bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Test of Consumer Awareness for Adults
Authors: DICKINSON VIRGINIA H. , SHAVER JAMES P.
Published: July 2010

The purpose of this study was to develop an instrument to measure adult awareness of consumer product/service information sources, consumer protection laws and channels of recourse. The process included identification of prevalent consumer problems, development of test items based on the identified problems, and assessments of the content validity and the reliability of the instrument. The process of construct validity was initiated by developing and testing hypotheses concerning the relationships between scores on the instrument and selected socio‐economic characteristics of consumers. Low consumer awareness scores were predominant, supporting the need for consumer education for adults.
The Impact of Item Price Removal in Scanner Supermarkets: A Survey Study of Los Angeles Shoppers
Authors: HARRIS BRIAN F. , MILLS MICHAEL K.
Published: July 2010

The practice of removing item prices in scanner‐equipped grocery stores has raised an important public policy issue relating to the ability of individual consumers to engage in effective shopping with less available price information at the point of purchase. This study investigated the likely impact of item price removal in scanner‐equipped grocery stores as a function of consumers' use of price information, general consumer predispositions, and consumers' experience with scanner technology. Particular emphasis was placed on the likely effects of item price removal on disadvantaged consumers. The implications of the study for public policy are discussed.
Energy Conservation Options for Canada: A Nationwide Survey of Consumer Opinion
Authors: CLAXTON JOHN D. , RITCHIE J. R. BRENT , MCDOUGALL GORDON H. G.
Published: July 2010

During the past decade a considerable number of studies have increased our understanding of consumer behavior in relation to energy use and conservation. A criticism of the early work has been its lack of direct relevance to policy makers under pressure to develop and implement programs to reduce energy consumption. This study provides a link between existing research knowledge and the need for policy formulation guidelines. Data were obtained from a nationwide sample of 1,451 Canadian households concerning the acceptability of selected programs designed to reduce energy consumption in the consumer sector. Respondents also provided judgments concerning the desirability of a broad range of approaches to consumer energy conservation. The findings revealed that consumers are more willing to accept conservation initiatives which are non‐coercive and informational in nature. Information and labelling programs, minimum efficiency standards, home audit programs, and financial grants/tax incentives were the specific initiatives rated most acceptable.
Implications of Consumer Information Processing Research for the Design of Consumer Information Systems
Authors: BIEHAL GABRIEL
Published: July 2010

The commercial success of computerized consumer information systems will depend heavily on the extent to which they help consumers make choices. A system's usefulness will be a function of both the information it contains and the capabilities it offers to process this information. These capabilities will be incorporated in the system's access “language.” This paper reviews research on how consumers process information to make choices, and discusses the implications of this research for the design of consumer information system languages. A hypothetical example is presented and contrasted briefly with available access languages.
Age Differences in Response to Grocery Store Price Information
Authors: ZEITHAML VALARIE A. , FUERST WILLIAM L.
Published: July 2010

The study reported here investigated age differences in consumer response to grocery store price information. A sample of 160 female consumers shopped for twelve grocery products in a simulated store. Following the shopping task, subjects responded to an unannounced memory performance test requiring them to recall the prices of products on the shelves. Respondents' methods of encoding information and certainty regarding recall were also recorded. Analysis revealed age differences in usage of price information, in recall of product prices, and in certainty experienced by shoppers. Hypothesized age differences in the encoding of information did not surface. Discussion centers on the policy implications of these findings.
Consumers and Competition in Health Care: The Case of Denturism
Authors: KUSHMAN JOHN E.
Published: July 2010

Denturism is the making and fitting of dentures directly for the public by nondentists. It is an example of potential competitive entry in a health services market and, like other such examples, its economic benefits must be weighed against any threat to the public health and safety. This article examines evidence relating to the economic benefits to consumers of legalizing denturism. Conservative estimates are presented of the economic benefits to consumers that would accrue under alternative institutional arrangements. Under several such arrangements it was found that the value of benefits is of the same order of magnitude as total government expenditures on dental services.
Truth in Investing: The Need for Legislation
Authors: GLASGO PHILIP W. , BOWYER LINDA E. , THOMPSON A. FRANK
Published: July 2010

This paper shows that a wide variety of techniques are used to calculate yields on consumer investment instruments. No regulation comparable to the Federal Reserve System's Truth in Lending statute (Regulation Z) exists to standardize yields on consumer investments, and thus the consumer is not given the information necessary to make proper comparisons among alternative investments. The paper reviews yield calculation methods and reinvestment assumptions; it also examines the potentially deceptive use of Treasury bill yields as the ceiling for bank and thrift accounts. In order to reduce confusion and standardize reported yields, it is proposed that disclosure be required of both the simple yield and the annualized effective yield, assuming reinvestment at the initial rate of return.
Economic Factors Which Influence Consumer Search for Price Information
Authors: ZIMMERMANN LINDA K. , GEISTFELD LOREN V.
Published: July 2010

An ordinary least squares model was developed depicting relationships between four economic factors and search effort prior to purchase. The model was examined using data provided by a sample of 166 couples who had purchased an automobile or one of eight durable goods. Wife's education and relative size of expenditure were found to be positively associated with search effort. Policy implications of the research findings are noted for designers of consumer information programs.
The Federal Trade Commission Redefinition of Deception and Public Policy Implications: Let the Buyer Beware
Authors: DAHRINGER LEE D. , JOHNSON DENISE R.
Published: July 2010

The current movement toward market deregulation in the United States is perhaps no better illustrated than by the proposals put forth by the Chairman of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), James C. Miller, III. His far reaching suggestions would alter considerably the approach taken by the FTC toward the regulation of advertising. This paper reviews the current standards of deception in advertising regulation and compares them with Miller's proposals for new standards. Two recent cases settled under the current guidelines are presented. The probable outcome of these cases under the proposed guidelines is examined by employing a framework proposed by Miller and Hutt for analyzing the effects of regulatory policy. Based on that examination, the authors conclude that the current standards have allowed federal and state agencies to bring about elimination of false advertising claims that would not be possible to prove under the proposed guidelines. While the proposed changes may bring certain benefits to government, business, and consumers, their most significant effect could be to reintroduce the rule of caveat emptor.
Spatial Economics: Implications for Food Market Response to Retail Price Reporting
Authors: FAMINOW M. D. , BENSON BRUCE L.
Published: July 2010

Recent research has used the information theory approach to consider the effects of retail food price reporting systems (RFPRS) on price levels and interstore dispersions within metropolitan retail food markets. The information theory paradigm suggests that consumers may lack sufficient information to match preferences (price, product, service) with store offering. Although researchers have concluded that empirical findings generally support the information theory approach, a number of unanswered questions and inconsistent findings remain. This paper contributes to the debate by utilizing spatial microeconomic theory to provide answers to five questions posed by McCracken, Boynton, and Blake [22] in a recent Journal article. It is argued that price effects typically observed in RFPRS studies result primarily from alterations in the information to retailers, rather than consumers. Furthermore, inclusion of costly distance in the theoretical model leads to conclusions that are quite different from those derived by “spaceless” models.
The Swedish Consumer Ombudsman System and Advertising Self‐Regulation
Authors: BODDEWYN J. J.
Published: July 2010

The Swedish consumer‐protection system is often perceived as resting on a strong body of laws and regulations that severely constrains business behavior from the outside. In fact, its development and implementation have involved significant business participation and influence; and it largely relies on government‐issued guidelines based on business self‐regulatory experience and resulting from intensive negotiations with business rather than on detailed mandatory rules. In this context, the conflict between advertising regulation and self‐regulation is more apparent than real.
Consumer Welfare and Inefficiency Among Regulated Industries
Authors: BABILOT GEORGE , FRANTZ ROGER , GREEN LOUIS
Published: July 2010

While the issue of efficiency on the side of production is still not a settled question, it is generally agreed that competition is more conductive to efficiency—both allocative and X—than monopoly. When the monopoly is regulated, i.e., receiving a rate of return less than it would if left unregulated but greater than the market rate of return, both allocative and X‐inefficiency result. Since the degree of inefficiency amounts to a tax on consumers, the question of inefficiency in production has a twin companion in the form of consumer welfare losses. This is particularly true for many public utilities upon which low income families spend a large proportion of their income. The quasi tax that the regulated monopolist exacts neither generates a flow of public goods nor increases returns to shareholders. It is a particularly burdensome levy because the rate structure is highly regressive.
Shorter Papers Automobile Quotas Revisited: The Costs of Continued Protection
Authors: DARDIS RACHEL , LIN JIA‐YEONG
Published: July 2010

This paper examines the loss to the U. S. economy and consumers from the third year of the Voluntary Export Restraint (VER) for Japanese automobiles. Losses due to product differentiation were estimated separately for the domestic car market and Japanese car market. Consideration was given to profit taking as well as product upgrading. The welfare loss ranged from $1.8 billion to $2.8 billion which is higher than loss estimates reported for the first year of the VER. The higher welfare loss reflects the impact of improved economic conditions which resulted in higher prices for manufacturers and dealers and the emergence of product upgrading due to quantity restraints. The total loss to consumers ranged from $2.6 billion to $5.3 billion with more than 80 percent of the loss representing transfers from consumers to producers (domestic and foreign). The high cost of the VER has not been offset by employment gains since Detroit responded to the VER by making fewer cars and increasing its reliance on off ‐ shore production.
Couponing as a Promotional Tool: Consumers Do Benefit
Authors: ANTIL JOHN H.
Published: July 2010

Couponing has become an increasingly significant promotional tool for many manufacturers. Consumers are exposed to thousands of coupons every year offering the potential for substantial savings in the household budget. While most consumers appear willing to accept coupons, should they be viewed as a bonanza for consumers or is couponing a promotional technique from which consumers need to be protected? Critics of couponing have suggested their use increases the prices of products and creates an unfair situation in which coupon users are being subsidized by nonusers. This article responds to these and other criticisms of couponing and argues that these accusations may be unjustifiable and that coupons in reality could be in the best interest of consumers.
Assets and Debts in a Consumer Portfolio
Authors: BRYANT W. KEITH
Published: July 2010

Data from the 1977–78 Survey of Consumer Credit provide the opportunity to estimate demand functions for owned housing, home mortgages, car stocks, car debts, and other debts in the context of a portfolio model with both own‐ and cross‐partial adjustments. Consequently, information is gained as to how households adjust their demands for owned housing, mortgage, car stocks, car loans, and other debts in response to disequilibria in their asset and debt portfolio. Married with spouse present, female headed, and black families are studied separately. Income, life‐cycle, and family size effects are estimated as well as the speeds of adjustment to various disequilibria.
Perceived Risks and Pharmacists' Generic Substitution Behavior
Authors: CARROLL NORMAN V. , SIRIDHARA CHANAPORN , FINCHAM JACK E.
Published: July 2010

There is substantial potential for consumer savings through increased use of generic drugs. A major reason they have not been realized is pharmacists' reluctance to dispense generic products for prescriptions written for brand name drugs. The purposes of this study were to determine whether pharmacists' perceptions of the risks associated with generic substitution were related to their substitution behavior and to determine which aspects of risk were most influential. Rating scales were developed to measure the importance and probability of five types of risks which pharmacists might incur. An overall perceived‐risk score was calculated. Substitution behavior was measured. Regression analysis indicated that risk perceptions were significantly related to substitution behavior for those pharmacists who helped decide which generic products were stocked in the pharmacy. Examination of mean scores indicated that pharmacists were most concerned with performance risks.
Consumer Response to Adjustable Rate Mortgages: Implications of the Evidence from Illinois and Wisconsin
Authors: MILLS DIXIE L. , GARDNER MONA J.
Published: July 2010

The innovation‐adoption framework is used to determine consumers' levels of awareness of AMIs and the degrees to which they are able and willing to evaluate and/or accept the complicated alternatives available to them. A mail survey of consumers in Illinois and Wisconsin was structured to compare previous studies on this topic and to compare consumers across various demographic categories. Results indicate that awareness of AMIs is increasing, as is the willingness to accept them with an initial interest rate discount and a limitation on the range over which the interest rate can fluctuate. Findings suggest that some consumers have moved beyond the information‐gathering stage, now view nontraditional mortgages as a legitimate mechanism for financing home purchases, and are willing to accept certain configurations of these instruments.
Course Requirements, Job Responsibilities, and Compensation for Financial Counselors: The Not‐For‐Profit Industry View
Authors: LANGREHR VIRGINIA B. , LANGREHR FREDERICK W.
Published: July 2010

A number of universities have or are developing concentrations in financial counseling. Academics have presented their thoughts on how these programs should be structured. However, the views of financial counseling agency administrators concerning the need for a four‐year degree, course requirements, job responsibilities, and compensation of counselors were not known. Thus, a survey of these administrators was undertaken. They have a preference for college graduates with special emphasis in counseling coursework. However, salaries, at best, are on the low end of college graduates' expectations.
Commercial Influences in the Lyrics of Popular American Music of the Postwar Era
Authors: FRIEDMAN MONROE
Published: July 2010

This study is the third in a program of research consisting of content analyses of commercial influences in popular cultural products. The first two studies, which looked at the texts of bestselling novels and the scripts of long‐running Broadway plays, found dramatic increases in brand‐name usage over the course of the postwar period. These results were also found in the third study, which examined the lyrics of the top American song hits of each year for the 1946–1980 period. The consistency of the findings suggests the presence of a new phenomenon which we have called “word‐of‐author advertising.” The implications of this phenomenon for consumer policies, especially those relating to education and product information programs, are drawn and discussed.
Local Consumer Information Systems for Services: A Test
Authors: MURPHY PATRICK E. , ROSS STEVEN C.
Published: July 2010

This paper reports on a survey of consumers' experiences with local services firms that was conducted by the Montgomery County, Maryland Office of Consumer Affairs and supported by an FTC grant. Over 1,200 individuals evaluated auto repair, heating and air conditioning, home remodeling, roofing, and insulation contracting firms on three dimensions: satisfaction with work performed, price in relation to quality, and strength of recommendation. Results for the heating and air conditioning category were published and widely disseminated.
Consumer Pesticide Concerns: A 1965 and 1984 Comparison
Authors: SACHS CAROLYN , BLAIR DOROTHY , RICHTER CAROLYN
Published: July 2010

Concern with pesticide use is a major issue for consumers. The present paper examines changes over time in consumer attitudes toward pesticide use. The study also examines the relationship between socioeconomic factors and consumer concern with pesticide use. Findings suggest that consumers were more concerned with pesticide issues in 1984 than in 1965. Concern has increased in terms of the impact of pesticides on wildlife, on farmers, and on individual health. Concern about pesticides is widespread and is not centered in any particular population group.
Motorcycle Helmet Laws: A Case Study of Consumer Protection
Authors: DARDIS RACHEL , LEFKOWITZ CAMILLE
Published: July 2010

This study examines the losses to society from federal legislation in 1976 on state motorcycle helmet laws. Two major responses were (1) repeal of helmet laws or failure to enact laws and (2) modification of helmet laws. Losses ranged from $75 million to $244 million for states without helmet laws and from $71 million to $229 million for states with modified helmet laws. Comprehensive state helmet laws would have been cost effective with cost‐benefit ratios ranging from 0.05 to 0.18. The fact that thirty‐one states did not have comprehensive helmet laws in 1981 raises questions concerning the degree that society should intervene on behalf of consumers.
Psychographic and Demographic Profiles of State Lottery Ticket Purchasers
Authors: McCONKEY C. WILLIAM , WARREN WILLIAM E.
Published: July 2010

Data from a national mail panel are used to develop psychographic and demographic profiles of heavier, lighter, and nonpurchasers of state lottery tickets. The research is limited to the sixteen states that offered a lottery at the time the study was completed. The resulting profiles indicate that each of the groups has identifiable characteristics. The findings tend to dispel some of the stereotyped characteristics of lottery players—that they are poor, uneducated, and unemployed.
Information Sensitive Consumers and Market Information
Authors: PRICE LINDA L. , FEICK LAWRENCE F. , HIGIE ROBIN A.
Published: July 2010

Past research on consumer information has emphasized the effects of informed consumers on the provision of goods by sellers. These comprise supply‐side effects. This paper examines the effects of informed consumers on other consumers’ product choices. These are demand‐side effects. Directions for research are outlined.
Food Expenditure and Nutrient Availability in Elderly Households
Authors: HAMA MARY Y. , CHERN WEN S.
Published: July 2010

A model of food expenditure and nutrient consumption is developed and estimated using the data from the elderly supplemental survey to the 1977–78 USDA Nationwide Food Consumption Survey. Results provide strong evidence that elderly households make concurrent decisions on food budgets and nutritional needs. In addition to other socioeconomic and demographic factors, the Food Stamp Program has had significant impact on food expenditure and nutritional well‐being of elderly households.
Lemon Laws: Intent, Experience, and a Pro‐Consumer Model
Authors: DAHRINGER LEE D. , JOHNSON DENISE R.
Published: July 2010

Under deregulation, public policies regarding consumer rights and product warranties have shifted. This paper reviews the rationale for lemon laws, state legislation intended to help consumers resolve new car performance, and repair problems. It then compares consumers’ redress under these laws to redress under other remedies. Experience with Vermont's legislation, one of the most aggressive lemon laws, is reviewed and analyzed in detail as the basis for formulating public policy recommendations in this area.
The Purchase of Medicare Supplements: A Cost Saving Mechanism in the Purchase of Physician Services
Authors: WHITE‐MEANS SHELLEY I.
Published: July 2010

The recent concern about Medicare's limited coverage of health care costs has led many elderly to purchase Medicare supplemental policies to reduce the risk of large financial losses if a condition of debilitating health occurs. This paper examines the extent to which the purchase of supplemental policies reduces the risk of losses when physician services are purchased.
The Derivation of Simple Formulas for Comparing Investment Alternatives With and Without Load and Account Fees
Authors: G‐YOHANNES AREFAINE
Published: July 2010

Loads and account fees reduce the terminal value of an investment. For this reason accounts that are subject to fees and loads have to earn higher returns than no‐fee, no‐load accounts to generate the same terminal value over a given investment horizon. This article develops simple formulas that can be used to perform “what if’ calculations important in developing financial plans. The formulas show that the amount by which the return on a fee, load account has to exceed the return on a no‐fee, noload account diminishes as the fees and loads get smaller, the investment horizon gets longer, and the size of the current investment gets larger.
Consumer Information, Insurance, and Doctor Shopping: The Elderly Consumer's Perspective
Authors: WHITE‐MEANS SHELLEY I.
Published: July 2010

One possible strategy to minimize costs of health care is to provide consumers with information pertaining to its relative cost. However, the effectiveness of programs to dispense information on medical services has been difficult to evaluate because very little is known about incentives for doctor shopping. The demand for medical services information (doctor shopping) among elderly consumers and the effect of health insurance purchases on shopping decisions are assessed.
The Effects of Consumer Education on Consumer Search
Authors: FAST JANET , VOSBURGH RICHARD E. , FRISBEE WILLIAM R.
Published: July 2010

This paper reports the results of an empirical investigation of the relationship between selected consumer and marketplace characteristics—focusing on participation in consumer education activities—and consumers’ prepurchase information search behavior. A need exists for further study of the counteractive effects that consumer education is likely to have with respect to preferences for search and to the efficiency with which consumers conduct search.
Rental‐Purchase Agreements: A Preliminary Investigation of Consumer Attitudes and Behaviors
Authors: SWAGLER ROGER M. , WHEELER PAULA
Published: July 2010

Customers are attracted to rental‐purchase agreements by claims of low payments and by the promise of eventual ownership. This study found that customers were frequently confused and generally dissatisfied with the agreements. Participants had poor credit histories and appeared to be using rental‐purchase agreements as substitutes for conventional forms of credit. These results are interpreted in the context of possibilities for expanded consumer protection and of the changes taking place in the market for consumer credit.
Bank Deposit Rate Deregulation and Customer Service Levels
Authors: EVANOFF DOUGLAS D.
Published: July 2010

Liberal branch‐banking laws have been shown to result in superior customer service. However, some have attributed this to restrictive deposit rate ceilings that have forced banks to compete on a nonprice basis. One form of customer service—accessibility—is modeled and the role of branching prior to and after deposit rate ceilings were phased out is evaluated. Branching benefits are reaffirmed, suggesting customers should support efforts to liberalize geographic expansion in banking.
A Content Analysis of Problem‐Resolution Appeals in Television Commercials
Authors: MARLOWE JULIA , SELNOW GARY , BLOSSER LOIS
Published: July 2010

The considerable power of the repeated message leads observational learning theoriests to maintain that television messages have significant impact upon viewers. Television advertisements typically present quick and easy solutions to problems, thus discouraging careful, step‐by‐step decision making. Consumers who come to expect easy solutions may suffer disillusionment if they extend those lessons to more complex problem solving. This study documents the pervasive problem‐resolution format presented in television commercials and draws implications about consumer behavior.
Leasing Versus Borrowing: Evaluating Alternative Forms of Consumer Credit
Authors: NUNNALLY BENNIE H. , PLATH D. ANTHONY
Published: July 2010

A straightforward method for evaluating lease versus borrow (buy) decisions facing consumers is presented and illustrated with actual financing cost data reported to new car purchasers. In general, individuals should consider the after‐tax cash flows associated with alternative borrowing arrangements, the period of time in which these cash flows occur, and the opportunity cost of capital in order to identify the least costly financing alternative. The decision framework provided in this article can be used to make informed and intelligent choices between alternative types of consumer credit contracts.
Agreement Between Product Ratings Generated by Different Consumer Testing Organizations: A Statistical Comparison of Consumer Reports and Which? from 1957 to 1986
Authors: FRIEDMAN MONROE
Published: July 2010

This study attempts to determine the reliability of product quality ratings published in Consumer Reports and its British counterpart, Which?, over the last 30 years. Ratings on the same product brands and models as well as the same evaluative dimensions are compared by statistically analyzing the report findings for 43 pairs of parallel tests conducted by the two magazines. Three measures of agreement were employed in this analysis, and all three revealed statistically significant (above chance) levels of agreement between the two magazines. Implications of the study findings are discussed for consumer testing organizations as well as for consumer researchers and consumer educators.
Family Composition, Parental Time, and Market Goods: Life Cycle Trade‐Offs
Authors: DOUTHITT ROBIN A. , FEDYK JOANNE M.
Published: July 2010

The present study supplements Canadian consumer expenditure survey data with unique time use data to analyze family life cycle decisions regarding allocation of full income to market purchased consumption goods, home production, and leisure time. Results confirm that young children's presence causes families to increase their shares of full income allocated to home production and to decrease the shares of full income allocated to leisure. As a share of full income, expenditures for market goods steadily increase while expenditures for women's home production diminish as children age.
The Impacts of the California Beverage Container Recycling and Litter Reduction Act on Consumers
Authors: NAUGHTON MICHAEL , SEBOLD FREDERICK , MAYER THOMAS
Published: July 2010

In late 1987 the California Beverage Container Recycling and Litter Reduction Act went into effect. Like mandatory beverage deposit legislation in other states, this Act is designed to promote returns through the payment of a redemption value. However, unlike traditional legislation, the Act attempts to promote recycling with lower redemption values and more state intervention. This paper presents a methodology for analyzing the impacts of beverage container recycling legislation on consumers. Applying this methodology to California, it is found that the Act will significantly reduce beverage container solid waste and litter, but the net benefits of the Act depend critically on consumers' valuations of intangible benefits.
Dynamics of Complaint Management in the Service Organization
Authors: GILLY MARY C. , STEVENSON WILLIAM B. , YALE LAURA J.
Published: July 2010

While the consumer affairs and services marketing literatures recognize the importance of input from customers, little is known about how customer feedback systems might operate, particularly in dealing with customer complaints. This paper offers an information processing model of the complaint information flow within the organization and poses hypotheses based on the suggested model. A new field study technique using a type of network analysis is used to empirically test hypotheses and discover barriers and facilitators to the flow of communications. The study provides insight concerning how complaint information flows through the organization after it has been received by a customer contact employee. The results provide support for the thesis that the role of complaint handler and manager in providing the service is at least as important as the role of the customer contact employee.
Complaint Behavior of Mexican‐American Consumers to a Third‐Party Agency
Authors: CORNWELL T. BETTINA , BLIGH ALAN DAVID , BABAKUS EMIN
Published: July 2010

Previous studies of consumer complaint behavior have either not included ethnicity as a relevant dimension of complaint behavior or have largely discounted the importance of differences in consumer behavior as they relate to ethnicity. This paper reports on a descriptive study of Mexican‐American complainants to identify ethnic‐based differences and similarities in consumer complaint behavior to a third‐party agency. Results suggest that ethnicity is an important aspect of consumer complaining behavior and minority groups such as Mexican‐Americans may have distinct complaint profiles which merit special consideration in consumer complaint research.
Allocation of Labor to Informal Home Health Production: Health Care for Frail Elderly, if Time Permits
Authors: WHITE‐MEANS SHELLEY I.
Published: July 2010

This paper examines the impact of family caregiving on the allocation of time among labor market, caregiving, and leisure activities. A reduced form regression model is the framework for analysis of these simultaneous decisions. The analysis indicates that the number of caregivers and type of responsibilities assumed are significantly related to the caregiving time allocation decision. Alternatively, leisure and employment decisions are predominantly determined by the financial status of the caregiver and health status of both the caregiver and the impaired elderly relative.
Complaints and Disenrollment at a Health Maintenance Organization
Authors: SOLNICK SARA J. , HEMENWAY DAVID
Published: July 2010

Two options for dissatisfied customers are to voice their grievances or to stop doing business with the offending organization. The choice may be influenced by buyer loyalty. Data for a major Health Maintenance Organization are used to explore the empirical relationship among complaint (voice), disenrollment (exit), and time‐in‐plan (loyalty). Voice and exit are often used together. Compared to non‐complainers, those who register medical complaints are four and one‐half times more likely to leave the plan voluntarily. Time‐in‐plan reduces the likelihood of both voluntary and involuntary disenrollment.
Warranties: Continued Readability Problems After the 1975 Magnuson‐Moss Warranty Act
Authors: MOORE ELLEN M. , SHUPTRINE F. KELLY
Published: July 2010

A major thrust of the Magnuson‐Moss Warranty Federal Trade Commission Improvement Act (MMWA) passed by Congress in 1975 is to make warranties “easy to read and understand.” This study examines readability levels for 121 warranties in ten categories of consumer durables. The warranties analyzed are found to require readability levels beyond what most Americans have attained. Limited warranties require significantly higher readability levels than full warranties. Results suggest the MMWA, since passage in 1975, may have increased the number of limited warranties and the difficulty of reading level.
Cross‐Cultural Generalizability of a Scale for Profiling Consumers' Decision‐Making Styles
Authors: DURVASULA SRINIVAS , LYSONSKI STEVEN , ANDREWS J. CRAIG
Published: July 2010

Most studies that have developed and validated models and instruments in consumer affairs research have used U.S. samples. As a result, their cross‐cultural generalizability remains unknown. This study reports a cross‐cultural examination of a scale for profiling consumers' decision‐making styles using a New Zealand sample. Examination of the scale's psychometric properties (i.e., dimensionality and reliability) offers general support for the scale's applicability to a different culture. Some differences were detected, however. The paper concludes with a discussion of these differences and the implications of the findings.
Preliminary Assessment of Changes in Labels Required by the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act of 1990
Authors: BURTON SCOT , BISWAS ABHIJIT
Published: July 2010

This paper describes a study that assesses some changes in nutrition labels resulting from provisions of the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act of 1990 (NLEA). Type of nutrition label, nutritional value, and presence (absence) of a nutrition “warning” are tested in a between subjects experimental design. Results indicate that additional nutrition information recommended by the NLEA can significantly affect nutrition attitudes, perceptions, and self‐reported product purchase likelihood.
Cost of Recycling Municipal Solid Waste With and Without a Concurrent Beverage Container Deposit Law
Authors: ALTER HARVEY
Published: July 2010

The purpose of this article is to contribute to the literature on the effect of beverage container deposit legislation (BCDL) on the cost and amount of the household portion of municipal solid waste recycled. A U.S. General Accounting Office report concluded that dual systems cost more than either alone and that the combination diverts a greater amount of solid waste from landfills, which is supported by this analysis. However, the report's conclusion that a dual system becomes more cost‐effective as landfill disposal costs increase cannot be supported over reasonable ranges of the marginal savings from not having to dispose of recycled materials. The cost of recycling is higher in communities with dual systems. Recycling programs without BCDL divert as much or more waste from disposal than with BCDL.
Household Money Management: Recognizing Nontraditional Couples
Authors: McCONOCHA DIANE M. , TULLY SHIRLEE A. , WALTHER CARL H.
Published: July 2010

This research examines factors related to household financial decision‐making roles. Findings suggest significant differences between traditional couples (first marriages) and nontraditional couples (remarrieds and cohabitors). Marital status appears related to household money management decisions (bank card and checking account management), investment management decisions (planning savings and home investment), and decisions related to financing. Conclusions suggest that nontraditional consumer households may need more sensitive recognition of these differences and that marketers may reduce customer dissatisfaction and embarrassment by more consciously designing programs and materials to communicate such recognition.
Utility Averaging Policies—Impact on Consumer's Energy Usage
Authors: HA MIKYOUNG , WILLIAMS SUE E. , WEBER MARGARET J.
Published: July 2010

Average Monthly Payment (AMP) plan is a utility policy designed to assist consumers in need such as low income and elderly. This study examines whether this utility policy is an advantage to these target customers. Results indicate that, with a muted price signal, the AMP plan produces an effect contrary to the objective of assisting low and fixed income consumers. Further, the study indicates consumers on the AMP plan consume more energy and the AMP plan does not appear to support energy conservation and efficiency.
Impact of Consumer Installment Debt on Food Expenditures
Authors: KIRBY RAYMOND , CAPPS ORAL
Published: July 2010

Trends in consumer installment credit over the period 1980 to 1989 are discussed; as well, a two‐equation recursive model is developed to identify and assess the impact of installment credit on food expenditures. The first equation concerns factors affecting the ratio of consumer installment credit to personal disposable income, namely habit persistence, expected income, the prime interest rate, the unemployment rate, and the percentage of the population aged 25 to 44. The second equation focuses on factors affecting real per capita food expenditures, namely the real price of food, real per capita personal disposable income, seasonality, and a polynomial distributed lag of the measure of the ratio of consumer installment credit to personal disposable income from the first equation. The ratio of installment credit to personal disposable income has a positive effect on food expenditures; over the long run a one percent change in this ratio leads to a 0.15 percent change in real per capita food expenditures. On average, it takes just over six months for a change in this ratio to be transferred to food expenditures.
The Cost of Driving a Car Off the Dealer's Lot
Authors: WOOD WILLIAM C.
Published: July 2010

This paper examines the loss of value incurred when a consumer takes retail delivery of a car. Statistical tests of percentage and absolute losses from taking retail delivery show the loss of value is not unique to new cars and is actually more pronounced for older used cars. analysis of this loss shows the effect is not as great as is commonly believed and is more due to transaction costs of the deal than to any underlying loss of asset value of the car. The implication is that consumers wishing to avoid a large percentage loss of value on a transaction cannot easily do so by avoiding the new car market.
Adult and Teenage Use of Consumer, Business, and Entertainment Technology: Potholes on the Information Superhighway?
Authors: ROSEN LARRY D. , WEIL MICHELLE M.
Published: July 2010

Adults and teenagers were surveyed to determine their use and ownership of 32 consumer, business, and entertainment technology devices. Demographics, technology experience, and “technophobia” were examined as potential discriminators between Confident Users, Hesitant Users, and Nonusers of each technological device. Results indicated that older, technophobic adults with little computer training and lower income, black and Hispanic, technophobic teenagers did not use most technological devices.
A Comparison of Consumer Expenditures by Housing Tenure
Authors: PAULIN GEOFFREY D.
Published: July 2010

Although studies of housing tenure choice are numerous, none found discuss how tenure is related to consumer expenditures. Using data from the U.S. Consumer Expenditure Survey, this study investigates whether differences observed in selected expenditures across tenure are due to dissimilar demographics alone, or to underlying differences in consumers which are reflected in their choice of tenure. Expenditures by homeowners and renters are examined and compared.
Consumer Unit Types and Expenditures on Food Away from Home
Authors: POL LOUIS G. , PAK SUKGOO
Published: July 2010

This paper explores the relationship between consumer unit type and expenditures on food away from home using microdata from the 1989 Consumer Expenditure Survey. A log‐linear model is used to purge the effects of income and race/ethnicity from the consumer unit type/food‐away‐from‐home expenditure relationship. The income‐and race/ethnicity‐controlled propensities to purchase food away from home among eight consumer unit types are revealed in simple percentage form. These adjusted percentages are discussed in regard to current and future business strategy designed to address industrywide declines in expenditures on food away from home. The results offer support for some existing strategies as well as provide the basis for viable alternatives. Log‐linear purging is shown to be a valuable tool for consumer researchers.
The Relationship Between Warranty and Product Reliability
Authors: AGRAWAL JAGDISH , RICHARDSON PAUL S. , GRIMM PAMELA E.
Published: July 2010

Consumers tend to use warranty information when making judgments about the reliability of brands. This study examines the nature of the relationship between warranty terms and reliability for a sample of household appliances and electronic products. Overall, results show that warranty terms are poor predictors of brand reliability for the sample under study. However, results indicate that the relationship between warranty terms and brand reliability tends to improve with product age, market penetration, and the amount of variation in the reliability of brands.
Trade‐Offs Between Purchased Services and Time in Single‐Parent and Two‐Parent Families
Authors: ZICK CATHLEEN D. , McCULLOUGH JANE , SMITH KEN R.
Published: July 2010

This research examines the influence of marital status on the demand for services using a model in which the demand for market services and mothers' time spent in related household activities are jointly determined. Three specific areas of market services are investigated: meals prepared away from home, child care, and housekeeping. In multivariate systems analyses in which mothers' household work time and purchased services were simultaneously determined, families headed by single mothers were found to (a) purchase more meals prepared away from home and (b) be more likely to purchase child care and housekeeping services than their two‐parent counterparts holding income and other factors constant.
Psychological and Demographic Characteristics as Determinants of Women's Health Insurance Coverage
Authors: DOLINSKY ARTHUR , CAPUTO RICHARD K.
Published: July 2010

The study examines the role of demographic and psychological characteristics in determining women's healthcare insurance coverage. To assess the role of these characteristics, data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Labor Market Experience (NLSLME), Young Women's Cohort, were used considering both a married and not married subsample. Overall, the results indicate that in addition to the influence of previously examined demographic characteristics, the role of psychological attributes is substantial particularly for the not married subsample. Findings suggest that in addition to policy aimed at increasing health insurance coverage by way of considering demographic characteristics policy should also consider psychological attributes.
Dynamics of Households' Income, Debt, and Attitudes Toward Credit, 1983–1989
Authors: GODWIN DEBORAH D.
Published: July 2010

Using the panel data from the 1983–1989 Survey of Consumer Finances, this research examines the shifts in households' income and debt quintiles and changes in respondents' attitudes toward credit. Households exhibited considerable income mobility during the 1980s, almost as much as during the more volatile decade of the 1970s previously reported by Duncan (1986). Except for a committed group of “no debt” households, there was even more mobility in households' debt status, that is, a majority of households were in a different debt quintile in 1989 than in 1983. Respondents' attitudes toward debt also changed considerably with more respondents' becoming more negative toward credit than more positive. Trend analyses of American households' debt underestimate the extent and variability of such changes.
Commitment Approach to Motivating Community Recycling: New Zealand Curbside Trial
Authors: BRYCE WENDY J. , DAY RACHEL , OLNEY THOMAS J.
Published: July 2010

An urban community in New Zealand was the site of a field experiment designed to assess different approaches to increasing household participation in a cnrbside recycling program. Two different commitment interventions were delivered using a 2 × 2 factorial design, and weekly participation data were collected over 12 weeks. Half of the households were asked to make an explicit verbal commitment to participate in the program, while half were not. Half of the households were also requested to pay for their recycling bins, while half received bins free of charge. All households received the same educational and promotional information, specifically designed to maximize participation, regarding program details. The verbal commitment intervention significantly increased participation relative to the no commitment intervention, while difficulties in the operationalization of the financial commitment intervention made it difficult to assess its validity as a construct. Notably, differences in participation rates between the control group, who received only educational and promotional materials, and the experimental treatment groups were not statistically significant. The discussion focuses oh the increasing importance of well‐designed educational materials for encouraging voluntary curb‐side recycling.
Household Debt Quintiles: Explaining Changes 1983–1989
Authors: GODWIN DEBORAH D.
Published: July 2010

Households' changes in consumer debt from 1983–89 were examined using the panel dataset of the Survey of Consumer Finances. Logit models of the odds of an increase and a decrease in debt quintile revealed four factors hypothesized by Bryant (1990) to be symmetrically related—household size, respondents marital status, inflationary expectations, and time preferences. Asymmetrical effects of other variables, including life cycle consumption needs, present resources, expected future resources, and preferences were found for either the odds of an increase or decrease in consumer debt, but not both. Households' access to credit markets and changes in economic status between 1983 and 1989 also significantly affected the odds of change in consumer debt status, albeit not consistently across models. Household level change in consumer debt and the factors that affect it are more complex than hypothesized.