AMA Consumer Behavior 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which concept describes the gap between a consumer's actual state and desired state that triggers purchase motivation?
- Cognitive dissonance
- Problem recognition (Correct answer)
- Selective perception
- Evoked set activation
Correct answer: Problem recognition
Problem recognition occurs when a consumer perceives a difference between their current situation and an ideal state, initiating the buying process.
Question 2: A consumer buys a luxury car primarily to signal success to peers. Which type of motivation best explains this behavior?
- Utilitarian motivation
- Hedonic motivation
- Social/conspicuous motivation (Correct answer)
- Safety motivation
Correct answer: Social/conspicuous motivation
Social or conspicuous motivation drives purchases intended to communicate status or identity to reference groups.
Question 3: What term describes the set of brands a consumer actively considers when making a purchase decision?
- Universal set
- Awareness set
- Evoked set (Correct answer)
- Inept set
Correct answer: Evoked set
The evoked set (also called consideration set) consists of brands a consumer recalls and seriously evaluates during a buying decision.
Question 4: According to Maslow's hierarchy, a consumer who prioritizes antivirus software and insurance is motivated by which need level?
- Physiological needs
- Safety needs (Correct answer)
- Esteem needs
- Belonging needs
Correct answer: Safety needs
Safety needs encompass security, protection, and stability—products like insurance and security software directly address this level.
Question 5: Which learning theory explains brand loyalty through repeated positive purchase experiences that reinforce buying behavior?
- Classical conditioning
- Observational learning
- Cognitive learning
- Operant conditioning (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Operant conditioning
Operant conditioning explains how positive reinforcement (satisfaction after purchase) increases the likelihood of repeat buying behavior.
Question 6: A shopper ignores competing ads after buying an expensive laptop. Which psychological process is occurring?
- Selective retention
- Selective distortion
- Selective exposure (Correct answer)
- Perceptual blocking
Correct answer: Selective exposure
Selective exposure describes consumers' tendency to attend only to information consistent with their existing attitudes or recent decisions.
Question 7: Which consumer decision-making model assumes buyers systematically evaluate all alternatives against weighted criteria?
- Heuristic model
- Compensatory model (Correct answer)
- Affect referral model
- Non-compensatory conjunctive model
Correct answer: Compensatory model
The compensatory model allows a high score on one attribute to offset a low score on another as consumers calculate an overall product rating.
AMA Consumer Behavior 2
Which concept describes the gap between a consumer's actual state and desired state that triggers purchase motivation?