Defines the different kinds of consumer reports and outlines the steps that help the high school journalist to write pertinent information for readers. (MB)

This one-page consumer education materials evaluation form has been developed as a checklist for developers and users of business-sponsored educational materials. Criteria listed include issues such as target audience, design, and usability as well as objectivity and how the business sponsor is identified. The form is intended to prevent…

This booklet provides guidelines for buying major home appliances from ranges and refrigerators to washers and dryers, as well as wood and upholstered furniture, and bedding and floor coverings, with helpful charts to make selection easier. It begins with suggestions on how to furnish within one's means. Next, information on equipping the home…

This booklet on shopping, 1 in a series of 12, covers all the basic aspects of personal- and family-money management. Suitable for use by high school and college students as well as adults, this handbook tells how to plan spending, develop shopping skills, and handle consumer problems effectively. Section 1 on consumers and the economy overviews…

This module is one of a set of seven prepared in conjunction with the Title I "Project to Train Volunteer Leaders to Conduct Consumer Education Courses." It is designed to be a basic text for use in making a one-hour presentation on rights and responsibilities in the marketplace. Topics include the six basic rights of consumers; responsibilities…

The second National Conference on Consumer Protection in Postsecondary Education was a series of seminars on specific issues. The topics under discussion were (1) protecting the student financial interest; (2) student information needs and systems; (3) postsecondary education institutional responses; (4) regulations and safeguards; and (5) full…

Describes University Hospital's (Louisville, Kentucky), implementation and evaluation of a Consumer Oriented Relations Education program to re-conceptualize relationships between "patients as consumers" and staff, translate objectives of excellent patient care into consumer-oriented attitudes, reduce dissatisfaction and increase…

Reviews research on the vulnerability of the elderly to consumer fraud. Patterns of consumption, situational characteristics, education and product knowledge, psychological losses, social isolation, and psychosocial transitions influence the elderly's vulnerability and ability to cope with consumer abuse. Higher educational attainment and greater…

Why do some people make self-enhancing decisions and others potentially self-destroying decisions? The reasons are complex and probably unique to each individual, but a few explanations that have been suggested include lack of information, conflicting value system, lack of self-confidence, lack of love, and the presence of excessive stress. (LRA)

Examines the prevailing myth that children's well-being increases through consumerism. Addresses the scope of child-focused consumption, negative impact of child-oriented consumerism on child development, creation of an imagination-stifling environment; and the relationship between instant gratification and avoidance of challenges. Concludes that…

This handbook is intended to help consumers exercise their rights in the marketplace in three ways: (1) it shows how to communicate more effectively with manufacturers, retailers, and service providers; (2) it is a self-help manual for resolving in dividual consumer complaints; and (3) it lists helpful sources of assistance. The handbook has two…

This instructional guide was designed to assist educators in teaching the topics of consumer credit and consumer credit protection to secondary and postsecondary students in various economics and business courses, as well as for use in adult and community education courses. The guide contains four sections, which can be used singly or in…

This document contains 29 two-page reports on credit, business credit, direct marketing, and real estate data prepared by the credit reporting company, TRW, for consumers. Topics covered are the following: consumer credit reports, how to obtain a copy of a consumer credit report, how credit bureaus compile consumer credit reports, the role of…

Designed for intermediate and junior high level students, the handbook gives 11 lessons using newspaper activities for teaching consumer education. The activities help students (1) define consumer education terms and distinguish between wants and needs; (2) define the term "caveat emptor" and understand the concept of consumer…

An analysis was made of the extent to which the safety characteristics of new vehicles affect consumer purchase decisions. Using an extensive data set that combines vehicle data collected by the Automobile Club of Southern California Target Car Program with the responses from a national household survey of new car buyers, a statistical model of…