Use the following scenarios to complete the discussion questions below.
Eli Hahn has had a cold—and all of the typical symptoms that come with it—for almost a week. At first, he hadn't taken any medicine. He had always felt that there wasn't anything you could do about a cold. However, while he was playing cards at the home of some friends they kidded him about his runny, red nose. When they offered him an Advil Cold and Flu tablet, he figured it wouldn't hurt to try it. To his surprise, he felt much better after taking the tablet. The next morning, he stopped at a drugstore on his way to work and bought a package of the medicine. Eli had never heard of Advil before, but while driving home from work that evening he noticed a large billboard for Advil.
Melody Hadley just returned from a year in Japan as an exchange student. To see her old friends, she is planning a dinner party with a traditional Japanese menu. As she is grocery shopping, she recalls her first experience with sushi—a raw fish delicacy she plans to serve at her party. When her host family first served it to her, she was not sure she would be able to eat it. Nothing in her American upbringing had prepared her to eat raw fish. However, she did not want to offend her hosts, so she smiled bravely and downed the sushi. To her amazement it was delicious, and she now enjoys sushi frequently. She is sure she will have a lot of fun persuading her friends to try it too.
Carlos and Faith Gumucio and their two children are considering the purchase of a recreational vehicle. Carlos is enthusiastic because he argues, that the RV would be perfect for family camping trips, as well as fishing trips with his friends. Faith is less in favor of the purchase. She is nervous about camping in remote locations—and wonders how they would get help in emergencies. She also remembers a report that RVs get low gas mileage and are, therefore, expensive to run. Carlos is quick to point out that the same report described the large potential savings of a weeklong vacation in an RV compared to staying at a hotel or motel.
Seth and Elsa Robbins are trying to decide where to go on a vacation trip. Seth had been interested in going to the Florida Keys, but they rejected that based on reports from friends that it wasn't that interesting. They briefly considered a trip to Aruba, but Elsa didn't like the idea of leaving the country. Two very expensive resorts in Palm Beach were also considered but rejected because both Seth and Elsa were afraid they would feel out of place at such "fancy" accommodations. Finally, they settle on a moderate-priced motel near Disney World and Epcot Center, where they have previously enjoyed relaxing visits.
In the scenarios listed above, a variety of psychological variables and social influences are operating to influence a consumer's response. Select one scenario and provide the following information:
Identify two relevant psychological variables and briefly explain how each item is illustrated in the case.
Identify two social and/or cultural influences and briefly explain how each item is illustrated in the case.