bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An Exploration of Factors Relating to Non‐Group Life Insurance Holdings of Families
Authors: GEISTFELD LOREN V.
Published: July 2010

Analyses of the demand for life insurance have seldom included any explanatory factors which measure a family's perceived need for postdeath financial resources. The study reported here includes these types of socio‐economic variables with the findings indicating that the nearer to the present a perceived need is, the more likely it is to have an effect on a family's holdings of individually purchased life insurance.
The Local Consumer Information System: An Institution‐To‐Be?
Authors: MAYNES E. SCOTT , MORGAN JAMES N. , VIVIAN WESTON , DUNCAN GREG J.
Published: July 2010

This paper makes the case for the creation, testing and perfection of a new economic institution–a local consumer information system. The heart of the system would be a data bank to which the consumer could address questions and receive answers repeatedly regarding the local market. The purpose of the system would be to deliver relevant consumer information more efficiently. For the individual consumer this new institution would help identify his best buy variety of a product, quickly and at low cost. It would also tell him, again quickly and at low cost, from what local retailers and at what local prices this best buy variety might be purchased. This new institution would serve all consumers in a given community by lowering many prices, quality constant. By reproducing itself in different locales, as the product testing organizations have, it might be expected to multiply and serve consumers in many communities. The paper discusses the types of information to be provided, methods of information collection and dissemination, means of insuring accuracy and fairness and how it might be financed.
The Price of a Warranty: The Case for Refrigerators
Authors: BRYANT W. KEITH , GERNER JENNIFER L.
Published: July 2010

Hedonic price analysis was used to estimate the implicit market prices of the physical attributes and warranty provisions of refrigerators. Estimates were made of the implicit market prices of 2 warranty provisions, 6 physical characteristics and 13 brands using 1975 data on 156 models. The estimates were made of the implicit market prices of an additional 4 years and 9 years warranty coverage beyond the typical 1 year coverage. The results suggest that the implicit price of such additional warranty coverage exceeds (a) the cost of a service contract for a similar period, and (b) estimates of the present value of the expected cost of repairs.
Informational Inputs as Influences on Efficient Consumer Decision‐Making
Authors: SPROLES GEORGE B. , GEISTFELD LOREN V. , BADENHOP SUZANNE B.
Published: July 2010

The effects of consumer information and consumer sophistication on the ability of consumers to make purchases offering the greatest benefits were examined. It was found that consumer information enhances the likelihood that consumers will make efficient choices of products. Consumer sophistication was also found to be an intervening variable in consumers' use of information.
The Changing Information Seeker: A Study of Attitudes Toward Product Test Reports–1970 and 1976
Authors: ENGLEDOW JACK L. , ANDERSON RONALD D. , BECKER HELMUT
Published: July 2010

Systematic samples of subscribers to Consumer Reports were surveyed in 1970 and 1976 to obtain their evaluations of the information they had received. Responses are compared between the two years, stressing the environmental context of each measure. Attitudes toward characteristics of the information and satisfaction with Consumer Reports are found to be high in both years, but ratings are significantly less favorable in 1976. Implications for Consumers Union management, other policy‐makers, and further research are discussed.
Measurement of Incidents of Quantity Surcharge Among Selected Grocery Products
Authors: WIDRICK STANLEY M.
Published: July 2010

It has been reported that the “large economy” size is not always really the best buy. Prices per unit in large size packages frequently are greater than those for smaller sized ones. These differences have been labeled quantity surcharges. The purpose of this research was to determine how frequently quantity surcharges exist in grocery stores. It was found that 33.8 percent of the brands examined were priced at a quantity surcharge.
Price‐Quality Correlations for Packaged Food Products
Authors: RIESZ PETER C.
Published: July 2010

Prior investigations have indicated that relationships between price and product quality are considerably weaker for non‐durables than for durables. Among non‐durables, packaged food products frequently have exhibited the poorest correspondence between price and quality. This study, utilizing data from Consumers Union, analyzes the relationships between price and a measure of product quality for 679 brands in forty packaged food product classes over a fifteen year period. The study generally confirms earlier preliminary conclusions that the correlation between quality and price for packaged food products is near zero. In addition, the findings indicate that convenience foods, particularly frozen foods, display the poorest correspondence between price and product quality with more than 43 percent of all frozen food product classes exhibiting negative relationships between price and product quality. Some possible explanations for these findings and their implications for public policy are advanced.
Alternatives for Increasing Media Choice in Concentrated Markets
Authors: NIELSEN RICHARD P.
Published: July 2010

The nature of market concentration in the mass media industries and its implications for diversity of consumer choice are examined. Criteria for evaluating policy alternatives that might increase consumer choice are developed. The policy alternatives evaluated using these criteria are: breaking up large media corporations; growth of cable television; government assistance in financing alternative media; an excise tax on media “excess profits” for alternative media; regulating to ensure greater content diversity; de‐regulation; de‐regulation with community control; and, increasing diversity through media labor union contracts.
Affirmative Disclosure In Home Purchasing
Authors: BURKE MARIAN , BELCH GEORGE E. , LUTZ RICHARD J. , BETTMAN JAMES R.
Published: July 2010

This paper investigates significant gaps in the information available to prospective home buyers as perceived by recent purchasers. The gaps in available information perceived by recent purchasers included the fair value of the house, its structural condition, and the ambience of the neighborhood. It was found that independent or personal sources were used for subjective information while objective data tended to be obtained from marketer‐dominated sources.
Retail Credit Users' Awareness of Their Credit Insurance Coverage
Authors: COAPSTICK JANET , GEISTFELD LOREN V.
Published: July 2010

Retail credit user's awareness of their credit insurance coverage was investigated in telephone interviews. Respondents were divided into two groups: Aware, those who said they had credit insurance and actually did (63 percent of the respondents); and Unaware, those who said they had no credit insurance but actually did (37 percent). The distribution of awareness differed with age and outstanding credit balance. Awareness did not, however, differ with annual income, sex and education. Misperceptions that credit insurance was required also were investigated.
Clients of Commercial and Not‐for‐Profit Credit Counseling Agencies: Their Evaluations of Agency Services and Money Management Behavior
Authors: LANGREHR VIRGINIA B. , LANGREHR FREDERICK W.
Published: July 2010

The number of family credit counseling agencies has expanded in recent years. The purpose of these agencies is to seek cooperation of lenders in setting up a plan whereby debtors can repay their debts. However, the agencies have sought not only to extricate clients from their current financial problems but also to educate them to avoid future financial problems.

There is a debate in the credit counseling industry over whether the not‐for‐profit or the commercial agency can best serve debtor needs. This study is based on a survey of debtors who were clients of a not‐for‐profit agency or of a commercial agency. No significant differences were found in clients' evaluations of the services of the two agencies or in the credit and money management behavior of the two client groups.
A Proposed Paradigm for Consumer Product Disposition Processes
Authors: HANSON JAMES W.
Published: July 2010

The study of consumer behavior has dealt largely with acquisition and consumption. Very little attention has been given to a third stage‐disposition. This paper presents a paradigm of consumer product disposition processes. The paradigm shows the person, product and situation as components influencing the disposition process.
Changes in the Credit Repayment Performance of Low Income Consumers: An Exploratory Study
Authors: BOWERS JEAN S. , CROSBY KRISTAN R.
Published: July 2010

This paper examined the credit behavior during the second year of a two‐year study of bank credit card use by a group of low income consumers who had had a consumer education course. It reports findings about factors affecting changes in repayment practices over the two‐year period. Different variables were found to affect repayment behavior at different points in time with elements from traditional credit scoring schemes becoming important in the second year of study.
Estimating the Benefits of Individual Retirement Accounts: A Simulation Approach
Authors: COLLINS ROBERT A.
Published: July 2010

Historically, the decision about participation in an individual retirement account (IRA) has been an approximate one. Consumers and financial advisors have not had any precise way to evaluate the potential benefits of an IRA. As a result of this lack of information, many eligible people may have foregone a very worth while savings plan. This article provides a precise methodology for evaluating the benefits consumers can realize from IRAs and through computer simulation, provides estimates of “gain factors” for a wide variety of situations. These gain factors allow individual consumers to estimate the potential benefits of an IRA over a conventional savings plan. The evidence suggests that the potential gains are probably much greater than is commonly realized.
The “Ethics of Social Ideas” Versus The “Ethics of Marketing Social Ideas”
Authors: LUSCH ROBERT F. , LACZNIAK GENE R. , MURPHY PATRICK E.
Published: July 2010

Can the public make a distinction between the “ethics of social ideas” versus the “ethics of marketing social ideas”? This question was empirically assessed via a survey research design. The evidence strongly suggests that individuals cannot totally separate the social idea from the marketing technique used to promote the idea. Also it was found that some social issues are more likely to foster strong ethical concerns than others. The implications of this research are discussed.
Identifying the Environmentally Responsible Consumer: The Role of Internal‐External Control of Reinforcements
Authors: TUCKER LEWIS R.
Published: July 2010

Environmental quality has and will continue to be a major consumer movement issue. In response to a growing interest in this area, researchers have investigated the relationships between a number of demographic and socio‐psychological variables and concern for the environment. This study examines the relationship between internal‐external control of reinforcements and environmental responsibility. The results indicate that significant differences on the internal‐external control measure exist between subjects classified as high and low in environmental responsibility. The article discusses the implications of these findings for private and public decision makers.
Housing Tenure Status and Housing Satisfaction
Authors: LANE SYLVIA , KINSEY JEAN
Published: July 2010

Increased knowledge concerning the determinants of perceived consumer satisfaction with housing would permit a more sensitive response to demand in private markets and in the design of government programs to improve the supply of housing. In this study the probability of reporting satisfaction with housing was examined for those who live in single‐family homes, duplexes, apartments and mobile homes and for renters and owners. Findings include: (1) housing characteristics were more important determinants of housing satisfaction than the demographic characteristics of housing occupants, (2) mobile‐home dwellers were the least likely to be satisfied with their homes, and (3) apartment and duplex dwellers had similar preferences for housing characteristics.
Consumer Preferences for Group Practice Medical Services in Rural Areas
Authors: CHRISTIANSON JON B.
Published: July 2010

Public initiatives are promoting the development of group medical practices in rural areas despite the fact that little information regarding consumer preferences for group practice medical services is available. In this paper, survey data are used to investigate these preferences, as evidenced in the choice of a usual source of care. In the rural area of central Wisconsin studied, consumers tended to choose a multispecialty group in preference to alternative providers, given equal travel costs. Variations in travel costs were found to be an important determinant of this choice. This suggests that consumer acceptance of multispeciality group practices in rural areas will depend to a large extent on their locational convenience. Additional research is needed to determine how consumer preferences for multispecialty group services, particularly as they are reflected in the acceptance of higher travel costs, are dependent on the size and characteristics of the group.
Evaluating the Impact on Pharmacy Practices of a Law Requiring the Posting of Drug Prices
Authors: BALDIGO MICHAEL , BOLES ANN , REYNOLDS WILLIAM
Published: July 2010

Posting price lists of most frequently purchased retail drugs under Section 4333 of the California Pharmaceutical Law offers consumers the opportunity to make more effective price comparisons. The same information also permits examination of the pricing structure of an entire local market, and it was just such an examination which was undertaken in the present study for 100 items on sale at 24 pharmacies in the northern region of the San Francisco Bay area.

Wide price differentials were found to exist. Pharmacies charging higher prices were found to do so across their entire product line: the higher prices were not related to better service but primarily to monopolistic practices. It was also concluded that if posting has so far failed to bring about lower prices, it may be due to token compliance. The study examined computer simulation techniques for measuring the effectiveness of small, unsophisticated pharmaceutical price surveys, and the accuracy of such surveys was shown to be extremely high.
An Econometric Analysis of Interstate Differences in Nonbusiness Bankruptcy and Chapter Thirteen Rates
Authors: HECK RAMONA K. Z.
Published: July 2010

An econometric household insolvency model was developed to explain the variation among states in nonbusiness bankruptcy rates. The model consisted of two equations with nonbusiness straight‐bankruptcy rates and Chapter XIII rates as the dependent variables. Higher divorce rates and percentages of a state's total credit offices which were finance companies were associated with higher nonbusiness straight‐bankruptcy rates. Higher percentages of a state's population between the ages of 25 and 34 and the existence of laws prohibiting wage garnishments were negatively related to nonbusiness straight‐bankruptcy rates.

Higher percentages of Blacks, divorce rates, and credit offices per 100,000 population were associated with higher Chapter XIII rates. Also, the existence of Consumer Credit Counseling Services within a state's borders was associated with higher rates of Chapter XIII petitions. Finally, the existence of laws limiting wage garnishments was associated with lower Chapter XIII rates.
A Critical Evaluation of Current Approaches to Life Valuation in Cost/Benefit Analysis
Authors: DARDIS RACHEL
Published: July 2010

The continuing debate concerning the valuation of human life has left the measurement of benefits from health and safety programs unresolved. This has important policy implications since a comparison of the costs and benefits of such programs is necessary if society is to use its limited resources in the most effective manner. This paper reviews various methods of life valuation including societal valuation, human capital and willingness to pay. The establishment of a set of criteria for assessing life valuation measures leads to the conclusion that foregone consumption might be an appropriate measure. This measure is not intended to reflect the value of life to the individual which may be incommensurable, but rather to represent the value of additional statistical life years to society as a whole.
Subjective and Objective Criteria in Consumer Choice: An Examination of Retail Patronage Criteria
Authors: HIRSCHMAN ELIZABETH C. , KRISHNAN S.
Published: July 2010

Traditionally consumer researchers and consumer educators have made a distinction between objective and subjective evaluative criteria for consumer choice. This paper examines the validity of this distinction using data on consumers evaluative criteria for department stores. The study found evidence that consumers use evaluative dimensions composed of both subjective and objective evaluative criteria, suggesting that both types of information are necessary for choosing among department stores.
Perceptual Differences in Market Transactions Revisited: A Waning Source of Consumer Frustration
Authors: DORNOFF RONALD J. , DWYER F. ROBERT
Published: July 2010

A 1973 survey study of retailer and consumer attitudes toward retailer actions in contrived market situations showed marked differences in the values of the two groups. In short, retailers’ short‐run profit motives outweighed their concern for their long‐run customer franchise. This 1979 follow‐up survey study found increased concordance between the parties in market transactions.
Nutrition Labels: An Exploratory Study of Consumer Reasons For Nonuse
Authors: KLOPP PAMELA , MacDONALD MAURICE
Published: July 2010

Studies of consumer usage of nutrition labels required by the Food and Drug Administration have found that usage levels are low. A mailback survey of food shoppers in Madison, Wisconsin was conducted to determine who uses nutrition labels as well as reasons for nonuse. Multiple regression analysis revealed that compared to users, nonusers did not rate themselves as highly on nutrition knowledge, were less likely to plan meals in advance, and were not as highly educated. When asked why they did not use labels, most nonusers said they did not need them, and a sizable group reported their shopping practices pre‐empt label usage. Nonusers also felt that a sample label had too much information. When asked to perform computations from sample label information, nonusers were less successful than users. The implications of these findings for nutrition education efforts are discussed.
The Economics of the Pinto Recall
Authors: DARDIS RACHEL , ZENT CLAUDIA
Published: July 2010

Cost‐benefit analysis is applied to an evaluation of two strategies for reducing risk from pre‐1977 model year Pintos. The first strategy is a design modification which might have been undertaken by Ford in 1970 when the Pinto was first produced. The second strategy is the recall which was undertaken by Ford in 1978. The analyses of the two strategies were based on the costs of strategy implementation and the benefits from the reduction in accidents involving pre‐1977 model year Pintos. The results indicated that the recall strategy was more cost‐ineffective than the design modification strategy. Consideration was also given to a third risk response strategy which included no corrective action.
Consumer Acceptance of Item Price Removal: A Survey Study of Milwaukee Shoppers
Authors: LANGREHR FREDERICK W. , LANGREHR VIRGINIA BLANSETT
Published: July 2010

A survey was conducted of 193 Milwaukee food shoppers to determine their experiences and opinions relating to item price removal (IPR) in supermarkets. The principal findings were that opinions of IPR were related to experiences with shopping in IPR environments, extent of price comparison behaviors, and certain demographic variables. Most of the respondents thought retailers should supply a price‐marking instrument to shoppers. A majority of the respondents who had not shopped in an IPR store said they would switch stores if their current store removed prices. However, only one‐quarter of the respondents who had shopped in an IPR store changed stores and price removal was of secondary importance in this decision. Overall, respondents were evenly split on the need for legal controls in IPR, but respondents who had not shopped in an IPR store and who were from disadvantaged households (with regard to age, income and/or education) were more likely to see a need for legal controls.

The findings of this study and ones conducted in other cities suggest that the primary public policy issue is not whether or not item prices should be removed. Rather, the issue is what is the best method of providing shoppers with price comparison information.
Consumer Reaction toward Arbitration as a Remedial Alternative to the Courts
Authors: ADAMS RONALD J.
Published: July 2010

A strong case can be made that a flexible and understandable alternative to the courts is needed by today's consumer. Consumer arbitration is one such alternative. Actual experience with consumer arbitration has been limited and, consequently, relatively little information is available regarding consumer perceptions of and reactions toward this system of dispute resolution. A survey of 361 recent purchasers of new cars in a metropolitan area where arbitration has not been used suggests that consumer reaction and acceptance are likely to be favorable, but not without problems.
Profiling Consumers Who Register Complaints Against Auto Repair Services
Authors: BEARDEN WILLIAM O.
Published: July 2010

Surveys of consumer problems and reactions to those problems indicate considerable failure on the part of consumers to seek redress when faced with unsatisfactory purchases. The present study extends this research by using a longitudinal field survey of automobile repair services to investigate some consumer and purchase‐related variables hypothesized to influence consumer actions following unsatisfactory purchase experiences. The results are consistent with conclusions emerging in other consumer satisfaction research that complaining behavior is influenced by both comparisons of purchase expectations with outcomes and individual consumer characteristics and dispositions.
Allocation of Windfall Income: A Case Study of a Retroactive Pay Increase to University Employees
Authors: RUCKER MARGARET H.
Published: July 2010

Household allocation of windfall income has been a controversial topic since Friedman proposed the permanent income hypothesis. Release of retroactive pay checks to a group of university employees provided the opportunity for further investigation of this issue.

Responses to a mail survey of these employees suggested that funds were evenly distributed among current expenses, outstanding debts, financial investments, and new expenditures. Reclassification of allocations as either consumption or savings indicated that somewhat over one‐third of allocations were to consumption and slightly less than two‐thirds were to savings. Discriminant analyses demonstrated that size of windfall was the most important discriminator with respect to type of allocation. The data have implications for policy regarding notification concerning a windfall distribution. It appears that quality of decision making may be improved by insuring that recipients are provided with some advance notice of an impending windfall.
The Role of Disciplines in the Consumer Sciences
Authors: SHEPARD LAWRENCE
Published: July 2010

This thinkpiece about the state of the field identifies consumer studies as a subject matter area rather than as a discipline because no unifying methodology or system of logic characterizes it. In the absence of a distinct methodological or theoretical core, the disciplines involved in the field are better thought of as the allied “consumer sciences” rather than as “consumer science.” The subject matter, “consumer studies,” sits alongside many other fields like American studies, environmental studies and marketing in drawing together a number of distinctive methodological bents to explain its topic. On the other hand, when consumer studies takes the form of an interdisciplinary undergraduate program, it must ultimately deal with a tradeoff: while students may gain greater insight into the subject matter, they receive less formal grounding in a system of logic than do graduates of disciplinary programs.
Accounting for the Rise in Consumer Bankruptcy Rates in the United States: A Preliminary Analysis of Aggregate Data (1945–1981)
Authors: SHEPARD LAWRENCE
Published: July 2010

While previous surveys of bankrupts and cross‐sectional analyses of state data have provided a profile of “typical” bankrupts and the various constraints under which they operate, little in the economic and legal literature on personal financial failure explains the postwar growth in consumer bankruptcies in the United States. This paper constitutes a first attempt to model the theoretically appropriate determinants of aggregate failure rates and to test them empirically for the period 1945 to 1981. The data indicate that the incidence of financial failure has been exacerbated by rising divorce rates, unemployment and credit use, which increased through the mid‐1970's. These trends were largely mitigated by increasing consumer wealth held in the form of real estate. However, there is tentative evidence that during its first two years, the Bankruptcy Reform Act of 1978 may have encouraged consumers to petition for bankruptcy.
A Model of the Consumer Decision to Seek Legal Redress
Authors: URSIC MICHAEL L.
Published: July 2010

A model explaining why Oregon consumers took legal action in consumer disputes when state mediation failed is proposed and empirically tested with path analysis. Although the test shows that this model has a reasonable amount of external validity, a new, revised model is developed which fits the empirical results extremely well. This revised model emphasizes perceived effectiveness and access to court as especially important factors in determining whether a consumer takes legal action.
A Socialization Perspective on Selected Consumer Characteristics of the Elderly
Authors: SMITH RUTH BELK , MOSCHIS GEORGE P.
Published: July 2010

This study examines the effects of selected antecedent variables and communication processes on the consumer behavior of the elderly. The socialization perspective is suggested as a conceptual framework for the study of elderly consumer behavior, with specific theories used as bases for formulating hypotheses. The study results suggest that the mass media and the family may be instrumental in reinforcing or developing traditional sex‐role stereotypes among the elderly, whereas consumer education may help them filter puffery in advertisements. Age, sex and health were also related to various aspects of consumer behavior.
The Role of Public and Private Complaining in Satisfaction with Problem Resolution
Authors: BEARDEN WILLIAM O. , OLIVER RICHARD L.
Published: July 2010

The results of a two‐phase panel study were used to investigate the relationships among satisfaction with complaint resolution, reports of public and private complaining, and hypothesized antecedents of complaint behavior. Path analysis of a theoretical model of complaint behavior suggested that the degree of public complaining was positively related to satisfaction with the eventual outcome of the problem while the extent of private complaining had a significant negative relationship. Analysis of the antecedents showed that only monetary cost associated with the problem was positively related to both public and private complaints, underscoring the difficulty of predicting complaining from personal characteristics.
Financial Planner or Financial Counselor: The Differences are Significant
Authors: MASON JERRY , PODUSKA BUD
Published: July 2010

The authors argue that financial counseling and financial planning are significantly different professional fields when examined from both a theoretical and an applied perspective. The authors distinguish between these two professions with respect to the types of client problems presented, the criteria clients use for self‐evaluation, and the services provided. As a consequence the authors recommend that a similar distinction be made with regard to the education and training programs associated with these professions.
Search for Nutrition Information: A Probit Analysis of the Use of Different Information Sources
Authors: FEICK LAWRENCE F. , HERRMANN ROBERT O. , WARLAND REX H.
Published: July 2010

Much consumer research on nutrition information‐seeking has focused on prepurchase label reading. This study examines the search for nutrition information from a broader group of sources, because prepurchase label reading appears to be only a small part of consumers' total search. The use of different information sources was analyzed using 2 cost benefit model for search. Benefits are related to the importance of nutrition to the consumer, and to obtaining better food value. Although the model fits better for some sources than for others, support was obtained for the model. The results suggest the usefulness of a cost‐benefit approach in understanding consumer information‐seeking for nutrition; they emphasize the importance of examining consumers' use of a variety of information sources and support recent suggestions for segmentation of the audience for nutrition information. Policy makers may be able to encourage search for nutrition information by emphasizing the enduring importance of nutrition to consumers.
Estimating the Returns to Informed Decision‐Making
Authors: CUDE BRENDA J.
Published: July 2010

Data from 929 product tests in Consumer Reports between January 1975 and November 1984 were used to estimate the potential payoffs to consumer search. A “best choice’ and a “worst choice’ were identified in each product test using three different selection methods. In methods 1 and 2, the worst choice was qualitatively inferior to the best choice. However, the method 1 worst choice was the most expensive lower‐quality option, while in method 2 it was the least expensive alternative. In method 3, both the best and worst choices were selected randomly without regard to quality rankings or price. When the worst choice in a product test was more costly than the corresponding best choice, the price difference (in percent) was computed to estimate the returns to search in 12 product classes. Implications for consumers and consumer educators are also identified.
Intrahousehold Time Allocation: The Case of Grocery Shopping
Authors: BLAYLOCK JAMES R. , SMALLWOOD DAVID M.
Published: July 2010

This paper analyzes the intrahousehold allocation of human resources to grocery shopping in a traditional male‐female household. A constrained utility maximization model is developed from which testable hypotheses relating to the choice of a household's grocery shopper are derived. The determinants which influence the choice of a shopper (either male, female, or both) are examined via a qualitative choice model. Results indicate that the choice of a shopper is explicable on economic grounds. Relative costs of shopping in terms of the foregone value of time and the efficiency of a shopper in searching for a lower price were found to be important determinants in the shopper selection process.
Theoretical and Methodological Perspectives on Consumer Response to Electricity information
Authors: SEXTON RICHARD J. , SEXTON TERRI A.
Published: July 2010

Extensive analysis of consumers’ responses to electricity information and feedback programs has yielded a consensus that such programs have little or no effect on consumers’ electricity use. We argue that these results may be misleading because offsetting usage effects are likely to occur both within and among households. Conventional experimental designs capture only net interhousehold usage effects. We propose alternative experimental designs better suited to answering important policy questions. An experiment involving continuous‐display electricity‐use monitors supports our prediction of dissimilar and offsetting behavioral responses among treatment households.
Nonbusiness Bankruptcies and the Law: Some Empirical Results
Authors: SHIERS ALDEN F. , WILLIAMSON DANIEL P.
Published: July 2010

A model of risk reduction is used to analyze personal bankruptcy rates. The model shows how state and federal laws can affect the quantity of resources that lenders devote to reducing the risk of making bad loans. Unanticipated events cause changes in bankruptcy rates because they alter the costs and benefits of bankruptcy to both creditors and debtors. Results of other studies are shown to be consistent with this model. Data for 1980 are then used to test the model. Asset exemption laws have a significant impact on bankruptcy rates that is consistent with the model. Unanticipated economic events are also found to have significant effects on bankruptcy rates.
Consumer Default of Delinquent Adjustable‐Rate Mortgage Loans
Authors: WEAGLEY ROBERT O.
Published: July 2010

An examination of the default behavior of delinquent Canadian rollover mortgage borrowers suggests that borrower ability‐to‐pay considerations are relevant to the default decision. They are, however, secondary to housing equity considerations. Results from both ratio and linear‐additive specifications suggest that a ratio specification conceals the independent effect of income and wealth variables.
Demographic Discontinuity: Another Explanation for Consumerism?
Authors: CARLSON LES , KANGUN NORMAN
Published: July 2010

This supplemental explanation for consumerism focuses on how unique demographics may have contributed to the movement. Prior movements may not have achieved the scale or magnitude of the most recent movement because they did not occur after a period of rapid population growth. The latter is speculated to be part of the societal structural strains that contributed, not only to the consumerism movement, but also to the social discontent of the 1960s and 1970s.
The Brave New World of Organ Transplantation: Issues and Challenges from a Consumer Affairs Perspective
Authors: MACDONALD JAMES E. , VALENTIN E. K.
Published: July 2010

Policy makers are trying to narrow the widening gap between the demand and the supply of transplantable organs. They are doing so largely without contributions from consumer affairs specialists. This article establishes the need for involvement of consumer affairs scholars and suggests directions for further empirical and critical inquiry. Substantive research must be grounded more firmly in established theoretical constructs and behavioral theories.
The Nutritional Impact of the Dairy Price Support Program
Authors: HEIEN DALE , WESSELLS CATHY ROHEIM
Published: July 2010

This paper examines the impact of the dairy price support program and its resultant higher prices on nutritional intake, especially calcium. This assessment is particularly important because calcium is one of the two nutrients whose average intake is below the Recommended Dietary Allowance. A demand system with emphasis on dairy products is estimated, and in conjunction with data on the nutritional content of various foods, impacts on nutritional intake are measured.
The Influence of Children on Family Life Cycle Spending Behavior: Theory and Applications
Authors: DOUTHITT ROBIN A. , FEDYK JOANNE M.
Published: July 2010

This study examines the effect of children on family consumption decisions during different stages of the life cycle. An empirical model that incorporates both continuous measures of adult equivalence and a flexible functional form is used. Results indicate that durables, food eaten (purchased) away from home, and adult clothing are luxury goods for two‐child families. Economies of scale are noted for food and shelter expenditures. Two‐child families substitute out of expenditures for meals eaten away from home, adult clothing, and other goods and services to meet increased demand due to the children's presence.
Using a Systems Framework for Organizing Family Financial Planning
Authors: EDWARDS KAY P.
Published: July 2010

This paper organizes the family financial‐planning process into a systems framework. Systems concepts are applied to family financial‐planning using a functional interpretation of systems analysis. The framework provided in this paper can be helpful to professionals researching family financial behavior and its outcomes, planning programs and curricula, and offering financial planning services. It can also be used by families in their own financial planning.
Effectiveness of Product Warning Labels: Effects of Consumers’ Information Processing Objectives
Authors: DeTURCK MARK A. , GOLDHABER GERALD M.
Published: July 2010

Based on Wyer and Srull's (1986) model of social information processing, it was hypothesized that compared with consumers who use an impression‐set information‐processing objective when examining products, consumers using a memory‐set processing objective would 1) devote more time to examining products’ labels, 2) recall more product information from the label, 3) perceive the products as safer, and 4) be more likely to comply with safety recommendations. Subjects were instructed only once either to memorize as much information as they could or to form an impression from a jar of oven cleaner. After filling out a questionnaire, they examined a jar of prescription cough medicine. Results confirmed the hypotheses for both products. Even though the processing objective instructions were not repeated before the subjects examined the cough medicine, the effects of the objective carried over to the cough medicine.
Consumer Response to Telecommunications Deregulation: The Equal Access Decision
Authors: CUDE BRENDA J.
Published: July 2010

This paper examines consumer response to equal access‐the choice of a primary long‐distance carrier. A model is developed that suggests that those consumers who seek information to aid in decision making may acquire it either through search or experience. The paper reports results of a survey of consumers who recently made the equal access decision. Logit analysis identified search in other purchase decisions and age as two characteristics significantly related to the extent of prepurchase search.
Determinants of Consumers’ Decisions to Seek Third Party Redress: An Empirical Study of Dissatisfied Patients
Authors: SINGH JAGDIP
Published: July 2010

A dissatisfied consumer's decision to seek redress from third parties has significant implications for society in general and the focal industry in particular, yet little is known about why consumers choose such actions. To address this gap, a generalizable, comprehensive, and testable model of the processes that result in consumers’ decisions (not) to engage in one or more third party actions is developed. In addition, results from an empirical investigation of a portion of the proposed model are presented. The empirical model explains 65 percent of the variance in the dependent construct. Several implications and avenues for future research are discussed.
Testing Implications of Spatial Economics Models: Some Evidence from Food Retailing
Authors: WALDEN MICHAEL L.
Published: July 2010

Under certain conditions, spatial economics models predict an increase in product price after entry of new competitors in a market area. However, a review of spatial economics models suggests new competitors should cause lower prices in urbanized markets, although the effect is dependent on distance between the existing and new firms. An empirical analysis of entry in a local retail food market supports this hypothesis for food products but not nonfood products.
Rehabilitation or Liquidation: Consumers' Choices in Bankruptcy
Authors: SULLIVAN A. CHARLENE , WORDEN DEBRA DRECNIK
Published: July 2010

The purpose of this analysis is to identify the legal, environmental, and economic characteristics of debtors that are predictive of their Bankruptcy Code choices. The probability that debtors file under the rehabilitation procedure provided by the Bankruptcy Code (Chapter 13) is influenced by the availability of credit counseling as an alternative to bankruptcy and by the adverse effects of a liquidation bankruptcy (Chapter 7) on future ability to qualify for consumer and mortgage credit. More generous state laws protecting debtors' assets from liquidation in Chapter 7 have a negative effect on the probability that a debtor will contract to repay some debts out of future income in Chapter 13. The results also suggest that the enactment of the Bankruptcy Amendments and Federal Judgeship Act of 1984, which restricted Chapter 13 plans providing zero repayment of unsecured debts, precipitated a decline in the probability that nonbusiness debtors would choose the rehabilitation alternative.
An Investigation of Factors Contributing to Consumer Brand Confusion
Authors: FOXMAN ELLEN R. , MUEHLING DARREL D. , BERGER PHIL W.
Published: July 2010

The courts regularly address the question of whether an imitating mark or product is likely to confuse consumers and thus harm the owner of the mark. Consumers, however, can also be harmed by brand confusion. The results of this study reveal whether individual characteristics might predispose consumers to confusion and why some consumers appear more likely to become confused than others. A better understanding of why they may become confused can help both firms and overseer bodies, like the FTC, formulate more focused policies to help prevent this harm.
Consumers' Use of Recommended Food Buying Practices
Authors: HERRMANN ROBERT O. , WARLAND REX H.
Published: July 2010

Consumers' use of nine food‐buying practices widely recommended by consumer educators was investigated. With the use of cluster analysis a typology with five categories was created: (1) Compleat Consumers who used most of the money‐saving and planning practices frequently, (2) Almost Compleat Consumers who also used most of the practices but typically did not shop in several stores in order to economize, (3) Economy Specialists who utilized chiefly those practices useful in saving money, (4) Planning Specialists who emphasized planning‐related practices, and (5) Disinterested Consumers who seldom utilized the recommended practices.
The Economics of Rent‐to‐Own Contracts
Authors: WALDEN MICHAEL L.
Published: July 2010

An economic model is developed that explicitly recognizes dealer costs in rent‐to‐own contracts. Contracts are considered as a combination of a rental agreement and an ownership contract. Implementation of the model for televisions and washers shows implicit interest rates to be generally lower than in previous studies but still above 60 percent annually in the majority of cases. A relationship between customer income and implicit interest rates is tested.
Homeless Children: Coping with Material Losses
Authors: HILL RONALD PAUL
Published: July 2010

This study is part of a year long ethnographic investigation of a shelter for homeless women. The children who also live at this facility are accompanied by their mothers and other siblings and acclimate quickly to the shelter environment. However, the loss of cherished possessions due to their homeless condition as well as the inherent instability and uncertainty in their living arrangement lead these children to seek to restore a sense of self through friendships and fantasies. Social policy implications for improving their lives are briefly described.
Cross‐National Comparison of Consumer Attitudes Toward Consumerism in Four Developing Countries
Authors: DARLEY WILLIAM K. , JOHNSON DENISE M.
Published: July 2010

This paper analyzes the results of an empirical investigation on attitudes toward consumerism in four developing countries. Comparisons of these consumerism views are made along three different dimensions. Findings provide some support for the “consumerism life cycle pattern.” Alternative reasons for the results are discussed, and directions for research are examined.
Probabilities of Small Claims Judgment Satisfaction and Factors Influencing Success
Authors: BONNER PATRICIA A. , METZEN EDWARD J.
Published: July 2010

A claim adjudicated in small claims court is substantively not resolved until the judgement rendered has been received by the winning plaintiff. Using data from the Boone County, Missouri, Small Claims Court, this study found that one‐half of the winning claims were collected in full. Differences in collection success were more closely related to the judgment amount and characteristics of the defendant than to characteristics of the plaintiff.
Perceived Time Pressure and Recommended Dietary Practices: The Moderating Effect of Knowledge of Nutrition
Authors: MOTHERSBAUGH DAVID L. , HERRMANN ROBERT O. , WARLAND REX H.
Published: July 2010

This study investigates the effects of perceived time pressure on adherence to recommended dietary practices (RDPs). Two potential moderators of the negative effects of perceived time pressure on food behavior are investigated. These are (1) human capital including both knowledge of nutrition and years of formal education and (2) health risks perceived to be associated with a poor diet. As hypothesized, perceived time pressure has a negative effect on adherence to RDPs. However, results also demonstrate that knowledge of nutrition can mitigate the negative effects of perceived time pressure on food behavior. Specifically, when knowledge of nutrition is low, the relationship between perceived time pressure and RDPs is substantial and negative (−.79). In contrast, when knowledge of nutrition is high, the relationship between perceived time pressure and RDPs is near zero. These results suggest that consumer education dealing with nutrition can help to offset negative effects of perceived time pressures on dietary practices.
Denominational Affiliation Change: Application of the Consumer Decision Model
Authors: GOFF BRENT G. , GIBBS MANTON C.
Published: July 2010

This paper examines religious affiliation change (brand switching) from a consumer decision perspective. It applies three variants of Howard's Consumer Decision Model (CDM) to 14 denominations of religion. The denominations are considered as brands of religion and several hypotheses concerning the relationships among the CDM variables are tested via path analysis. Application of the CDM to brands of religion is supported. Implications of the results for consumer theory and consumers’ interests are discussed.
Sources of Information, Consumer Attitudes on Nutrition, and Consumption of Dairy Products
Authors: JENSEN H. H. , KESAVAN T.
Published: July 2010

Commodity promotion programs, paid for by producers, may be a source of nutrition information for consumers. The analytical approach treats sources of nutrient and health information, consumers' attitudes, and behaviors sequentially. The National Dairy Board's promotion of the calcium‐related benefits of dairy products is one case where nutritional messages, through their impact on attitudes, do effect change in dietary behavior.