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Consumer Behavior & Market Research
Q1: In MKTG 201, we talk about the consumer decision process as a journey. Which of
the following represents the correct sequence of stages a consumer moves through
when making a significant purchase?
A. Need recognition → information search → purchase decision → alternative
evaluation → post-purchase behavior
B. Need recognition → information search → alternative evaluation → purchase
decision → post-purchase behavior [CORRECT]
C. Information search → need recognition → alternative evaluation → purchase
decision → post-purchase behavior
D. Need recognition → alternative evaluation → information search → purchase
decision → post-purchase behavior
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The correct answer is B. In MKTG 201 Midterm 2, remember that the
consumer decision process always starts with recognizing a need, then searching for
information, evaluating alternatives, making the purchase, and finally reflecting on that
decision afterward.
Q2: A BYU student walks into the bookstore to buy a textbook but ends up purchasing a
BYU sweatshirt because it was displayed near the checkout counter and caught her eye.
Which situational factor best explains this unplanned purchase?
A. Social class influence
B. Physical surroundings and point-of-purchase display [CORRECT]
C. Family life cycle stage
D. Reference group pressure
Correct Answer: B
,Rationale: The correct answer is B. The store layout and that eye-catching display right
at checkout created a situational influence that triggered an impulse buy, which is
exactly how retailers use physical surroundings to drive unplanned purchases.
Q3: According to Maslow's hierarchy of needs, which need level is being satisfied when
a consumer purchases a home security system after a break-in in their neighborhood?
A. Esteem needs
B. Self-actualization needs
C. Safety needs [CORRECT]
D. Social needs
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The correct answer is C. Maslow's hierarchy places safety needs right above
physiological needs, and buying a security system is a classic response to a perceived
threat to personal safety and security.
Q4: A freshman at BYU decides to buy the same brand of laptop that her roommate
uses because she trusts her roommate's tech knowledge. Which type of reference
group influence is this?
A. Aspirational reference group
B. Dissociative group
C. Membership reference group [CORRECT]
D. Formal reference group
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The correct answer is C. The roommate is part of the student's direct,
face-to-face social circle, which makes her a membership reference group, and we tend
to listen to people we actually know and interact with daily.
Q5: A consumer sees dozens of advertisements for SUVs during a football game but
only remembers the one that showed a family safely driving through a snowstorm
because it matched his current worry about winter safety. This is best described as:
A. Selective distortion
B. Selective retention [CORRECT]
C. Selective exposure
D. Subliminal perception
Correct Answer: B
, Rationale: The correct answer is B. Selective retention means we hang onto information
that connects with our current needs or concerns, which is why that winter safety
message stuck with him while the other ads faded away.
Q6: Which of the following best describes the learning process in consumer behavior
when a customer receives a coupon, tries a new restaurant, enjoys the meal, and then
becomes a regular patron?
A. Cognitive learning through information processing
B. Behavioral learning through positive reinforcement [CORRECT]
C. Social learning through modeling
D. Attitude formation through belief assessment
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The correct answer is B. That enjoyable meal after using the coupon created
a positive reinforcement loop, which is classic behavioral learning, the customer
associated the restaurant with a rewarding experience and kept coming back.
Q7: A Provo-based outdoor gear company wants to understand why millennials are not
buying their camping equipment. Before designing a survey, the marketing team
conducts informal interviews with ten non-customers to explore attitudes and barriers.
Which research approach is being used?
A. Causal research
B. Exploratory research [CORRECT]
C. Descriptive research
D. Predictive research
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The correct answer is B. Those informal interviews with a small group are
textbook exploratory research, you use this approach when you don't fully understand
the problem yet and need to dig around before designing a larger study.
Q8: Which of the following represents the correct order of steps in the marketing
research process?
A. Define the problem → develop the research plan → collect data → analyze data →
take action [CORRECT]
B. Develop the research plan → define the problem → collect data → analyze data →
take action