Question 1

Marcy visited a small college campus. While there, she had both a positive and a negative experience. Back in her high school, Marcy is likely to tell approximately nine people about her positive experience, but only around three people about the negative one.

Accepted Answer

People are generally more likely to share negative experiences than positive ones, often telling more people about negative experiences.

Question 2

Reference groups are only family members that we have grown up with, and trust.

Accepted Answer

Reference groups can include family, but also encompass friends, colleagues, or any group that influences an individual's attitudes or behaviors.

Question 3

What characteristics of opinion leaders make them valuable sources for product information?

Accepted Answer

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Question 4

Social networking refers to a strategy of getting customers to sell a product on behalf of the company that creates it.

Accepted Answer

Social networking refers to using social media platforms and other online communities to connect with and engage customers, but it does not necessarily involve getting them to sell the product on behalf of the company.

Question 5

A membership reference group comprises idealized figures such as successful business people, athletes, or performers.

Accepted Answer

A membership reference group consists of individuals or groups that a person currently belongs to or identifies with, not idealized figures. Idealized figures are more associated with aspirational reference groups.

Question 6

Richard is a high- school dropout and is really interested in Christianity. On the other hand, Jane has her Masters degree in business and can be characterized as an atheist. Richard and Jane can be described as homophilous.

Accepted Answer

Homophily refers to the tendency of individuals to associate and bond with similar others. Richard and Jane have different educational backgrounds and religious beliefs, making them heterophilous, not homophilous.

Question 7

Social comparison theory says that we use the judgments and actions of others as a guide to increase the stability of our own self- evaluations.

Accepted Answer

Social comparison theory, proposed by Leon Festinger, suggests that individuals determine their own social and personal worth based on how they stack up against others, which helps stabilize their self-evaluations.

Question 8

Explain the concept of guerrilla marketing and give an illustration of how this promotion/communication technique might work. Be specific in your comments.

Accepted Answer

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Question 9

What type of power does a class have as a whole to control the behaviour of a professor? List each of the six types of power outlined in the text and discuss each as it relates to the question.

Accepted Answer

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Question 10

It is difficult to identify opinion leaders. Perhaps the easiest way to find such a person is to target those who are paid to give expert opinions, such as doctors or scientists.

Accepted Answer

Opinion leaders are individuals who have the ability to influence the opinions and behaviors of others. They are often experts in their field and are seen as credible sources of information. Doctors and scientists are paid to provide expert opinions, which makes them a good target for identifying opinion leaders.

Question 11

Reference groups influence consumers in three ways. Name them and describe the nature of the influence upon the consumer.

Accepted Answer

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Question 12

What are group effects on individual behaviour? Any ideas on why people act differently when in a group than when alone?

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Question 13

Contrast between normative influence and comparative influence among reference groups. Use examples.

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Question 14

Social networking and guerilla marketing are both strategies that can be used by companies to foster word of mouth communication about their products.

Accepted Answer

Both strategies aim to engage consumers and encourage them to share information about products, thereby enhancing word of mouth communication.

Question 15

Why might it be important for marketers to know consumers' reference groups? Is there value for marketers to create one if none exists for their product(s)?

Accepted Answer

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Question 16

Virtual communities have made it possible for people to interact with other people over great distances and from different backgrounds via the Internet, however, the intensity of identification with a virtual community depends on two factors. What are they? Next, describe the distinct member types that might be present in any virtual community because of these two factors. Use the designations provided in the text.

Accepted Answer

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Question 17

The value hypothesis provides one reason on why a group may undergo a risky shift.

Accepted Answer

The value hypothesis suggests that group members may take on riskier decisions because they value risk-taking as a desirable trait, leading to a shift towards riskier outcomes.

Question 18

Veronica is known as an opinion leader on movies. Although she is good at evaluating and synthesizing information related to films, one perceived limitation of her opinions is that she processes information in a biased manner.

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Question 19

Some organizations that employ more than 1,000 employees find that "social loafing" can really impede progress for the firm. In terms of these organizations, what is social loafing and how might a firm combat it?

Accepted Answer

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Question 20

When Dale experienced a stomach upset after eating at a newly opened restaurant, she told all her friends. This is an example of negative WOM.

Accepted Answer

Dale's negative WOM about the restaurant would potentially discourage others from trying it out, which is an example of negative word-of-mouth.

Quiz 11: Group Influences and Social Media