摘要:

Householders in all‐electric homes were asked to rank their electrical appliances in terms of annual running costs. By comparing this with an individually calculated ‘correct’ order, an assessment of their knowledge was made. On this meaure overall knowledge was good, but half the sample underestimated the running costs of key high‐energy using appliances (space heating, hot‐water, cooking). This specific lack of knowledge is critical, and was found to be correlated with hig

ISSN:0309-3891    

DOI:10.1111/j.1470-6431.1985.tb00099.x

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:1985

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

The international consumer market in the western industrial nations is largely the product of the affluent post‐war period. It has grown out of a concern that the legal principle ofcaveat emptoris inadequate to protect the consumer in the modern, complex marketplace by consumer education and protection, improved consumer information and a general concern for the consumer and physical environments. Consumer groups are typically seen to be self‐help groups for the educated middle classes with little concern for the disadvantaged consumer, and there is no evidence that they have seriously challenged the dominance of producers and distributors. Two contrasting approaches to the structural analysis of consumer groups in the political systems of western industrial nations are considered, the pluralist approach and the conflict approach. It is argued that the analysis of power in the marketplace demonstrates that there is substantial producer dominance in the marketplace. The paper concludes by identifying five structural weaknesses of the consumer movement: negligible communication between consumers; the inability to mobilize; the rejection of effective (but politically radical) forms of action; the acceptance of existing market arrangements; and the provision of ideological support for these arrangeme

ISSN:0309-3891    

DOI:10.1111/j.1470-6431.1985.tb00100.x

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:1985

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

The economic concept of the value of the last dollar spent is used to analyse market failure associated with the energy requirements of appliances. A model is developed which focuses on the information problem concerning the energy used to derive service flows from durables. Economic perspectives based upon the model are offered as to (1) why the private sector did not correct the problem, (2) why events in the 1970s prompted public intervention, and (3) how Energy Guide labels enhance the exchange process. But can consumers use the information contained on Energy Guide labels? The results of a study of high school students in the United States suggest that many consumers with problem solving skills comparable to these students would be unable to use the labels effectively. The study also indicated that effective education materials have been developed to help consumers use the labels.

ISSN:0309-3891    

DOI:10.1111/j.1470-6431.1985.tb00101.x

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:1985

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

A random sample of American elementary school educators, representing all but three of the 50 United States, responded to a questionnaire designed to ascertain: (1) their opinions concerning the inclusion of food and nutrition concepts in the elementary school curriculum; (2) their actual practices concerning the teaching of food and nutrition in the elementary classroom: and (3) their needs for elementary food and nutrition teaching materials. The results suggested that nutrition was the food and nutrition concept area most highly valued in relation to the education of young children and the concept area most frequently taught in American elementary classrooms; it also represented the concept area most in need of the development of teaching materials. Congruently, nutrition represented the food and nutrition concept area most frequently reported as being supported by American school administrators.

ISSN:0309-3891    

DOI:10.1111/j.1470-6431.1985.tb00102.x

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:1985

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

Use of intrinsic and extrinsic cues to assess quality of textile items was studied. Product‐knowledgeable subjects rated the quality of socks and sweaters and completed a questionnaire which asked how they judged quality. Subjects relied more on product information (intrinsic cues), i.e., compositional features and performance properties, to assess quality than on price and warranty/certification seals (extrinsic cues). Significance lies in increased understanding of the process involved in quality assessment of textile items in the marketplac

ISSN:0309-3891    

DOI:10.1111/j.1470-6431.1985.tb00103.x

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:1985

数据来源: WILEY