| Course | MKT 435 Consumer Behavior (MKT/435) |
|---|---|
| Week | 2 |
| Paper type | Consumer perception and motivation analysis |
| Length | about 1,036 words, 4 double-spaced pages plus title page and references |
| Format | APA 7 student paper |
| School | University of Phoenix |
| Program | BS in Business |
| Updated | October 2026 |
Free sample paper for MKT 435 Week 2
Why People Row and What They Notice: Perception and Motivation Among Home Fitness Buyers
[Student Name]
University of Phoenix
MKT/435: Consumer Behavior
Week 2 Assignment
[Instructor Name]
[Date]
Lumen Row, its interviews and test results are composites written for a model paper.
Lumen Row, the composite Denver maker of a $1,499 connected rowing machine, learned last week that buyers spend about six weeks deciding and often stall when comparing options. This paper looks inside that decision at two forces: why people want to row at all and how they perceive the product once they start looking. The company interviewed 30 buyers and 15 people who shopped but did not buy, and it tested two versions of its main video ad. Two buyers can see the same machine, the same price and the same ad and walk away with completely different impressions, because each sees through the lens of their own reasons for wanting it.
Motivation
Motivation is the drive that leads people to act toward a goal. Needs create tension, and people seek products that reduce it. For home fitness, needs range from physical health to self-esteem, convenience and belonging.
Self-Determination Theory
Ryan and Deci (2000) proposed that people need to feel in control of their choices, capable of doing well and connected to others, and that motivation ranges from intrinsic, doing something because it is enjoyable or meaningful, to external, doing it because of rewards or pressure. More internal forms of motivation are linked to persistence and well-being. For Lumen Row, this suggests that buyers who row because they enjoy it or value it personally will keep using the machine, while those driven by guilt or a doctor's warning alone may quit.
Motive Group One: Health Protectors
These buyers, often over 50, want to protect joints, heart health and mobility. Many started after a health concern. Their motivation begins as external but can become internal as they feel better.
Motive Group Two: Time Savers
Busy parents and professionals want effective workouts without driving to a gym. Convenience is their main motive, and short classes matter most.
Motive Group Three: Performance Seekers
Former athletes and competitive people want to track progress and compete on leaderboards. They are driven by competence.
Motive Group Four: Social Rowers
Some buyers are drawn by the community: live classes, group challenges and online groups. They are driven by relatedness.
From Buying to Using
The interviews showed a gap between what prompts a purchase and what sustains use. Several health protectors bought after a warning from a doctor, an external push, and those who later found rowing enjoyable kept going while the rest drifted away within three months. Performance seekers stayed engaged as long as they saw progress, but some lost interest once improvement slowed. Social rowers had the highest retention, since friendships formed in classes gave them a reason to return. Motivation to buy and motivation to use are related but not the same.
Perception
Perception is how people select, organize and interpret information. It has three stages: exposure, attention and interpretation. Consumers are exposed to thousands of messages a day but attend to few.
Exposure and Attention
Interviewed shoppers rarely noticed general fitness ads but paid attention when a friend posted a workout or when they were already researching. Within product pages, they focused on noise level, size and total cost, the features most relevant to their concerns.
Interpretation
Shoppers interpreted the same facts differently. Some saw the $39 monthly fee as a fair price for coaching; others saw it as a trap. Performance seekers read data screens as useful; health protectors found them intimidating.
Price as a Quality Cue
Rao and Monroe (1989) reviewed experimental studies and found that price, brand name and store name each had positive effects on perceived quality, with price having a statistically significant effect. Shoppers comparing Lumen Row with $400 rowers often assumed the cheaper machines were flimsy, while the $1,499 price signaled durability.
Sensory Perception
Krishna (2012) reviewed research on sensory marketing and described how touch, sound, smell, taste and sight shape perception and judgment, often without conscious awareness. In showrooms, the smooth, quiet glide of the rower and the feel of its wooden frame created strong impressions that photos could not.
The Ad Test
The company tested two video ads with 2,000 viewers each. One showed a fit athlete rowing hard; the other showed three real members in their 40s and 50s at home. The member ad produced 34% more clicks and stronger agreement with the statement that the product is for people like me.
What the Non-Buyers Said
The 15 shoppers who did not buy offered a useful contrast. Most had the same health and convenience motives as buyers but perceived the product differently: several interpreted the leaderboard and data screens as signs the machine was for athletes, and others saw the monthly fee as a lasting obligation. Their motives were present; their perceptions blocked the purchase. This suggests that changing how the product is presented could matter as much as finding new customers.
Recommendations: Messaging by Motive
Health protectors will see messages about low impact and joint-friendly exercise. Time savers will see 15-minute classes. Performance seekers will see leaderboards. Social rowers will see community stories.
Recommendations: Price Framing
The monthly cost will be shown as less than a typical gym membership, with total cost over two years compared honestly with alternatives.
Recommendations: Showrooms
Showrooms will emphasize quiet operation and feel, with staff encouraging a five-minute row.
Recommendations: Onboarding for Lasting Motivation
New owners will choose their own goals and class types in the first week, supporting autonomy. Beginner programs will show steady progress, supporting competence. Every new owner will be invited to a welcome class with others who started the same month, supporting relatedness.
Measuring Results
The company will compare click and purchase rates by motive-based ad, track trial-to-purchase rates in showrooms and follow 90-day class attendance for owners who complete the new onboarding.
Ethics
Messaging will avoid shame about bodies or fear-based health claims. Motivating through enjoyment and competence supports both ethics and long-term use.
Conclusion
Lumen Row buyers are motivated by health, convenience, performance and community, and self-determination theory suggests internal motivation predicts continued use. Perception research explains what shoppers notice and how they judge quality from price and sensory cues. Messages by motive, honest price framing and sensory showrooms can improve both sales and retention.
References
Krishna, A. (2012). An integrative review of sensory marketing: Engaging the senses to affect perception, judgment and behavior. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 22(3), 332-351. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcps.2011.08.003
Rao, A. R., & Monroe, K. B. (1989). The effect of price, brand name, and store name on buyers' perceptions of product quality: An integrative review. Journal of Marketing Research, 26(3), 351-357. https://doi.org/10.1177/002224378902600309
Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2000). Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development, and well-being. American Psychologist, 55(1), 68-78. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.55.1.68
What the MKT 435 Week 2 instructions ask
The second MKT 435 assignment usually asks students to analyze how perception and motivation influence consumer behavior for a product or brand. Common requirements include explaining motivation theories, identifying the needs and goals that drive purchases, describing the perception process of exposure, attention and interpretation, discussing cues consumers use to judge quality and recommending how marketers can use these insights responsibly. Some prompts ask students to analyze an advertisement. Use consumer research and psychology to explain behavior, apply each concept to the product with examples and cite sources in APA format. Ground your claims in interviews, surveys or tests where possible. Distinguish what motivates a purchase from what keeps a customer using the product, since the two can differ.
How this MKT 435 Week 2 example is built
People buy a home rowing machine for different reasons, and the paper shows how those reasons and their perceptions shape choices. Self-determination theory explains why buyers who row for enjoyment and personal growth stay engaged longer than those driven by guilt or outside pressure. Interviews reveal four motive groups: health protectors, time savers, performance seekers and social rowers. The perception section explains why shoppers notice noise and footprint and how they judge quality from price, brand and materials. A test of two ads shows that real-member stories outperform athlete imagery. Recommendations cover messaging by motive, price framing, showroom sensory design and onboarding that builds lasting motivation.
MKT 435 Week 2 grading rubric: where the points go
Strong perception and motivation papers apply theory to real consumer behavior and turn insights into marketing actions. Instructors credit accurate use of motivation theory, specific consumer motives supported by evidence, a clear explanation of the perception process, attention to quality cues and recommendations that respect consumers. Papers that distinguish motives for buying from motives for continued use show depth. Reviewers look for scholarly sources from consumer research and psychology, specific examples and links to the decision process analyzed earlier. Ethical reflection on how motives are used is also valued. Evidence from tests or interviews strengthens claims, and organized headings and accurate citations make the paper clear and credible.
MKT 435 Week 2 help: mistakes to avoid
Students often describe motivation theories without connecting them to buyers. Show how each theory explains specific behavior. Another common gap is treating perception as a single step. Explain exposure, attention and interpretation. Students also overlook quality cues such as price and brand. Use evidence, such as interviews or tests, rather than assumptions. Group consumers by motive and size each group. Recommend messages for each group and explain why they fit. Address ethics; avoid using fear or shame to motivate purchases. Connect motivation to long-term use, since a product that is not used leads to returns and churn. Finally, measure whether changes based on these insights actually change behavior.
Related MKT 435 sample papers
Other MKT 435 week samples
- MKT 435 Week 1: The Consumer Decision Process
- MKT 435 Week 3: Attitudes and Learning
- MKT 435 Week 4: Family, Social and Cultural
- MKT 435 Week 5: Consumer Insight in Communication
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MKT 435 Week 2 questions, answered
What does MKT 435 Week 2 usually cover?
It usually covers perception and motivation: motivation theories, consumer needs and goals, the perception process, quality cues and how marketers can apply these insights.
Where can I find a free MKT 435 Week 2 sample paper?
The perception and motivation analysis for a home rowing machine brand appears on this page; a custom analysis built around your own brand is available.
What is self-determination theory?
A view of motivation holding that people stick with activities longest when they feel free to choose, feel capable and feel connected, and when their reasons come from within.
What is selective attention?
The tendency of consumers to notice only a small portion of the stimuli they encounter, focusing on information relevant to their needs and interests.
How do consumers judge product quality?
They use cues such as price, brand name, store, packaging, materials and reviews, especially when they cannot easily evaluate quality directly.
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