The influence of selected socioeconomic factors on the consumer awareness of women was investigated. An instrument was developed to measure the consumer awareness of individuals. The three areas assessed were awareness of existing problems in the marketplace, awareness of laws that control these problems and sources of help for the consumer when she encounters these problems. A profile of a woman with low consumer awareness was constructed from the results of the data collected In the study. She will have an annual income of less than $8,000; she will have a high school education or less; her husband will be employed in sales, clerical or managerial work; her husband will be 40 or older and they will have no children living at home. The results of the study indicate that a ll women need assistance in be coming more aware of existing consumer protection laws and of sources of help with consumer problems. All women were more aware of possibilities of where to go for help than of what protection the law provides .

Characteristics of consumers who used unit pricing were compared to consumers who did not use unit pricing. A numerical rating was developed to aid the researcher in classifying consumers into two extreme groups, "usually" and "seldom." The sample consisted of 50 shoppers who usually and 50 shoppers who seldom used unit pricing. Data was collected at a local supermarket where unit pricing is provided. Of the variables tested, annual family income was not significant (.861)r number of individuals shopped for was relatively significant (.283)r and age of consumer (.028), occupation of consumer (.067), employment pattern of consumer (.031), education of consumer (.00014), occupation of spouse (.00001), and shopping frequency (.026) were significant.

No description available.

Researchers have postulated that the implementation of driving automation systems could reduce the prevalence of driver errors, or at least mitigate the severity of their consequences. While driving automation systems are becoming increasingly common on new vehicles, drivers seem to know very little about them. The following dissertation describes an investigation of driver behavior and behavioral adaptation while using driving automation systems in order to improve consumer education and training. This dissertation uses data collected from test track environments and two naturalistic driving studies, the Virginia Connected Corridor 50 (VCC50) Vehicle Naturalistic Driving Study and the NHTSA Level 2 Naturalistic Driving Study (L2 NDS), to investigate driver behavior with driving automation systems and make suggestions for modifications to current consumer education practices. Results from the test track study indicated that while training strategy elicited limited differences in knowledge and no difference in driver behaviors or attitudes, operator behaviors and attitudes were heavily influenced by time and experience with the driving automation. The naturalistic assessment of VCC50 data showed that drivers tended to activate systems more frequently in appropriate roadway environments. However, drivers spent more time looking away from the road while driving automation systems were active and drivers were more likely be observed browsing on their cell phones while using driving automation systems. The analysis of L2 NDS showed that drivers' time gap preferences changes as drivers gain experience using the driving automation systems. Additionally, driver eye glance behavior was significantly different with automation use and indicated the potential for an adaptive trend with increased exposure to the system for both glances away from the roadway and glances to the instrument panel. The penultimate chapter of this work presents training guidelines and recommendations for consumer education with driving automation systems based on this and other research that has been conducted on driver interaction with driving automation systems. The results of this research indicate that driver training should be a key focus in future efforts to ensure the continued safe use of driving automation systems as they continue to emerge in the vehicle fleet. / Doctor of Philosophy / While driving automation systems are becoming increasingly common on new vehicles, drivers seem to know very little about them. Previous studies have found that owners of vehicles equipped with advanced technologies have demonstrated misperceptions or lack of awareness about system limitations, which may impact driver comfort with and reliance on these systems. Partial driving automation systems are designed to assist drivers in some vehicle operation demands, they are not, however, designed to completely remove the driver from the driving task. The following dissertation describes an investigation of driver behavioral adaptation while using driving automation systems with the goal of improving consumer education and training.

The purposes of this study were to identify the relationship between the provision of consumer information programs and satisfaction with food marketing services and to assess the benefits of a program as they affect both consumer satisfaction and retail food store profits. A conceptual model which proposed a positive relationship between the provision of a consumer information program and increased product purchasing, increased satisfaction with the product, and increased satisfaction with the foodstore was developed for the study. The model was operationalized through the use of three indicators to measure each of the four constructs. A field test of the model was conducted at a warehouse foodstore in central Connecticut where an in-store information program had been implemented one year prior to this study. The program, which focused on meats, provided three modes of presentation. Response to the program was measured by interviewing 277 shoppers during October and November, 1984. Respondents were asked about their use of the information presented, attitude toward the program, and perception of its usefulness. The data collection instrument developed for this study was a two part questionnaire. The first part was self administered. Respondents were dueried on satisfaction with the meat department and with the store. Twenty-one attitude, interest, opinion items related to food shopping and meal preparation were included in this section. The second part was an interview questionnaire which was utilized to ‘ obtain information on shoppers response to the information program, shopping habits, and demographic characteristics. The sample was found to be representative of warehouse foodstore shoppers. The average household size was four persons, and the average food budget was $100.00 per week. Twenty-nine percent spent less than 50% of their meat budget at the store, but only 11% purchased less than 50% of their groceries (excluding meat) at this store. Shoppers who responded positively toward the information program purchased more meat, and were more satisfied with the meat department and with the store. The conceptual model was able to explain positive response as measured by use, attitude, and perception of usefulness of the program in terms of these outcomes. The model was unable to explain negative response to the program. Further analyses of the data resulted in the addition of two antecedent variables to the model. Those who were not predisposed to information seeking and had never enrolled in a consumer education course were likely to be nonusers of the information program. / Ph. D.

This study was undertaken as an investigation into the content of the high school course in consumer education that is included in certain course outlines and textbooks, and also an investigation of the general nature of the course in consumer education as it is now being taught in high school.

The purpose of the present study was to investigate consumer knowledge and attitudes toward consumer education of college students in secondary teacher education preparatory programs in Korea. Specifically, this study was aimed to 1) measure the degree of consumer knowledge of college students in secondary teacher education preparatory programs, 2) assess the influences of socio-demographic variables such as academic level, academic major, sex, total family income, urban/rural background, and previous coursework in consumer economics on consumer knowledge, 3) evaluate attitudes of college students in secondary teacher education preparatory programs in Korea toward consumer education, 4) assess the influences of socio-demographic variables on attitudes toward consumer education, 5) examine the relationship between the degree of total consumer knowledge and attitudes toward consumer education when other socio-demographic variables are controlled. The sample was 388 freshmen and seniors in secondary teacher education preparatory programs, with majors in home economics, social studies, and business education, in the five randomly selected colleges in Korea. They were tested during May, 1991. The mean score for consumer knowledge was 30.18 which represented 75.4 percent correct. The relationships between consumer knowledge and selected socio-demographic variables were investigated using a one-way ANOVA. The results were as follow: 1) The degree of total consumer knowledge differed significantly by academic level, 2) The degree of total consumer knowledge and knowledge of the subarea of economic principles, consumer advocacy and buying practices differed significantly by academic major, 3) Only the degree of knowledge of the sub-area of buying practices differed significantly by sex, 4) There was no significant difference in the degree of total consumer knowledge and any sub-areas of consumer knowledge by total family income, 5) The degree of total consumer knowledge and knowledge of the sub-area of economic principles differed significantly by urban/rural background, 6) There was no significant difference in the degree of total consumer knowledge and any sub-areas of consumer knowledge by previous coursework in consumer economics. The mean score of attitudes toward consumer education was 2.94 on a scale of 1 to 4. The relationships of attitudes toward consumer education and socio-demographic variables were examined using a one-way ANOVA. Attitudes toward consumer education differed significantly only by previous coursework in consumer economics. To examine the relationship between the degree of total consumer knowledge and attitudes toward consumer education when other socio-demographic variables are controlled, a stepwise multiple regression anaysis was used. There was a significant positive relationship between consumer knowledge and attitudes toward consumer education. The results indicated that students majoring in home economics, female students, students who have taken consumer economics coursework, and students who have a higher degree of consumer knowledge have more favorable attitudes toward consumer education. / Graduation date: 1992

This study gained insights into preferences of selected citizens of Virginia for information and education in personal financial management. Quantitative and qualitative data were triangulated. The quantitative data used were collected by Porter (1990) by a mail survey. The Porter database (N=506) was sorted to identify those respondents (n=50) with addresses located in the Central District of the Virginia Cooperative Extension Service. The resulting Central District database was then sorted to identify those respondents with characteristics similar to the participants in the qualitative data collection. This resulted in 12 respondents. The respondents' (n=12) responses to four questions on the Porter survey were reported. The qualitative data were collected from five focus groups (N=35) conducted in the Central District in October, 1991. The focus group participants were primarily the financial decision maker of the household, between the ages of 19 to 49, had annual gross incomes between $10,000 and $29,000, and had an educational level of at least a high school degree, but did not have a four year college degree. An 11 question interview guide was used in the focus groups to gain insights into the 4 closed-ended questions on the Porter survey. / Master of Science

Thesis (PhD)--University of Stellenbosch, 2001. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The provision of housing in South Africa is a national priority. As many of the aspirant homeowners are first-time homeowners, they are not necessarily informed about the pitfalls of home ownership. From April 1994 till March 2000 the Department of Housing approved more than 1,1 million housing subsidies. The recipients of these subsidies were first-time homeowners that did not possess the necessary knowledge and skills to make informed and responsible housing-related decisions, thus making them vulnerable to exploitation and creating complex problems that hamper the housing delivery process. The release of the National Housing Code during March 2000 announced that the South African Government had harnessed seven strategies that were aimed at providing housing to a growing low-income market that already exceeded two-and-a-half million households. Although the Government has attempted short-term solutions aimed at equipping these housing consumers with the necessary knowledge and skills to make informed and responsible housing-related decisions, initial research pointed to the need for a sustainable long-term solution in the form of education and training of the housing consumer. The aim of this research was three-fold: Firstly, to determine the knowledge and skills required by the housing consumer to be able to make informed and responsible housingrelated decisions. Secondly, to determine the status of housing education and training in the present primary and secondary school curriculums. Thirdly, to develop an outcomesbased model that would facilitate the inclusion of the identified and refined housing education and training content into the General Education and Training (GET) Band of the National Qualifications Framework (NQF). A culturally diverse group of educators and practitioners participated in four national structured group meetings that were facilitated using the Nominal Group Technique (NGT). The aim of these meetings was to identify the knowledge and skills required by consumers to be able to make informed and responsible housing-related decisions. Sixteen housing education and training core concepts could be isolated using the responses generated during the meetings, namely: "Basic Housing Technology" (BHT), "Community" (COMM), "Cultural Aspects of Housing" (CAH), "Environment" (ENV), "Financial Aspects of Housing" (FAR), "Housing Consumerism" (HC), "Housing Design and Decoration" (HDD), "Housing Market" (HM), "Housing Needs" (HN), "Housing Policy" (HP), "Legal Aspects of Housing" (LAH), "Resource Management" (RM), "Role- Players in Housing" (RP), "Sources of Housing Information" (SRI), "Tenure Options" (TO) and "Types of Housing" (TH). The document analysis performed in the second phase of the research, revealed the paucity of housing education and training core concepts in the current curriculum of the GET and Further Education and Training (FET) Bands of the NQF. Housing education and training core concepts occurred in only 50% of the 318 core subject curriculums. Of the housing education and training core concepts that were present in these documents, less than 40% were rated as "relevant" and could therefore be used for housing education and training of the learners. An outcomes-based model was developed that can be used to facilitate the inclusion of the housing education and training content into the Foundation, Intermediate and Senior Phases of the GET Band using the Critical Cross-Field Outcomes, Learning Areas, Specific Outcomes, Assessment Criteria, Performance Indicators, Phase and Programme Organisers, currently included in the new curriculum. Outcomes were then developed that reflected the knowledge, skills, attitudes and values embedded in the sixteen housing education and training core concepts. The mastering of these 57 outcomes will reduce the ignorance of first time homeowners during the housing process and provide a sustainable, long-term solution to these problems . / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Behuisingsvoorsiening is 'n nasionale prioriteit in Suid-Afrika. Aangesien baie van die aspirant huiseienaars, eerstemaal-huiseienaars is, is hulle nie altyd bewus van die slaggate van huiseienaarskap nie. Vanaf April 1994 tot Maart 2000 het die Departement van Behuising meer as 1,1 miljoen behuisingsubsidies goedgekeur. Die ontvangers van hierdie behuisingsubsidies was eerstemaal-huiseienaars, en het nie die kennis en vaardigdhede besit wat benodig word om ingeligte en verantwoordelike behuisingsbesluite te neem nie. Daarom kan hulle blootgestel word aan uitbuiting, en is komplekse probleme veroorsaak wat die behuisingsvoorsieningsproses negatief beinvloed. Die vrystelling van die Nasionale Behuisingskode gedurende Maart 2000 het aangetoon dat die Suid-Afrikaanse Regering sewe strategiee sou gebruik om behuising aan die groeiende lae-inkomste behuisingsmark te voorsien, wat alreeds twee-en-'n-half miljoen huishoudings behels het. Die Regering het al korttermyn oplossings op die proef gestel wat daarop gemik is om behuisingsverbruikers met die nodige kennis en vaardigdhede toe te rus om ingeligte en verantwoordelike behuisingsbesluite te neem. Verkennende navorsing het getoon dat daar steeds 'n behoefte bestaan aan 'n langtermyn, volhoubare oplossing in die vorm van opvoeding en opleiding van die behuisingsverbruiker. Die doel van hierdie navorsing was drie-voudig: Eerstens, om te bepaal watter kennis en vaardighede die behuisingsverbruiker benodig om ingeligte en verantwoordelike behuisingsbesluite te kan maak. Tweedens, om die stand van behuisingsinhoud in die huidige primere- en sekondere skoolsillabus te ondersoek. Derdens, om 'n uitkomsgerigte model te ontwikkel wat die insluiting van die geidentifiseerde en verfynde behuisingsinhoud in die Algemene Onderwysvlak (AOV) van die Nasionale Kurrikulum Raamwerk (NKR) sal bewerkstellig. 'n Kultureel diverse groep, wat bestaan het uit opvoeders en behuisingspraktisyns, het deelgeneem aan vier nasionale gestruktureerde fokusgroeponderhoude wat deur middel van die Nominale Groeptegniek (NGT) gefasiliteer is. Die doel van hierdie onderhoude was om vaardigdhede wat deur die verbruiker benodig word om ingeligte en verantwoordelike behuisingsbesluite te neem, te identifiseer. Die inligting wat tydens hierdie fokusgroeponderhoude ingewin is, is gebruik om sestien kembehuisingskonsepte te identifiseer, naamlik "Basic Housing Technology" (BHT), "Community" (COMM), "Cultural Aspects of Housing" (CAH), "Environment" (ENV), "Financial Aspects of Housing" (FAH), "Housing Consumerism" (HC), "Housing Design and Decoration" (HDD), "Housing Market" (HM), "Housing needs" (HN), "Housing Policy" (HP), "Legal Aspects of Housing" (LAH), "Resource Management" (RM), "Role-players in Housing" (RP), "Sources of Housing Information" (SID), "Tenure Options" (TO) en "Types of Housing" (TH). Die dokumentanalise in die tweede fase van die navorsing, het die huidige, gebrekkige behuisingsopvoedingskomponent van die 'kemvakkurrikulums van laer- en hoerskole uitgewys. Slegs 50% van die 318 kemvakkurrikulums het behuisingskonsepte bevat. Minder as 40% van die behuisingskonsepte wat wel in hierdie kurrikulums verskyn het, is as "relevant" geevalueer, en kon dus gebruik word vir die behuisingsopvoeding van die leerders. 'n Model wat voldoen aan die vereistes van uitkomsgebaseerde onderwysmodelle is ontwikkel om die insluiting van hierdie behuingsinhoud in die Grondslag-, Intermediere >- en Senior Fases van die AOV te bewerkstellig. Daar is gebruik gemaak van bestaande kurrikulumkonstrulcte van Kurrikulum 2005. Uitkomste is ontwikkel wat die kennis, vaardigdhede, houdings en waardes, ingesluit in die kernkonsepte, weerspieel. Die '. bemeestering van hierdie 57 uitkomste, sal die onkunde van eerstemaal-huiseienaars gedurende die behuisingsproses verminder, asook 'n volhoubare, langtermyn oplossing vir hierdie probleme daarstel.

Information sources used by homeowners in their purchase of major appliances were compared with the homeowner's occupation, education, and income. The sample consisted of 60 Logan City homeowners who had Purchased a major appliance within the past 5 years. The respondents completed a questionnaire consisting of: 1) personal background information and 2) questions concerning their major appliance purchases. Dy testing with the adjusted chi square test , it was found that of the 3 consumer variables: education , income, and occupation , education was relatively significant ( .175), and occupation was very significant ( .074) in determining the type of information sources a homeowner used.