Consumer Behavior and Family Social Class

Consumer Behavior, 10e (Schiffman/Kanuk)
Chapter 10 The Family and Its Social Class Standing
1) Traditionally, ________ is defined as two or more people related by blood, marriage, or

adoption who reside together.
A) friendship
B) celebrity
C) household
D) a work group
E) family
Answer: E
Diff: 1 Page Ref: 300
Skill: Concept
Objective: 10.1: Understand the changing nature of U.S. families, including their composition
and spending patterns
2) The ________ is the dominant institution in providing for the welfare of its members and is
the major consuming unit.
A) friendship group
B) celebrity group
C) household
D) work group
E) family
Answer: E
Skill: Concept
3) Kevin and Lisa have been married for two years and have not yet had their first child. What
kind of family does this constitute?
A) empty nest
B) married couple
C) extended family
D) single-parent family
E) nuclear family
Answer: B
Skill: Application
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4) A husband and wife and one or more children constitute a(n) ________.
A) empty nest
B) married couple
C) extended family
E) nuclear family
Answer: E
AACSB: Analytic Skills
Skill: Concept
5) A husband and wife and one or more children, together with at least one grandparent living
within the household, constitutes a(n) ________.
A) empty nest
B) married couple
C) extended family
E) nuclear family
Answer: C
Skill: Concept
6) Because of divorce, separation, and out-of-wedlock births, there has been a rapid increase in
the number of ________ households in the U.S.
A) single-parent family
B) nuclear family
C) extended family
D) married couple
E) empty nester
Answer: A
AACSB: Multicultural and Diversity
Skill: Concept
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7) Which of the following is true about gender roles in the modern family?
A) There is very little difference between working and non-working wives with respect to their
purchases of timesaving goods.
B) Husbands whose wives work take on more responsibility for household chores.
C) The ultimate responsibility for household management belongs to the husband.
D) The more traditional the divisions of household labor in a household, the higher the marital
satisfaction is of the wife.
E) Husbands of working wives make more purchase decisions by themselves.
Answer: A
Skill: Concept
8) Which of the following is true of recent trends in the family?

A) The percentage of men and women either separated or divorced has declined.
B) Households have increased in size.
C) Household management now belongs to the husband.
D) The percentage of family households with no spouse present has risen.
E) Households with married couples with children are more numerous than nonfamily
households.
Answer: D
Skill: Concept
9) ________ includes imparting to children the basic values and modes of behavior consistent
with the culture.
A) Intergenerational brand transfer
B) Peer socialization
C) Consumer socialization
D) Shared shopping experience
E) Family member socialization
Answer: E
Skill: Concept
Objective: 10.2: Understand the socialization process and other roles of the family
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10) ________ is defined as the process by which children acquire the skills, knowledge,
attitudes, and experiences necessary to function as consumers.
Answer: C
Skill: Concept
11) Children perceive ________ to be a close and reliable source of information, whereas
adolescents and teenagers are likely to look to ________ for models of acceptable consumption
behavior.
A) their families; their friends
B) their friends; media
C) media; their friends
D) media; their families
E) their friends; their families
Answer: A
Skill: Concept
12) A ________ is a person or organization involved in the socialization process because of

frequency of contact with the individual and control over the rewards and punishments given to
the individual.
A) socialization agent
B) status agent
C) consumption agent
D) decision agent
E) composite agent
Answer: A
Skill: Concept
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13) ________ involves the transfer of product loyalties or brand preferences from one generation
to another.
Answer: A
Skill: Concept
14) Gloria buys Crest toothpaste because her mother always bought Crest for her family when
she was growing up. This is an example of ________.
A) intergenerational brand transfer
B) peer socialization
C) consumer socialization
D) shared shopping experience
E) family member socialization
Answer: A
Skill: Application
15) Socialization is best described as ________.

A) a one-way process whereby adults socialize children
B) a one-way process whereby children socialize adults
C) a one-way process that occurs only during adolescence
D) a one-way process that occurs only during adulthood
E) a two-way process in which the young person is both socialized and influences those who are
doing the socializing
Answer: E
Skill: Concept
16) Which of the following attitudes and behaviors are family members likely to influence in
preadolescents?
A) fashion
B) fads
C) personal style
D) what's "in" versus what's "out"
E) consumer behavior norms
Answer: E
Diff: 2 Page Ref: 309, Figure 10.4
Skill: Application
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17) In the case of men's underwear, which is frequently purchased by women for their husbands
and unmarried sons, the women are the ________.
A) primary users
B) secondary users
C) beneficiaries
D) disposers
E) purchasers
Answer: E
Skill: Application
Objective: 10.3: Understand the dynamics of husband-wife decision making, as well as the
influence of children in family consumption decision-making
18) In the case of men's underwear, which is frequently purchased by women for their husbands
and unmarried sons, husbands and unmarried sons represent ________.
A) primary users
B) secondary users
C) beneficiaries
D) disposers
E) purchasers
Answer: A
Skill: Application
19) Kim wants a candy bar and tries to convince her father to purchase one for her by threatening
to throw a fit in the crowded grocery store if he does not. This is an example of which of the
following tactics used by children to influence their parents?
A) pressure tactic
B) ingratiating tactic
C) exchange tactic
D) coalition tactic
E) consultation tactic
Answer: A
Diff: 3 Page Ref: 312 Table 10.4
AACSB: Reflective Thinking
Skill: Application
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20) Billy tries to convince his mother to buy him a new set of markers by suggesting to her that
his teacher said he needed them. This is an example of which of the following tactics used by
children to influence their parents?
A) inspirational appeal
B) coalition tactic
C) consultation tactic
D) upward appeal
E) rational persuasion
Answer: D
Diff: 3 Page Ref: 312, Table 10.4
Skill: Application
21) ________ encourage their children to speak-up and express their individual preferences on
purchases.
A) Protective parents
B) Consensual parents
C) Conservative parents
D) Pluralistic parents
E) Liberal parents
Answer: D
Skill: Concept
22) ________ stress that children should not stress their own preferences, but rather go along
with the parents' judgment on what is to be purchased.
E) Liberal parents
Answer: A
Skill: Concept
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23) ________ encourage children to seek harmony, but are nevertheless open to the children's
viewpoint on purchases.
E) Liberal parents
Answer: B
Skill: Concept
24) In terms of family consumption behavior, children of ________ tend to have more influence
on purchases than do those of ________.
A) consensual parents; pluralistic parents
B) pluralistic parents; protective parents
C) protective parents; consensual parents
D) conservative parents; consensual parents
E) protective parents; liberal parents
Answer: B
Skill: Concept
25) In the ________ stage of the traditional family life cycle, single young individuals have
established households apart from their parents.
A) bachelorhood
B) honeymooner
C) parenthood
D) postparenthood
E) dissolution
Answer: A
Skill: Concept
Objective: 10.4: Understand how traditional and non-traditional family life cycles impact
consumer behavior
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26) Marriage marks the transition from the ________ stage to the ________ stage of the
traditional family life cycle.
A) bachelorhood; honeymooner
B) honeymooner; parenthood
C) parenthood; postparenthood
D) postparenthood; dissolution
E) dissolution; bachelorhood
Answer: A
Skill: Concept
consumer behavior
27) Consumers in the ________ stage of the traditional family life cycle are apt to spend their
incomes on rent, basic home furnishings, and the purchase and maintenance of automobiles.
A) bachelorhood
B) honeymooner
C) parenthood
D) postparenthood
E) dissolution
Answer: A
Skill: Concept
consumer behavior
28) Ken and Kira recently married and do not currently have any children. They both work and
are conscientiously saving their money so that they can go on a cruise next summer. Ken and
Kira are best described as being at the ________ stage of the traditional family life cycle.
A) bachelorhood
B) honeymooner
C) parenthood
D) postparenthood
E) dissolution
Answer: B
Skill: Application
consumer behavior
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29) The birth of the first child marks the transition from the ________ stage to the ________
stage of the traditional family life cycle.
A) bachelorhood; honeymooner
B) honeymooner; parenthood
C) parenthood; postparenthood
D) postparenthood; dissolution
E) dissolution; bachelorhood
Answer: B
Skill: Concept
consumer behavior
30) During the ________ stage of the traditional family life cycle, married couples tend to be
most comfortable financially.
A) bachelorhood
B) honeymooner
C) parenthood
D) postparenthood
E) dissolution
Answer: D
Skill: Concept
consumer behavior
31) The ________ stage of the basic family unit occurs with the death of one spouse.
A) bachelorhood
B) honeymooner
C) parenthood
D) postparenthood
E) dissolution
Answer: E
Skill: Concept
consumer behavior
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32) The underlying sociodemographic forces that have typically driven the need for an expanded
FLC model include ________.
A) changing economic conditions
B) earlier marriages
C) changing trends in home ownership
D) declining blue collar employment opportunities
E) the high rate of divorce
Answer: E
Skill: Application
consumer behavior
33) Researchers often measure social class in terms of ________.

A) religion
B) power
C) social status
D) upward mobility
E) education
Answer: C
Skill: Concept
Objective: 10.5: Understand what social class is and how it relates to consumer behavior
34) Relative ________ is a measure of the amount of economic assets an individual possesses.
A) wealth
B) affluence
C) social status
D) power
E) prestige
Answer: A
Skill: Concept
35) ________ is the process by which consumers endeavor to increase their social standing
through conspicuous consumption and possessions.
A) Status consumption
B) Affluent consumption
C) Upward comparison
D) Social stratification
E) Social comparison
Answer: A
Skill: Concept
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36) Paul is an analyst at an investment bank. He notices that many of the senior executives at his
office wear Rolex watches, so he decides to save up and buy a Rolex so that he will appear to
more like those executives. This behavior is known as ________.
A) status consumption
B) affluent consumption
C) downward comparison
D) social stratification
E) antisocial comparison
Answer: A
Skill: Application
37) The choice of how many separate classes should be used to describe the class structure
depends mostly on ________.
A) which country we are conducting the research in
B) the amount of detail that the researcher believes is necessary for the study's purposes
C) the time allotted for the study
D) the budget of the study
E) the objective of the study
Answer: B
Skill: Concept
38) According to the ________ measure of social class, the phenomenon of social class is one
that reflects an individual's sense of belonging or identification with others.
A) subjective
B) consumption
C) reputational
D) status
E) objective
Answer: A
Skill: Concept
Objective: 10.6: Understand the various measures of social class and their role in consumer
behavior
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39) The feeling of social-group membership is referred to as ________.
A) reputational measures
B) class identification
C) social class involvement
D) class consciousness
E) reputational class
Answer: D
Skill: Concept
behavior
40) In the subjective measurement approach to social classification, most respondents have a
tendency to classify themselves in the ________ class.
A) upper
B) middle
C) lower
D) working
E) highest
Answer: B
Skill: Concept
behavior
41) Occupation, amount of income, and education are typical variables used as ________
measures of social class.
A) subjective
B) consumption
C) reputational
D) status
E) objective
Answer: E
Skill: Concept
behavior
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42) To reach a desired target market, marketers match the socioeconomic profiles of their target
audiences to the ________ of selected advertising media.
A) social stratification
B) audience profiles
C) status consumption
D) single-variable indexes
E) conspicuous consumption
Answer: B
Skill: Application
behavior
43) Streamline Luggage Company markets its roll-aboard suitcases to international executives
and businesspeople that travel regularly. This is an example of segmenting based on ________.
A) education
B) occupation
C) conspicuous consumption
D) income
E) prestige
Answer: B
Skill: Application
behavior
44) ________ works best in accounting for leisure consumption when measured in terms of a
particular leisure activity.
A) Education
B) Occupation
C) Conspicuous consumption
D) Income
E) Prestige
Answer: D
Skill: Concept
behavior
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45) In the context of consumption, it is the difference in ________ that is an important
discriminant of social class between people, not the amount of income they earn.
A) education
B) occupation
C) values
D) power
E) prestige
Answer: C
Skill: Application
behavior
46) ________ is a weighted measure of occupation, source of income, house type, and quality of
neighborhood to assess social class.
A) Social Stratification Theory
B) Chapin's Social Status Scale
C) Social Comparison Theory
D) The Index of Status Characteristics
E) The Socioeconomic Status Score
Answer: D
Skill: Concept
Objective: 10.7: Appreciate the distinctive profiles of specific social class groupings
47) Which of the following social class strata are typically conspicuous users of new wealth?
A) upper-upper class
B) lower-upper class
C) lower-middle class
D) upper-lower class
E) low-lower class
Answer: B
Skill: Application
48) Which of the following class strata view work as means to "buy" enjoyment?
A) lower-upper class
B) upper-middle class
E) lower-lower class
Answer: D
Skill: Application
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49) Which of the following class strata constitute a major market for do-it-yourself products?
Answer: C
Diff: 3 Page Ref: 327, Table10.12
Skill: Application
50) The classic Horatio Alger tale of a penniless young orphan who managed to achieve great
success in business and in life is an example of ________.
A) downward mobility
B) conspicuous consumption
D) power
E) upward mobility
Answer: E
Skill: Concept
Objective: 10.8: Understand the "ups and downs" of social class mobility
51) The underlying rationale for ________ is that "birds of a feather flock together."
A) geodemographic clustering
B) social mobility
C) conspicuous consumption
D) affluence
E) down-scale consumers
Answer: A
Skill: Concept
Objective: 10.9: Understand the relationship between social class and geodemographic clusters
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52) Defining the middle class in the U.S. has always been a challenge. What has been adding to
the challenge in recent years?
A) the global shrinkage of the middle class
B) the failing economy
C) the geographic shift from metropolitans to the suburbs
D) the fact that luxury and technological products are becoming more affordable
E) the expansion of educational opportunity
Answer: D
Skill: Application
Objective: 10.11: Understand the middle-class consumer
53) Downscale consumers are more brand loyal than upscale consumers because ________.
A) they have found the brand that satisfies their needs the best
B) upscale consumers are never satisfied
C) they cannot afford to make mistakes by switching to unfamiliar brands
D) they have loyalty towards companies that target them specifically
E) intergenerational brand transfer is more prevalent in these households
Answer: C
Skill: Concept
Objective: 10.12: Understand the working class and other nonaffluent consumers
54) Downscale consumers often spend a higher percentage of their available incomes on
________ than do their middle-class counterparts.
A) entertainment
B) housing
C) education
D) food
E) clothing
Answer: D
Skill: Concept
Objective: 10.12: Understand the working class and other nonaffluent consumers
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55) Lower-middle-class consumers' affinity for ________ makes them prime targets for licensed
goods.
A) status consumption
B) external points of identification
C) upward comparison
D) downward mobility
E) prestige
Answer: B
Skill: Application
Objective: 10.14: Understand how social class is used in consumer research studies
56) Which of the following is true of social class as it relates to saving, spending, and credit?
A) Upper-class consumers tend to use their bank credit cards for installment purchases.
B) Young professionals perceive themselves as being average and have a strong sense of
uncertainty about the future.
C) Lower-class consumers are more future oriented and confident of their financial acumen.
D) Lower-class consumers tend to pay their credit card bills in full each month.
E) Upper-class purchasers use their credit cards as a convenient substitute for cash.
Answer: E
Skill: Concept
WATCH MINI CASE: Bob is interviewing for high-level managerial jobs in the Boston area. He
decides that, in order to make himself more appealing for the job, he should wear expensive suits
and carry expensive business accessories. To this end, he has decided to purchase an Icon
watch, because Bob perceives that Icon watches are expensive and typically worn by people with
high social status. In fact, Icon specifically targets its wristwatches to image-conscious business
executives and has its best results focusing its marketing efforts on men between the ages of 35
and 50 living in affluent zip codes of New York City and its surrounding suburbs.
57) In the WATCH MINI CASE, Bob's choice of an Icon wristwatch constitutes ________.
A) prestige
B) status consumption
C) status identification
D) social comparison
E) social stratification
Answer: B
Skill: Application
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58) In the WATCH MINI CASE, seeking a job with higher income and greater prestige, Bob is
trying to exercise ________.
A) downward mobility
B) conspicuous consumption
D) power
E) upward mobility
Answer: E
Skill: Application
59) In the WATCH MINI CASE, Icon seems to be appealing to a target market of consumers
seeking a wristwatch that provides ________.
A) a sense of achievement
B) a sense of power
C) a sense of being well-educated
D) a sense of status
E) a sense of importance
Answer: D
Skill: Application
behavior
60) In the WATCH MINI CASE, Icon's focus on men of a given age in specific zip codes is an
example of ________.
A) affluence targeting
B) single-variable indexing
C) geodemographic clustering
D) autonomic decision-making
E) socialization
Answer: C
Skill: Application
Objective: 10.9: Understand the relationship between social class and geodemographic clusters
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PASTA MINI CASE: National Dining Company owns a number of different Italian food
franchises. Its cheapest restaurants, Pasta Bowls, are opened in geodemographic clusters
composed of households earning $35,000 - $50,000. Pasta Bowl emphasizes big portions for a
low price, with advertisements portraying Pasta Bowl as a way for busy parents and kids to stop
running around and share quality time over a delicious and wallet-friendly meal. In contrast,
Armando's Italian Grille is National's most expensive chain, emphasizing fresh ingredients,
attentive service, and a quiet dining atmosphere. These restaurants are opened in
geodemographic clusters composed of households earning over $150,000.
61) In the PASTA MINI CASE, National Dining Company segments its restaurants' target
markets based on ________.
A) prestige
B) power
C) education
D) status
E) income
Answer: E
Skill: Application
behavior
62) In the PASTA MINI CASE, National Dining Company identifies the social class status of
geodemographic clusters through a(n) ________.
A) subjective measure
B) objective measure
C) consumption measure
D) reputational measure
E) composite variable index
Answer: B
Skill: Application
behavior
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63) In the PASTA MINI CASE, Pasta Bowl's advertising is targeting families in the ________
stage of the traditional family life cycle.
A) bachelorhood
B) honeymooner
C) parenthood
D) postparenthood
E) dissolution
Answer: C
Skill: Application
consumer behavior
64) In the PASTA MINI CASE, Pasta Bowl's target market is dominated by members of which
of the following social classes?
A) upper-upper class
B) lower-upper class
C) upper-middle class
D) middle-middle class
E) upper-lower class
Answer: E
Diff: 3 Page Ref: 327, Table10.12
Skill: Application
65) In the PASTA MINI CASE, Armando's Italian Grille's target market is dominated by
members of which of the following PRIZM Cluster Segments?
A) middle age couples with working class jobs
B) privileged superrich families
C) lower income retirees
D) empty nesters settled in satellite communities
E) young, middle-class families
Answer: B
Skill: Application
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SMITH MINI CASE: Nathan Smith is single and lives in Detroit, where he works on the
assembly line at the local automobile manufacturing plant and is a member of the Automobile
Workers Union. He views work as a means to buy things to enhance his leisure time and recently
purchased a new television so that he could better watch his favorite team, the Detroit Lions,
play football. Nathan has always followed the Lions, largely because his dad was a big Lions
fan.
66) In the SMITH MINI CASE, Nathan most likely considered to be in the ________ stage of
the traditional family life cycle.
A) bachelorhood
B) honeymooner
C) parenthood
D) postparenthood
E) dissolution
Answer: A
Skill: Application
consumer behavior
67) In the SMITH MINI CASE, Nathan is most likely to be a part of which of the following
social classes?
Answer: D
Skill: Application
68) In the SMITH MINI CASE, which of the following is most likely to describe Nathan?
A) Nathan uses his credit card as a convenient substitute for cash.
B) Nathan perceives himself to be empowered in the sense that he can achieve whatever he sets
his mind to.
C) Nathan saves money primarily in the interest of safety and security.
D) Nathan is likely to attend the theater and concerts.
E) Nathan prefers to spend his leisure time on cerebral activities, like reading or visiting
museums.
Answer: C
Skill: Application
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69) In the SMITH MINI CASE, which of the following is most likely to describe Nathan?
A) Nathan is likely to shop at Neiman Marcus.
B) Nathan prefers sleek clothing with a subtle look.
C) Nathan is a good target for licensed goods.
D) Nathan is likely to end up in the upper-middle class.
E) Nathan probably watches less television per day than more affluent consumers.
Answer: C
Skill: Application
70) In the SMITH MINI CASE, Nathan roots for the Lions because his dad did. This is an
example of ________.
A) subjective measurement
B) geodemographic clustering
C) intergenerational brand transfer
D) syncratic decision making
E) status consumption
Answer: C
Skill: Application
71) The family commonly provides the opportunity for product exposure and trial and imparts
consumption values to its members.
Answer: TRUE
Skill: Concept
72) All households are families.

Answer: FALSE
Skill: Concept
73) The incidence of extended family households has risen as a result of geographic mobility.
Answer: FALSE
Skill: Application
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74) Working wives tend to purchase more time-saving goods than do non-working wives.
Answer: FALSE
Skill: Concept
75) A husband's behavior with respect to household chores remains the same whether the wife is
or is not employed.
Answer: TRUE
Skill: Concept
76) Nonfamily households are more numerous than family households.

Answer: FALSE
Skill: Concept
77) Marketers frequently target parents looking for assistance in the task of socializing their
children.
Answer: TRUE
Skill: Concept
78) Most adolescents and teens prefer to look to their parents and older siblings in the
development of consumer behavior norms.
Answer: FALSE
Skill: Concept
79) Shared shopping experiences give children the opportunity to acquire in-store shopping
skills.
Answer: TRUE
Skill: Concept
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80) Consumer socialization of children functions identically in all cultures.
Answer: FALSE
Skill: Concept
81) The majority of U.S. Moms are receptive to marketing aimed at their children.
Answer: FALSE
Skill: Concept
82) Socialization begins in early childhood and culminates in early adulthood.

Answer: FALSE
Skill: Concept
83) The relative influence of a husband and wife on a particular consumer decision depends in
part on the product or service category.
Answer: TRUE
Skill: Application
84) Husband-wife decision making appears to be independent of cultural influences.

Answer: FALSE
Skill: Concept
85) Over the past several decades, as a result of families having fewer children, there has been a
trend toward children playing a more active role in the family decision-making process.
Answer: TRUE
Skill: Application
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86) Increases in the divorce rate and the number of out-of-wedlock births, and the decline in the
number of extended families has resulted in an increase in the percentage of families that
progress through the traditional family life cycle.
Answer: FALSE
Skill: Concept
consumer behavior
87) Families in the parenthood stage are an important market for luxury goods, new automobiles,
expensive furniture, and vacations to faraway places.
Answer: FALSE
Skill: Application
consumer behavior
88) According to social comparison theory, individuals normally compare their own material
possessions with those owned by others in order to determine their relative social standing.
Answer: TRUE
Skill: Concept
89) Individuals with more purchasing power or a greater ability to make purchases have more
status.
Answer: TRUE
Skill: Application
90) Conspicuous possessions serve as markers or indicators of one's own status and the status of
others.
Answer: TRUE
Skill: Concept
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91) Social-class membership serves consumers as a framework or reference for the development
of their attitudes and behavior and provides a natural basis for market segmentation for many
products and services.
Answer: TRUE
Skill: Application
92) Age and religion are especially important as a means of locating concentrations of consumers
with specific social-class membership.
Answer: FALSE
Skill: Concept
behavior
93) There is a strong positive relationship between health and economic status.
Answer: TRUE
Skill: Concept
Objective: 10.10: Understand the affluent consumer
94) Although only a minority of U.S. households are considered "affluent," these households
account for the majority of household income in the United States.
Answer: TRUE
Skill: Concept
95) All affluent consumers share the same lifestyle.

Answer: FALSE
Skill: Concept
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96) What is social comparison theory? How does it relate to status consumption? How might
marketers use this theory in advertising?
Answer: Social comparison theory suggests that individuals normally compare their own
material possessions with those owned by others in order to determine their relative social
standing. Because visible or conspicuous possessions are easy to spot, they especially serve as
markers or indicators of one's own status and the status of others. An individual consumer might
decide to compare himself to someone who is worse off in order to bolster his self-esteem.
Alternatively, he might elect to compare upward with someone who appears to have more
purchasing power, which is likely to make the consumer feel somewhat inferior.
Status consumption is the process by which consumers endeavor to increase their social standing
through conspicuous consumption and possession. Through status consumption, a consumer may
display purchases that will reflect positively on his social status by comparison to those
surrounding him.
Marketers can capitalize on tendencies among people by displaying their products as

contributing to or elevating the status of its owners.
Skill: Application
97) Identify the four factors that differentiate "income" from "wealth."
Answer:
∙ Wealth, not income, is the primary driver to financial freedom. Wealth, not income, is a
function of savings, so to achieve wealth you have to increase your net worth, not just your
income.
∙ Wealth deals with the creation of resources and money deals more with consumption.
∙ For wealth you need to network and build personal alliances, because a great deal of the
information needed to create wealth is passed along via such relationships.
∙ You need to find ways to minimize your non-productive spending, because non-productive
spending, such as taxes, reduces your ability to create wealth.
Skill: Concept
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98) How is social class membership in the United States different from social class membership
in other countries, such as China? How is this changing in the U.S.?
Answer: Social-class membership in the United States is not as rigid and fixed as it is in some
other countries and cultures. Although individuals can move either up or down in social-class
standing from the class position held by their parents, Americans have primarily thought in terms
of upward mobility because of the availability of free education and opportunities for self-
development and self-advancement. Because upward mobility has commonly been attainable in
American society, the higher social classes often become reference groups for ambitious men
and women of lower social status.
Although the United States is frequently associated with upward mobility, there now are signs of
some downward mobility. There is also a growing body of evidence that social mobility in
America is not what it used to be. According to recent research, young adults today are more
likely to end up in or around the same social class as their parents.
Skill: Concept
99) Why do marketers target affluent households? If affluent households are such great targets,
why not target them exclusively?
Answer: Affluent households constitute an especially attractive target segment because its
members have incomes that provide them with a disproportionately larger share of all
discretionary income. Members of affluent households are also healthier, helping them live
longer than members of non-affluent households and giving them a longer consumption life.
Despite their lower proportion of discretionary income, downscale consumers control

somewhere near 30% of the total income in the United States. Lower-income consumers may
also be more brand loyal than wealthier consumers, because they cannot afford to make mistakes
by switching to unfamiliar brands.
Diff: 2 Page Ref: 329-332
Skill: Application
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100) Identify the benefits and dangers of a single company marketing different brands to
different social class segments. Give an example.
Answer: People tend to avoid stores that have the image of appealing to a social class very
different from their own. For this reason, in order to appeal to working class consumers without
driving away their middle and upper class consumers, companies will market different brands of
their products, or even different stores, to different social class segments. For example, Gap
opened its Old Navy stores with cheaper clothing in order to sell to working class consumers
without giving its Gap stores a working class reputation and driving away Gap's middle and
upper class customers. While Old Navy has increased the parent company's sales by targeting a
new social class segment, the downside to this strategy is that Old Navy sales have cannibalized
some Gap sales, with Gap customers instead choosing to buy their clothes at the less expensive
Old Navy.
Skill: Application
101) How do the lower classes and upper classes differ in terms of saving, spending and credit?
Answer: Upper class segments are more future-oriented and confident of their financial acumen,
and they are more willing to invest in insurance, stocks, and real estate. In comparison, lower-
class consumers are generally more concerned with immediate gratification. When they do save,
they are primarily interested in safety and security.
As for their credit card usage, members of the lower classes tend to use their credit cards for
installment purchases, whereas members of the upper social classes pay their credit card bills in
full each month.
Diff: 2 Page Ref: 340-341
Skill: Application
102) What does the term "intergenerational brand transfer" mean?

Answer: It means that certain product loyalties or brand preferences tend to be transferred from
one generation to another, maybe even three or four generations within the family.
Skill: Concept
103) What are the traditional family life cycle stages a family progresses through?
Answer: Stage I: bachelorhood – where a young single adult lives apart from parents
Stage II: honeymooners – young married couple
Stage III: parenthood – married couple with at least one child living at home
Stage IV: postparenthood – an older married couple with no children living at home anymore
Stage V: dissolution – one surviving spouse
Skill: Concept
consumer behavior
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104) Name three new emerging households that have become important to marketers with the
change in society.
Answer: Table 10-9 divides alternative households into family and non-family households.
Students may choose three of the following:
Family Households
a. Childless couples: married couples who elect not to have children
b. Couples who marry later in life: likely to have fewer or even no children
c. Couples who have their first child later in life: likely to have fewer children; stress quality
lifestyle
d. Single parenthood as a result of divorce
e. Single parenthood as a result of having children out of wedlock
f. Single parenthood as a result of single persons adopting one or more children
g. Extended family: young single-adult children return home to avoid the expense of living
alone while establishing their careers; divorced children and grandchildren return home to
parents; frail elderly parents move in with children; newlyweds living with in-laws
Nonfamily Households
a. Unmarried couples: cohabitating heterosexual or homosexual couples who are not married
b. Divorced persons (no children)
c. Single persons: primarily a result of delaying first marriage; also men and women who never
marry
d. Widowed persons: longer life expectancy, especially for women, means more over-75 single-
person households
Skill: Concept
consumer behavior
105) Describe how materialism manifests in children and how it evolves as they grow up. How
does media exposure influence childhood and adolescent materialism?
Answer: Children learn to attach importance to worldly possessions at an early age, such as
seeing a commercial for a doll or action figure on television, pointing to the screen, and shouting
"I want that!" Materialism increases from middle childhood (8-9) to early adolescence (ages 12-
13), and then declines from early to late adolescence (ages 16-18). Research has shown an
inverse relationship between self-esteem and materialism in children and adolescence. Rather
than blaming media for the materialism exhibited by children and adolescents, finding ways to
increase this group's self-esteem might serve as a more positive approach to reducing
materialism.
Skill: Concept
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Consumer Behavior and Family Social Class

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Consumer Behavior, 10e (Schiffman/Kanuk)

Chapter 10 The Family and Its Social Class Standing

1) Traditionally, ________ is defined as two or more people related by blood, marriage, or

8) Which of the following is true of recent trends in the family?

12) A ________ is a person or organization involved in the socialization process because of

15) Socialization is best described as ________.

33) Researchers often measure social class in terms of ________.

72) All households are families.

76) Nonfamily households are more numerous than family households.

82) Socialization begins in early childhood and culminates in early adulthood.

84) Husband-wife decision making appears to be independent of cultural influences.

95) All affluent consumers share the same lifestyle.

Marketers can capitalize on tendencies among people by displaying their products as

Despite their lower proportion of discretionary income, downscale consumers control

102) What does the term "intergenerational brand transfer" mean?

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