Deck 10: Automatic Information Processing

Question 1

The adaptive unconscious can be trained to perform routine mental activities.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

We are born with all of our automatic mental processes.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

Consumers are unaware of using implicit memory.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

Thin slice inferences are more accurate for questions having subjective answers.

Question 5

Our ability to maintain balance, breath, blink, smile, and perform other routine body functions is controlled by short-term memory.

Question 6

Research on thin slice theory suggests that first impressions are often more accurate when based on very brief observations versus when they are based on longer observations.

Question 7

Research shows people are more likely to impulse shop when they are hungry.

Question 8

All of our prejudices and stereotypes reside in implicit memory.

Question 9

The adaptive unconscious assists the conscious mind and helps us avoid high risk situations.

Question 10

Automatic mental processes that are run by our adaptive unconscious are developed via practice.

Question 11

First impressions are more accurate when people focus on verbal information and ignore nonverbal information.

Question 12

Research on distraction effects suggest it is very important to make a good first impression on a job interview.

Question 13

The adaptive unconscious is a type of distraction effect.

Question 14

The priming effect is one of the most common types of implicit memory phenomena.

Question 15

Research shows people are more likely to impulse shop when they have a shopping list.

Question 16

The priming effect involves making quick inferences or judgments based on first impressions.

Question 17

Sometimes thinking less can lead to better decisions.

Question 18

Once a concept is activated in memory, it influences how a person thinks about subsequent concepts. This is the essence of thin slice theory.

Question 19

Even though impulse purchases are made with little conscious thought, these purchases are usually made with intention. In other words, consumers know they will purchase some items impulsively.

Question 20

Automatic information processing refers to mental process that occur without awareness or intention, but still influence judgments, feelings, goals, and behaviors.

Question 21

As familiarity of a brand increases, judgments about the brand are usually held with more confidence.

Question 22

Research shows that people are more likely to impulse shop:

A) when they make a shopping list
B) when they are hungry
C) when they are shopping for some specific item
D) when they are pressed for time
E) None of the above is correct.

Question 23

Related to the mindset priming effect, a preference mindset leads consumers to buy and overlook the option of not buying.

Question 24

Subliminal advertising is very effective even if it may be ethically questionable.

Question 25

Which of the following about automatic impulse purchasing is false?

A) Impulse purchases are usually made with little or no conscious thought.
B) Impulse buys are usually made without intention.
C) Grocery shoppers are more likely to impulse purchase when they are hungry.
D) Automatic information processing may influence feelings, but does not account for impulse purchases because another process is at work.
E) Impulse purchases are less likely when the consumer has a shopping list.

Question 26

The Implicit Association Test uses response latencies (measuring how fast people answer) to measure implicit attitudes.

Question 27

The Implicit Association Test has shown that implicit attitudes and explicit attitudes are surprisingly consistent.

Question 28

As familiarity of a brand increases, a brand usually seems less famous.

Question 29

After buying a $20,000 car, a $35 can of tire cleaner seems cheap. This is an example of an assimilation effect.

Question 30

Due to thin slice theory, people often mimic or imitate other people during social interactions.

Question 31

The assimilation effect involves a shift towards a reference point.

Question 32

Television can distort consumers' opinions via the priming effect, but knowing this potential effect can actually reduce these distortions.

Question 33

The mere exposure effect states that as familiarity increases, product claims seem more true.

Question 34

_____ is a mental process that occurs without awareness or intention and influences judgments, feelings, goals and behaviors.

A) Automatic information processing
B) Subliminal processing
C) Thin slice theory
D) Assimilation effect
E) Contrast effect

Question 35

The truth effect supports the contention that repetition of our brand messages is a good strategy.

Question 36

The contrast effect involves a shift away from a reference point.

Question 37

The Implicit Association Test is often used to measure implicit attitudes related to stereotypes and prejudices.

Question 38

According to research, distraction reduces familiarity effects.

Question 39

The mindset priming effect and the procedural priming effect both can influence judgment.

Question 40

Some researchers believe that consumers initially believe everything they see and hear, and rejecting a claim as false is a separate process.

Question 41

According to the Freudian view, what is the role of the psychotherapy?

A) To improve the adaptive unconscious
B) To sharpen our thin slice abilities
C) To uncover hidden thoughts that cause mental illness
D) To eliminate automatic information processing
E) To train the mind to form habits

Question 42

Which of the following about thin slice theory is false?

A) Research shows that what people learn from thin slices of behavior typically occurs in less than 5 minutes.
B) First impressions are often more accurate when based on very brief observations versus when they are based on longer observations.
C) Thin slice inferences are more accurate for questions having subjective answers.
D) First impressions are more accurate when people focus on verbal information and ignore nonverbal information.
E) Thin slice inferences are more accurate when people have practice in forming them.

Question 43

Seeing ads for extremely expensive store (e.g., Tiffany's, Saks Fifth Avenue) activates these concepts in memory and changes the way consumers think about ordinary retail stores for a brief period of time: ordinary stores seem inexpensive. This is an example of:

A) a contrast effect
B) proactive associative interference
C) an assimilation effect
D) an thin slice theory effect
E) a distraction effect

Question 44

According to the Freudian view, what is the role of the unconscious?

A) The unconscious helps us perform routine mental activities.
B) The unconscious allows us to form habits.
C) The unconscious assists the conscious mind.
D) The unconscious hides thoughts and ideas from us that cause mental illness.
E) There is no unconscious, according to the Freudian view.

Question 45

Which of the following about the adaptive unconscious is false?

A) The adaptive unconscious can be trained to perform routine mental activities.
B) The adaptive unconscious can help us avoid high-risk situations.
C) The adaptive unconscious assists the conscious mind.
D) The adaptive unconscious frees up mental resources so we can pay attention to other things.
E) The adaptive unconscious is a type of priming effect.

Question 46

A _____ occurs when expectations influence behavior without awareness and without intention. This type of effect can sometimes happen with medicines people take.

A) contrast effect
B) assimilation effect
C) distraction effect
D) thin slice theory effect
E) placebo effect

Question 47

What is the main benefit of the adaptive unconscious?

A) It improves our self-esteem.
B) It prevents us from impulse purchases.
C) It improves our long-term memory.
D) It frees up mental resources so we can pay attention to other things.
E) None of the above is correct.

Question 48

When a person is aware that they are searching for information stored in memory, they are engaging:

A) implicit memory
B) recognition
C) cued recall
D) the unconscious
E) explicit memory

Question 49

_____ involves making quick inferences or judgments based on quick first impressions.

A) Classical conditioning
B) Thin slice theory
C) Familiarity effects
D) The assimilation effect
E) The priming effect

Question 50

In the strawberry jam study related to thin slice theory discussed in your readings, which group had the most accurate product ratings?

A) The group that tasted the jam
B) The group that simply indicated which brand they liked best
C) The group that had to explain their preferences
D) The group that had to write a story about using the jam
E) The control group that never saw the jams

Question 51

Thinking about a concept activates that concept in memory. Once a concept is activated, it influences how consumer think about subsequent concepts. This is called:

A) proactive associative interference
B) a priming effect
C) thin slice theory
D) the adaptive unconscious
E) a disruption effect

Question 52

Luke is rushing fraternities. As part of the process, he is invited to a fraternity party. He goes to the party with a few friends. After just 30 minutes at the party, he leaves. When questioned by his friends, Luke replies, "I just knew right away after meeting some the fraternity members that this fraternity isn't for me." This scenario illustrates:

A) classical conditioning
B) thin slice theory
C) central route processing from the elaboration likelihood model
D) the assimilation effect
E) the priming effect

Question 53

After buying a $300 suit, a $30 tie seems cheap. This is an example of:

A) a contrast effect
B) proactive associative interference
C) an assimilation effect
D) a thin slice theory effect
E) a distraction effect

Question 54

Which of the following behaviors does not benefit from our adaptive unconscious?

A) Walking
B) Driving
C) Eating
D) Climbing stairs
E) All of the above benefit from our adaptive unconscious.

Question 55

A(n) _____ is a shift in judgment toward a contextual reference point.

A) contrast effect
B) framing effect
C) accommodation effect
D) assimilation effect
E) simulation effect

Question 56

Consumers often use memory automatically and/or unintentionally to make judgments without realizing that they are using memory. This is known as:

A) implicit memory
B) recognition
C) cued recall
D) unaided recall
E) explicit memory

Question 57

How does a mental process become automatic?

A) Practice
B) Experimentation
C) Thinking about the process
D) Watching others perform the process and learning vicariously
E) We are born with all of our automatic mental processes.

Question 58

Which of the following is not an example of automatic information processing?

A) Buying a product on impulse
B) Buying a product out of habit
C) Buying a product based on "gut" instinct
D) Buying a product after discussing the decision with a friend
E) All of the above are examples of automatic information processing.

Question 59

Mary loves the Italian restaurant near her apartment. Every time she eats there, she orders the same dish. She doesn't have to weigh the pros and cons of items on the menu or even think about what she is going to order. This is an example of:

A) a familiarity effect
B) a distraction effect
C) thin slice theory
D) automatic information processing
E) an assimilation effect

Question 60

The contrast effect involves a shift in judgment _____ a reference point, whereas the assimilation effect involves a shift in judgment _____ a reference point.

A) away from; towards
B) towards; away from
C) away from; away from
D) towards; towards
E) None of the above is correct.

Question 61

What is the implicit association test (IAT)?

Question 62

In an experiment, participants were asked to rank order a list of laundry detergents. Later they were asked to choose a brand to purchase. The results of the experiment showed that the how participants ranked the brands influenced subsequent choices. This is an example of:

A) truth effect
B) distraction effect
C) procedural priming effect
D) assimilation effect
E) contrast effect

Question 63

_____ occurs when situations are linked to cognitive or motor processes, such that when a given situation occurs a specific cognitive or motor process also occurs.

A) Mindset priming effect
B) Distraction effect
C) Procedural priming effect
D) Assimilation effect
E) Thin slice effect

Question 64

Explain the statement, "Sometimes too much thinking can lead to bad decisions."

Question 65

Explain the difference between explicit memory and implicit memory.

Question 66

What effect supports the contention that repetition of a company's brand message is a good strategy?

A) The contrast effect
B) The procedural priming effect
C) The truth effect
D) The distraction effect
E) The thin slice effect

Question 67

Consider the statement, "After buying a $300 suit, a $30 tie seems cheap." What kind of effect does this statement illustrate? Explain your answer.

Question 68

Which of the following is not a familiarity effect?

A) As familiarity increases, liking for a brand can increase.
B) As familiarity increases, a brand name can seem more famous.
C) As familiarity increases, judgments about a brand are held with greater confidence.
D) As familiarity increases, product claims seem more true.
E) All of the above are familiarity effects.

Question 69

What types of brand judgments does the feeling of familiarity influence, and how does distraction influence familiarity effects?

Question 70

When are thin slice inferences most accurate? In other words, when should a person trust their thin slice intuition?

Question 71

How does the Implicit Association Test (IAT) measure implicit beliefs and attitudes?

Question 72

Define automatic information processing.

Question 73

Use the graph below to explain the priming effect.

Question 74

Tony is a salesperson in an electronics store in the television department. When talking to a potential customer, Tony usually asks the customer to indicate their preferences in terms of size, type and brand name of television. He knows if he does this, the customer is more likely to purchase something (vs. not purchase). Tony is taking advantage of what effect?

A) Assimilation effect
B) Distraction effect
C) Procedural priming effect
D) Mindset priming effect
E) None of the above is correct.

Question 75

How can marketers create familiarity effects for their products?

Question 76

Define the placebo effect and provide an example of how this effect can work for a marketer.

Question 77

The _____ is a procedure for measuring sensitive beliefs that are held without awareness or intention, such as stereotypes and prejudices.

A) distraction test
B) procedural priming test
C) explicit memory test
D) thin slice test
E) None of the above is correct.

Question 78

Consider the statement, "One can assume that brands in a category, that are priced very similarly, are probably almost identical in quality and product performance." What kind of context effect does this statement illustrate? Explain your answer.

Question 79

_____ occurs when a cognitive activity performed at time 1 influences a cognitive activity at time 2 to be performed in the same way.

A) Mindset priming effect
B) Distraction effect
C) Procedural priming effect
D) Contrast effect
E) thin slice effect

Question 80

Student answers here will vary. However, for example...
Provide an example of an activity where the adaptive unconscious could take over, making the mental process of the activity automatic.