Forty older and 60 younger adults were asked to estimate the level of discount expected in ads. Consumers were skeptical of implausible discounts. Implausible and highly plausible discounts had more influence on price perceptions than did discounts with low plausibility. (SK)

Three forms of consumer questionnaires were compared:(1) asking how concerned people are about an issue; (2) using concern filters; and (3) using awareness filters. The forms with filters (2 and 3) produced lower percentages of "very concerned" and higher percentages of "unaware" responses. Awareness filters improved the…

Household meal planners (n=1,498) were surveyed. Characteristics of those who perceive nutrition to be important in food shopping were as follows: black, female, higher education level, nonworking, and/or urban. Results could guide design of nutrition information and food marketing programs. (SK)

A sample of 78 (of 320) home gardeners use rules of thumb (heuristics) to choose between chemical pesticides and nonchemical alternatives. Pesticides rank low in 24 choice attributes where alternatives rank high, and vice versa. Gender, age, and years of pesticide use correlate with pesticide selection. (SK)

Of sample of 180 women, 60 received information from ads, 60 from product labels, and 60 from labels with nutrition information. Beliefs about products did not differ whether health claims appeared in ads or on labels. Nutrition information influenced beliefs. Health claims challenged by the Federal Trade Commission or consumer groups were less…

Data from 310 Korean college students (77.5 percent), when compared to a U.S. sample, revealed that (1) overall consumer decision-making styles are similar; (2) Brand Conscious and Perfectionist styles were in the top 3 in both groups; and (3) construct validity of most scales of the Consumer Style Index was confirmed. (SK)

Using a 2x2x2 factorial design, data from 282 respondents illustrate that people with more product knowledge ("experts") are more likely to be persuaded by complex than simple product information. "Novices" reacted similarly to simple and complex information. The type of information provided influences purchasing decisions. (SK)

Using the literature of psychology, consumer behavior, and behavioral finance, a series of hypotheses is presented that account for consumer choices of managed over index mutual funds. Results indicate a need for consumer education to increase awareness of the benefits of index investing. (SK)

Government and business have become more concerned with measuring market performance in terms of consumer satisfactions and dissatisfactions (CS/D). This research is concerned with the question of how one ought to measure CS/D. Offers a taxonomy of alternative CS/D measures and presents data from a national urban study of consumer complaints to…

Explains the provisions of the Equal Credit Opportunities Act Amendments of 1976 (Public Law 94-239, 94th Congress, H.R. 6516, March 23, 1976), discusses their implications, and suggests enforcement improvements in the Act. (Author/RK)

Past research on consumer information has emphasized the effects of informed consumers of the provision of goods by sellers. This paper examines the effects of informed consumers on other consumers' product choices. These are demand-side effects. Directions for research are outlined. Author/CH)

As the marketplace becomes increasingly complex, the need for consumer research involvement in public policy making grows. The most effective way for academics to affect policy is to participate in advocacy groups. (SK)

This study examined the bahavioral science support for a set of 20 food-buying principles. Three types of principles are found; they differ in the consumer behaviors they recommend and in the nature and strength of support they receive in the behavioral science literature. (Author/JOW)

A sample of 1,000 households provided 155 responses regarding dissatisfaction with automobile repair service, 166 for medical care, and 176 for grocery shopping. Analysis supported Hirschman's theory of the impact of "loose monopoly" conditions on consumers' choice of responses to marketplace dissatisfactions. (SK)

A study randomly assigned 165 subjects to 8 advertising scenarios depicting positive and negative outcomes. Results showed that, in some instances, honest advertising claims were hard for consumers to believe. Consumer skepticism may evolve as a defensive response to persuasive advertising attempts. (Contains 51 references.) (JOW)