Considerable research has documented that in many product categories, consumers are unable to distinguish among brands when given blind tests (i. e., taste or other use of the products without labels). Such products include soft drinks, coffee, and cosmetics. Nonetheless, even when prices are similar, consumers have strong preferences for specific brands of these product categories. They may buy these out of habit, which is the basis of

The former chairman of the federal reserve, alan greenspan, used the term "irrational exuberance" in 1996 to describe the high levels of optimism among stock market investors at the time. stock market indexes such as the s& p composite price index were at an all-time high. some commentators believed that the fed should intervene to slow the expansion of the economy. why would central banks want to clamp down when the economy is growing? a. to block the formation of unsustainable speculative asset bubbles. b. to curtail excessive profits in the banking system. c. to prevent inflationary forces from gathering momentum. d. all of the above. e. a and c only.