Consumers in two studies (n=374 and 500) were surveyed regarding their nutrition knowledge and the information on food labels. Validity of the survey instrument was supported by comparing results from professional nutritionists and dietitian students. Knowledge level was an important factor in consumer comprehension of and attitudes toward label…

Using a 2x2x2 factorial design, data from 282 respondents illustrate that people with more product knowledge ("experts") are more likely to be persuaded by complex than simple product information. "Novices" reacted similarly to simple and complex information. The type of information provided influences purchasing decisions. (SK)

Using the literature of psychology, consumer behavior, and behavioral finance, a series of hypotheses is presented that account for consumer choices of managed over index mutual funds. Results indicate a need for consumer education to increase awareness of the benefits of index investing. (SK)

Extension education can help farmers and consumers enjoy benefits of farmers' markets by helping farmers learn about marketing, assisting communities with site selection, encouraging use of Women Infants Children Farmers' Market Nutrition Program coupons, and teaching consumers about food use and preservation. (SK)

Factors driving the trend toward customer-focused electronic learning (CFEL) include the increased sophistication of products and services, the need to reduce the customer training burden, and the need to bolster revenues. CFEL can shift training from a support role to a marketing tool and a profit center. (JOW)

The study of personal finance, including money management, income and spending, saving and investing, and the use of credit, has never found a home in schools. Business educators who teach how to manage the world of work should also teach how to manage the money earned there. (JOW)

A survey asked 323 teenagers what they want to know about financial management. Most indicated that using money to buy things they need made money important to them. Their responses differed from what 67 adults surveyed thought they needed to know. (JOW)

Women who were familiar (n=97) and unfamiliar (n=91) with nutrition labels were studied. All could locate label data; those who were unfamiliar were significantly less able to interpret the information. Both groups were similar in their assessment of the information's accuracy. (Contains 43 references.) (Author/JOW)

Counterfeiting is a serious problem facing several industries, including the medical, agricultural, and apparel industries (Bloch, Bush, & Campbell, 1993). The authors investigated whether ethical viewpoints affect perceptions of the morality of particular shopping behaviors, attitudes toward counterfeit products, and intentions to purchase such…

The field of adult education exists within a context of consumer capitalism, although adult educators have failed to acknowledge how central consumption is to today's society. Traditional consumer education has typically focused on technical skills, and thus positions itself outside the social, political, and cultural realms. In this article, the…

Over a decade ago, Oduran (1993) argued that consumer education was an emerging frontier of adult education. While the Adult Performance Level (APL) project in the 1970s sparked some interest in consumer and life skills within adult basic education and English as a second language (Lankshear, 1993; Levine, 1986; Sandlin, 2000), and while this push…

In this article, the author talks about gambling and how career and technical education can play a role in gaming education. While the growth of gambling fuels the economy, it can also fuel hidden addiction. Identified by the American Psychiatric Association in its Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of the Mental Disorders as pathological gambling,…

Providing a basic overview of issues related to advertising and the consumer, this digest discusses the omnipresence of advertisements, suggesting ways for consumers to recognize advertising appeals. Deceptive advertising is discussed, with particular attention paid to financial advertising. (RS)

This report presents information on checking accounts, describes how to read a monthly statement from the bank, and provides guidelines for balancing a checkbook. Topics covered include: how banks record transactions; the importance of keeping personal records and of balancing the checkbook promptly; what happens when there are insufficient funds…

This report explains the importance of keeping personal records, describes types of records to keep, and suggests places in which to keep them and ways to organize them. Guidelines are offered for keeping the following types of records: (1) personal documents (family records, wills, passports, diplomas, and social security cards); (2) property…