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Chapter 13 Situational Influences: Multiple Choice Questions
Chapter 13 Situational Influences: Multiple Choice Questions
1. What do Hispanic girls celebrate when they are fifteen years old?
A) ritual situation
B) bat mitzvah
C) quinceanera
D) Cinco De Mayo
E) a and c
2. Which of the following is an ancient solemn event marketing the coming of age of a
Jewish male?
A) bar mitzvah
B) bat mitzvah
C) Chanukah
D) Passover
E) Yom Kippur
3. The purchase decision and consumption process always occur in the context of _____.
A) others
B) a specific situation
C) marketing communications
D) an extended decision-making process
E) a social surrounding
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Chapter 13 Situational Influences
5. All those factors particular to a time and place that do not follow from knowledge of
the stable attributes of the consumer and the stimulus and that have an effect on
current behavior are known as _____.
A) situational influence
B) motivators
C) consumption triggers
D) consumption influencers
E) motivational influence
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10. Sharon has to purchase a gift for her mother and only has this afternoon to do so
because her birthday party is that evening. She's wondering how she will be able get
to the mall in time to pick out the perfect gift. This is an illustration of which situation
characteristic?
A) physical features
B) social surroundings
C) temporal perspective
D) task definition
E) antecedent state
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13. The situation interacts with the marketing activity and the individual to determine
behavior. Which of the following is a marketing activity?
A) lifestyle
B) temporal perspective
C) package
D) purchase
E) task definition
14. Mark is developing the marketing strategy for his business, which is a retail store. He
knows that situation characteristics will interact with his marketing activity. Which of
the following is a situation characteristic he needs to consider?
A) social class
B) attitudes
C) lifestyle
D) task definition
E) all of the above
15. The situation in which consumers receive information has an impact on their behavior
and is referred to as the _____ situation.
A) communications
B) purchase
C) usage
D) disposition
E) preliminary
16. In which situation do marketers attempt to place their ads in appropriate media
contexts to enhance their effectiveness?
A) communications
B) purchase
C) usage
D) disposition
E) preliminary
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17. When orange juice attempted to expand the various times of day when consumers
would see orange juice as an appropriate beverage to consume, they were trying to
influence which situation?
A) communication
B) usage
C) purchase
D) disposition
E) all of the above
18. Arm & Hammer baking soda has been very successful promoting other uses for this
product. Advertisements provide several uses other than baking, such as removing
odors from carpeting, the laundry, and kitty litter boxes. Finding more uses for a
product is known as _____.
A) disposition situation
B) purchase situation
C) communications situation
D) expanded usage situation
E) alternative usage situation
19. In the United States, a man usually gives a woman a diamond ring for her to wear on
her left-hand ring finger when they become engaged to be married. However, one
diamond distributor has developed the idea that women should wear diamonds on their
right hands as well. Marketing communications regarding the Diamond Right Hand
Ring stress the independence of women and their ability to buy a diamond for
themselves. One ad claims that a diamond on a left hand says “we,” while a diamond
on the right hand says “me.” This diamond distributor is attempting to _____.
A) influence the competitive situation
B) expand the usage situation
C) reduce the disposition situation
D) influence the social surroundings
E) influence the temporal perspective
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20. Which situation involves consumers disposing of products or product packages after
or before product use?
A) communications situation
B) purchase situation
C) usage situation
D) disposition situation
E) task situation
21. Decisions made by consumers regarding the _____ situation can create significant
social problems as well as opportunities for marketers.
A) disposition
B) purchase
C) communication
D) expanded usage
E) usage
22. Which group needs to understand how situational influences affect consumers'
disposition decisions?
A) marketers
B) government
C) environmental organizations
D) a and b
E) a, b, and c
23. Walker and his wife have two children. They have purchased a new computer for
their household every four years or so for almost twenty years. When Walker
purchases a new one, usually for him to be able to work at home, one of his children
will get the old one. However, they have a few old computers sitting in the attic and
garage because Walker doesn't really know how to get rid of them. This is an example
of which type of situation?
A) disposition situation
B) purchase situation
C) communications situation
D) expanded usage situation
E) replacement situation
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Chapter 13 Situational Influences
24. Gertrude is very environmentally-conscious, so she only uses paper bags at the
grocery store and tries to purchase items in packages that are recyclable. Her behavior
concerns which type of situation?
A) socially sensitive situation
B) disposition situation
C) usage situation
D) purchase situation
E) communications situation
25. Which of the following is NOT a key situational dimension or characteristic that
influences consumer behavior?
A) physical surroundings
B) social surroundings
C) alternative evaluation
D) temporal perspectives
E) task definition
26. Decor, sounds, aromas, lighting, weather, and configurations of merchandise or other
materials surrounding the stimulus object are included in which situational
characteristic?
A) physical surroundings
B) social surroundings
C) temporal perspectives
D) task definition
E) antecedent states
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27. Melanie lives in a small city that does not have a lot of the interesting retail stores.
She and her two best friends take a trip twice a year to places such as Atlanta, Dallas,
and Chicago to go shopping. It's so exciting for them to go in some of the stores
because they are so unique, and they have only seen them online or in catalogs. Also,
several cities now have lifestyle centers or town centers that are reminiscent of
downtown in bygone days. All of the factors such as decor, sounds, aromas, lighting,
weather, and configurations of merchandise or other materials surrounding the
merchandise that Melanie and her friends make a special trip to experience comprise
which situation characteristic?
A) physical surroundings
B) social surroundings
C) temporal perspectives
D) task definition
E) antecedent states
28. The sum of all the physical features of a retail environment is referred to as the _____.
A) store situation
B) retail ambiance
C) retail surroundings
D) store atmosphere
E) merchandising mix
29. Many of you have probably heard of Banana Republic retail stores and perhaps have
shopped there. Many of you may not know that the store used to look much different
than it does today. It used to be more like an adventure, and the merchandise
assortment was more appropriate for a safari. If you've ever seen an Indiana Jones
movie, you can get a pretty good idea of what Banana Republic used to look like. The
stores would have a jeep in the store, camouflage netting, and music from the 1940s
playing. The inside had wooden beams and maps hung on the wall that looked like
treasure maps. Much of the merchandise was accompanied by a sign that had a tale of
some adventure associated with it. These physical features of the retail environment
are referred to as the _____.
A) store situation
B) retail ambiance
C) retail surroundings
D) store atmosphere
E) merchandising mix
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Chapter 13 Situational Influences
31. _____ is the process managers use to manipulate the physical retail environment to
create specific mood responses in shoppers.
A) Servicescape
B) Psychographics
C) Atmospherics
D) Environmentalism
E) Landscaping
32. Carmen is double majoring in fashion merchandising and graphic design in college.
When she graduates, she wants to design the physical environment of retail stores,
particularly those in women's fashions. She wants to create environments that create
specific mood responses in shoppers. Which field best describes what Carmen wants
to do?
A) architecture
B) retail atmospherics
C) art
D) graphic design
E) marketing
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Chapter 13 Situational Influences
34. With respect to the typology of service environments, a bank would be categorized as
_____.
A) utilitarian
B) personal
C) hedonic
D) tangible
E) moderate
35. Marcie will soon be 50 years old, so to pamper herself, she decided to get a massage.
With respect to the typology of service environments, this type of service would be
categorized as _____.
A) utilitarian
B) personal
C) hedonic
D) intangible
E) moderate
36. Which of the following services would be classified as having an extended hedonic
consumption purpose?
A) bank
B) cruise
C) business dinner
D) exercise class
E) theater
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Chapter 13 Situational Influences
39. Which type of industry has developed around the use of ambient scents?
A) professional scenting
B) environmental fragrancing
C) scent motivation
D) environmental creationism
E) environmental construction
41. Mike is the owner of a restaurant that also has a bar. Based on research that studied
the impact of background music on restaurant patrons, what can Mike expect if he
uses slow music in his establishment?
A) faster service time
B) customers spend less time at a table
C) larger amount of bar purchases
D) significantly more (i.e., 50% or more) spent on food purchases
E) greater number of customer groups leaving before seated
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Chapter 13 Situational Influences
42. Crowding generally produces which outcome for the retail outlet and the consumer?
A) generally positive outcomes for the retailer, but negative outcomes for the
consumer
B) generally negative outcomes for the consumer, but positive outcomes for the
retailer
C) generally positive outcomes for both
D) generally negative outcomes for both
E) none of the above
45. Under conditions of crowding, consumers tend do to all of the following EXCEPT
_____.
A) buy less
B) make faster decisions
C) make more demands on the sales personnel
D) be less satisfied
E) all of the above
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46. A closed-in feeling created by a crowded store will result in adaptive strategies that
could _____.
A) lengthen shopping time, shorten purchases, and increase the use of in-store
information
B) shorten shopping time, increase purchases, and decrease the use of in-store
information
C) reduce shopping time, reduce purchases, and alter the use of in-store information
D) reduce shopping time, reduce purchases, and greatly increase the use of in-store
information
E) none of the above
47. The other individuals present in the particular situation are referred to as the _____.
A) servicescape
B) social surroundings
C) physical surroundings
D) store atmosphere
E) temporal perspective
48. Jessica and her friends are 16 years old like to shop at Aeropostale, which is a clothing
store targeted to teens and young adults. They like to go in that store because there are
usually some pretty cute guys working and shopping there. Even though there are
some parents shopping with their teens, the other customers are usually teens like
themselves. The other individuals present in this store represent the _____.
A) servicescape
B) social surroundings
C) physical surroundings
D) store atmosphere
E) temporal perspective
49. Some consumers are highly susceptible to interpersonal influence, which is a _____.
A) norm
B) situation factor
C) product factor
D) personality trait
E) cultural factor
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50. Mimi is a teenager and wants to be accepted by her friends. In fact, she might act a
certain way not because she really wants to, but rather, she does it because others
around her are doing it. The influence these others have on Mimi represent which
situational characteristic?
A) temporal perspective
B) physical surroundings
C) task definition
D) antecedent states
E) social surroundings
51. Which of the following is a negative emotion influenced by both the product (e.g.,
hearing aids, feminine hygiene products) and the situation?
A) embarrassment
B) shame
C) fear
D) anger
E) disappointment
52. Clara is shopping with her friend, Jane, when they both went into a drug store. Clara
needed to buy medication for hemorrhoids, but she was reluctant to do so in front of
Jane. Which emotion was Clara probably experiencing in this situation?
A) embarrassment
B) shame
C) fear
D) anger
E) disappointment
53. Which situational characteristic deals with the effect of time on consumer behavior?
A) physical surroundings
B) social surroundings
C) temporal perspective
D) task definition
E) antecedent states
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Chapter 13 Situational Influences
54. One aspect of purchasing from QVC, one of the cable shopping channels on
television, is that the “offer” will expire within a certain amount of time, creating a
sense of urgency among consumers. Teresa watches this channel frequently, and
admitted that this aspect of the situation does influence her decision to buy something.
Which characteristic of the situation is influencing Teresa and others' behavior?
A) physical surroundings
B) social surroundings
C) temporal perspective
D) task definition
E) antecedent states
56. The reason the consumption activity is occurring is the situation characteristic of
_____.
A) physical surroundings
B) social surroundings
C) temporal perspective
D) task definition
E) antecedent states
57. Stacy is shopping to purchase new linens for her guest room. Which situational
characteristic is influencing her behavior?
A) physical surroundings
B) social surroundings
C) temporal perspective
D) task definition
E) antecedent states
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59. James is giving his cousin, Conor, a new video game for his birthday. Which of the
following is the most likely reason James is giving this gift?
A) he is required to do so
B) it is a ritualized consumption experience
C) to elicit return favors
D) as a return favor
E) because he hopes the receiver will share the gift
60. John is a salesman and gave one of his customers an expensive watch. Which of the
following is the most likely reason John gave this gift?
A) social expectations
B) it is a ritualized consumption experience
C) to elicit a return favor
D) it is a business requirement
E) as an expression of loving and caring
61. One study found that wedding gifts tend to be _____ while birthday gifts tend to be
_____.
A) expensive; inexpensive
B) inexpensive; expensive
C) fun; utilitarian
D) utilitarian; fun
E) large; small
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Chapter 13 Situational Influences
62. Rachel is going to the mall to purchase a wedding gift for a co-worker. Based on
research, which type of product is she likely to buy?
A) expensive
B) inexpensive
C) expressive
D) utilitarian
E) hedonic
63. Which of the following is a way that gifts communicate symbolic meaning?
A) In many cases price can be known and can be interpreted as a measure of the
esteem the giver has for the receiver.
B) The image and functionality of the gift implies the giver's impression of the image
and personality of the receiver.
C) It reflects on the image and thoughtfulness of the giver.
D) It can signify the type of relationship the giver has or desires with the receiver.
E) all of the above
64. A person who shops a nicer store than normal because he or she is buying a gift is
influenced by the _____ characteristic of the situation.
A) physical surroundings
B) antecedent state
C) task definition
D) temporal perspective
E) none of the above
65. Features of the individual person that are not lasting characteristics, such as
momentary moods or conditions, are called _____.
A) personality
B) antecedent states
C) context effects
D) task definition
E) self-concept
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66. Transient feeling states that are generally not tied to a specific event or object are
known as _____.
A) noncontextual effects
B) traits
C) temporal effects
D) social surroundings
E) moods
68. A market research study asked consumers to rate themselves with respect to several
adjectives, such as happy, cheerful, peaceful, sad, blue, and depressed. What is this
research trying to assess?
A) noncontextual effects
B) traits
C) temporal effects
D) social surroundings
E) mood
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Chapter 13 Situational Influences
70. Which of the following reflects temporary states of being rather than temporary states
of mind?
A) moods
B) momentary conditions
C) task definition
D) personality traits
E) self-concept
71. Clark and his family normally live paycheck to paycheck. However, this month, they
found themselves with a little extra money, so they decided to go out to a nice
restaurant and to a movie. This is an example of the antecedent state of _____.
A) positive mood
B) good luck
C) momentary conditions
D) optimism
E) hedonism
72. Stan was feeling very tired and hungry in the mid-afternoon, so he ate a Snickers
candy bar. Stan is attempting to manage his _____.
A) personality traits
B) momentary condition
C) mood
D) self-concept
E) daily ritual
73. A socially defined occasion that triggers a set of interrelated behaviors that occur in a
structured format and that have symbolic meaning is referred to as a _____.
A) ritual situation
B) momentary condition
C) prescriptive
D) schema
E) holiday
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Chapter 13 Situational Influences
74. Every year around the 4th of July, families get together and celebrate a family reunion
as well as Independence Day. The Normans, one such family, does this every year,
and the party is pretty much the same every year. A cookout is held at one family
member's home, and games for the children are played, such as a three-legged race
and an egg toss competition. The family that wins the overall competition gets to take
home a hideous, but meaningful trophy for that year. This is an example of a _____.
A) ritual situation
B) momentary condition
C) prescriptive
D) schema
E) social schema
75. Giving out candy to children on Halloween, giving chocolate and roses to sweethearts
on Valentine's Day, and wearing green and drinking green beer on St. Patrick's Day
are all examples of _____.
A) ritual situations
B) momentary conditions
C) prescriptives
D) schemas
E) social surroundings
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Chapter 13 Situational Influences
77. Binge drinking among college students can be described as a(n) _____.
A) ritual behavior
B) socially desirable behavior
C) task accomplishing behavior
D) antecedent behavior
E) value-expressive behavior
78. Which of the following is a step in the approach for developing situation-based
marketing strategies that was given in the textbook?
A) Use observational studies, focus group discussions, depth interviews, and
secondary data to discover the various usage situations that influence the
consumption of the product.
B) Survey a large sample of consumers to better understand and quantify how the
product is used and the benefits sought in the usage situation by the market
segment.
C) Construct a person-situation segmentation matrix.
D) Evaluate each cell in terms of potential.
E) all of the above
79. Which of the following is the FIRST step in the approach for developing situation-
based marketing strategies?
A) Use observational studies, focus group discussions, depth interviews, and
secondary data to discover the various usage situations that influence the
consumption of the product.
B) Survey a large sample of consumers to better understand and quantify how the
product is used and the benefits sought in the usage situation by the market
segment.
C) Construct a person-situation segmentation matrix.
D) Evaluate each cell in terms of potential.
E) Develop and implement a marketing strategy for cells that offer sufficient profit
potential given your capabilities
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Chapter 13 Situational Influences
80. Richard is studying how various usage situations influence the consumption of his
company's products. He conducted qualitative analyses (i.e., focus group discussions
and depth interviews) as well as surveyed a larger sample of consumers to better
understand and quantify how products are used and the benefits sought in the usage
situation by the market segment. Richard is performing the first two steps in an
approach to develop _____.
A) demographically-based marketing strategies
B) geographically-based marketing strategies
C) situation-based marketing strategies
D) momentary conditions
E) hedonic purchase situations
True/False Questions
81. To better understand a consumer's behavior, we must know about the consumer, about
the primary stimulus object, and about the situation.
82. Consumer behavior occurs within four broad categories or types of situations: the
communications situation, the purchase situation, the usage situation, and the social
situation.
83. Expanded usage situation strategies can produce major sales gains for established
products.
84. The disposition situation can create significant social problems as well as
opportunities for marketers.
85. Physical surroundings represent the situational characteristic that has the greatest
impact on consumption behavior.
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Chapter 13 Situational Influences
86. Psychographics is the process managers use to manipulate the physical retail
environment to create specific mood responses in shoppers.
88. The only aspect of music that influences consumer behavior is tempo.
89. Personal space and resulting crowding perceptions can vary from culture to culture.
90. Individuals tend to comply with group expectations, particularly when the behavior is
visible.
91. The major task dichotomy used by marketers is between purchases for self-use versus
gift-giving.
93. Marketers do not attempt to change or create consumption patterns associated with
rituals.
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Chapter 13 Situational Influences
95. Determining how products are currently used across situations can help the marketer
develop appropriate advertising and positioning strategies.
Essay Questions
96. Describe the nature of situational influence on consumer behavior, and briefly discuss
the four broad categories or types of situations.
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Chapter 13 Situational Influences
97. Pablo is planning on opening a Mexican restaurant in the town where he lives. He is
considering how to design the physical environment of the restaurant. Discuss the
components of the physical surroundings that can influence consumption behavior and
make some recommendations to Pablo regarding each component.
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Chapter 13 Situational Influences
98. Tim is looking for a give for his relatively new girlfriend that he likes a lot but is not
sure if she's “the one.” He's facing somewhat of a dilemma with this gift because he
doesn't want to send the wrong message to her, but he doesn't want to appear cheap,
either. Moreover, he's not sure how she really feels about him. Explain the types of
symbolic meaning the gift he selects might hold.
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Chapter 13 Situational Influences
100. You are tasked with the responsibility of developing a situation-based marketing
strategy. Explain how you would go about doing that.
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