Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct word or phrase that best fits each of the numbered blanks.

NEIGHBOURS INFLUENCE BUYING DECISIONS

However objective we believe ourselves to be, most of us do not judge a product solely on its merits, considering quality, value and style before making a decision. (34) ________, we are easily influenced by the people around us.

There is nothing wrong with this. It is probably a smarter way to make decisions than (35) ________ on only our own opinions. But it does make life hard for companies. They have long understood that groups of friends and relatives tend to buy the same products, but understanding the reasons has been tricky. It is because they are so similar with (36)________ to how much money they make and what television ads they watch that they independently arrive at the same decision? Or do they copy one another, perhaps (37) ________ envy or perhaps because they have shared information about the products?

Research in Finland recently found overwhelming evidence that neighbours have a big influence on buying decisions. When one of a person’s ten nearest neighbours bought a car, the chances (38) ________ that person would buy a car of the same brand during the next week and a half rose by 86 per cent. The researchers argued that it was not just a matter of envy. Used cars seemed to attract neighbours even more than new cars. This suggested that people were not trying to keep up with their neighbours, they were keen to learn from them. Since used cars are less reliable, a recommendation of one can strongly influence a buying decision.

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