer: In the Freudian system, much of a person's motivation is subconscious. The
subconscious motives may come to the surface during dreams or through slips of the tongue
("Freudian Slips"). One of the major motivational factors in the Freudian system is sexuality,
which can manifest itself through symbols. The male-oriented ones are called phallic symbols.
When people (and some researchers) begin thinking in Freudian terms, they begin to see all
phallic-shaped objects in terms of sexuality. These objects are often found in advertisements.
Freud is cautioning everyone that this is not always true. Sometimes an object is just an object!
Diff: 2
Learning Outcome: Explain the relevance of the major theories of personality to consumer
behavior.
Skill: Synthesis
Objective: 6-1
AACSB: Reflective thinking skills

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89) Many people assume that personality must be related to consumer behavior. Knowing a
customer's personality profile should help predict what she or he will buy, and how decisions will
be made in the marketplace. Researchers, however, have been frustrated in their search for a
unified theory of personality that would explain consumer behavior. Use trait theory to explain
why this is so.
Answer: There is no single theory of personality upon which everyone agrees. The trait theory
approach has been used in many studies. These measures, however, are subject to a number of
potential problems.
∙ Many of the scales are not sufficiently valid or reliable; they do not adequately measure what
they are supposed to measure, and their results may not be stable over time.
∙ Psychologists typically develop personality tests for specific populations. The tests may have
been developed for a different population than the one being studied in consumer behavior.
∙ The tests may be used under conditions different from those in which they were designed.
∙ They may have been modified to fit research conditions that may invalidate the measures.
∙ Many trait scales measure gross, overall tendencies; marketers use these results to make
predictions about purchases of specific brands.
∙ The scales may not be relevant to measures related to consumer behavior.
In summary, the common sense notion that personality is related to consumer behavior may
simply be false. On the other hand, there may be a strong relationship, but it has not been found
because of the problems of measuring personality in marketing and consumer settings.
Diff: 3
Learning Outcome: Explain the relevance of the major theories of personality to consumer
behavior.
Skill: Synthesis
Objective: 6-1
AACSB: Reflective thinking skills

90) A national magazine wanted to make a point of how easy it is to find information on
individuals. The magazine was delivered to each of its subscribers with a satellite picture of the
subscriber's house or apartment on the cover and a description inside (e.g., on page one) of the
average demographics of the subscriber's zip code. This example illustrates what is known as
geodemography. Describe the concept of geodemography. Which of the suppliers of
geodemographic analysis discussed in the text was most likely used by the magazine to reach its
subscribers?
Answer: Geodemography is a technique that combines consumer information with geographic
layouts. A map or photo of a city can be overlaid with average income, age, and product
preferences for blocks or sections within the city. The total combination of information becomes
merged in one visual presentation.

The most likely supplier used was Claritas' PRIZM NE system. See Table 6.4 for additional
information on the Claritas approach to geodemographic analysis.
Diff: 3
Learning Outcome: Explain the relevance of the major theories of personality to consumer
behavior.
Skill: Synthesis
Objective: 6-2
AACSB: Reflective thinking skills

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