Consumer JudgingLearning How to Make Good Decisions |
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The 4-H symbol is protected under 18 U.S.C. 707
Welcome to 4-H Consumer Judging! This activity provides a wide range
of learning experiences that can help you develop many important life skills.
Did you know that you are a consumer judge every time you buy something? Since
you usually do not have as much money to spend as you would like, you have
to make consumer decisions. Understanding the differences between your needs
and wants and learning how to obtain information about consumer goods will
help you be a wise and selective buyer.
Whenever you make a decision, you have more than one choice or alternative
from which to select. It is necessary to compare the choices in order to select
the item best suited to your need or situation. Seldom is one alternative perfect
or another alternative completely wrong. You usually have to weigh the importance
of one item’s strengths and weaknesses against another item’s strengths
and weaknesses. After making this comparison, you make a decision based on
your individual needs, goals, values, and resources.
Through consumer judging you will learn to:
The consumer judging contest is designed to see how well you have learned these three skills. In the contest you judge classes of goods or services that are available in the marketplace. You are given a hypothetical (pretend) buying situation with several choices or alternatives provided. A situational statement gives the product to be judged and its intended use, as well as the personal preferences, needs, lifestyle, and resources available to the buyer. Since you are not making the purchase for yourself, the situational statement helps you identify the standards to consider in judging the class. It is not possible to consider every standard in a short period of time.
You Be the Judge!
You use your best judgment every time you make a purchase consciously or unconsciously,
weighing factors like time, energy, price, quality, and need. You decide how
important each of these factors is and compare the weight of each factor to
make your decision. In judging you do the same thing. You learn standards of
quality for goods and services and then practice making comparisons. The more
you practice, the easier judging becomes. Most judging champions say that once
you learn to be a good judge, you can judge anything if you know the criteria
and the terms for the category.
Consumer judging teaches the principles and methods of evaluating goods and
services. These skills are used daily by any person who makes a purchase or
chooses a service. Training in consumer judging can help you become a better
consumer right now and it is a skill you will use all your life.
Future success can hinge on the ability to make the right decision at the right
time. Judging helps develop life skills in decision making, organizing thoughts,
and defending decisions orally. Practice in making decisions and supporting
them with oral reasons trains you in problem-solving and decision-making. The
practice you get in thinking and talking in front of people when you give oral
reasons has lifetime benefits.
Judging helps you develop:
To become a good consumer judge, you must learn how to develop:
How to Judge
In judging, you learn one thing at a time in small steps. It is easier to
learn if you understand what you are doing. Practice makes learning easier.
First, recognize and appreciate the characteristics of the item. This study
fixes an image of the ideal item in your mind. Judging practice forces you
to expand your observation skills. You also learn how to become a better decision-maker.
The basic principles of judging are the same for any item, even though characteristics
may vary for each. Look for the strong and weak points of each item. This helps
to form a habit of seeing the same characteristics in other problems. There
is no substitute for a mind that is trained to see all sides of a problem.
A successful judge is always objective, free of prejudice, and considers only
the facts. An honest appraisal of the differences between items and a decision
based on sound reasons are the heart of judging.
Your first judging experience may have been so long ago that you cannot recall
it. However, judging is often done every day. When was the last time that you
selected an item from among several choices?
In judging, you do your own work and learn to depend on your own judgment,
not someone else’s. As you develop confidence in yourself, others will
have confidence in you, too.
Steps in Judging
Developing a routine to gather information needed to place a class makes judging
much easier. It does take some time and practice to develop this skill.
Here are the important steps in the judging routine:
1. Information
Be totally informed about the intended use of the item you evaluate. Learn
the parts and their correct names, so that you can use them when making comparisons
and giving reasons. Be aware of the relative economic differences between characteristics
of each item. Compare the advantages and disadvantages that different features
offer the consumer.
To gain information on a class, check to see if a fact sheet for the class
is available. Further information may be obtained from consumer magazines,
such as Consumer
Reports or Zillions.
You can also check with your local library.
Now you are ready to begin judging a class. Four items make up a class. The
situational statement for the class will help you determine the needs of that
consumer.
2. Observation
Take a broad first look at all items in a class to get a clear overview of
the whole class. Look for something that stands out. Then examine the items
closer, individually. Observe each item carefully and evaluate how it meets
or fails to meet the requirements necessary for the situation given. As you
examine the items, make a mental picture of each.
Hint: Many times first impressions are the best ones. Stick with your
first ideas, unless close inspection gives you good reason to change. If the
class has an easy (close) top or bottom pair, note it and spend more time on
the more difficult placings.
3. Comparison
When you judge a class of items, you really should have five items in mind: the
four in the class and the ideal item for the person in the situational statement.
Recall the most desirable features of the items you have seen, and then compare
each item with others in the class to establish differences and similarities.
Next, make your decision. Try to “break” the class by dividing
the four items into top, middle, and bottom pairs. You will automatically include
the differences between each item when making pairs as well as providing a
solid basis for giving oral reasons.
Do not try to place a class on little things. Look for the big differences
that affect use and cost. Always keep in the mind the situational statement.
4. Conclusion
Arrive at a logical ranking for the items based on the relative merit of usefulness
to the situation given. Rank the items assigning them 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th
places, in the order you feel that they would meet the criteria established
in the situational statement.
Spend a few minutes taking notes on the class for which you will have to give
reasons. Write down your placings and a brief description of each item in order
to recall the class, two to four definite differences in each pair, and a list
of all grants.
Ask yourself these questions:
4-H Judging Card
After you judge a class, the next step is to mark your placing on the official judging card. The card has the class number and your assigned contest number. Add your county’s name. Then mark your placing on the correct card by circling the one group of four numbers that has the four numbers in the same order as your placing. For all classes, except the reasons, hand the card to the group leader class as you leave the class. For the reasons class, make sure that the placing you mark is identical to the placing in your notes. Give that card to the reasons judge after you have finished giving your oral reasons.
Preparing and Presenting Oral Reasons
The good judges are separated from the lucky guessers when reasons are given.
Oral reasons are the most valuable part of judging because they help build
confidence and develop skill to think and speak while on your feet.
The purpose of giving reasons is to convince the judge that you saw and evaluated
the class correctly. Tell why you placed one item over another and explain
where and how one item is better than another using comparative terms.
Giving reasons may be the hardest part of judging, but the experience provides
lifetime benefits. Oral reasons are given to help you:
It takes some natural talent to give reasons, but it mostly takes skills that you can develop with lots of practice, such as:
A good judge must be able to explain the reasons for the placing. Reasons
should be accurate, organized, clear, complete, concise, interesting, sincere,
and presented in a pleasing and confident manner.
Important points in giving reasons include the following:
Accuracy is the most important part of giving reasons. A set of reasons
is less satisfactory if the information presented is wrong. Tell exactly what
you saw. Accurate comparisons convince the listener that you understood the
class. You can make perfectly accurate comparisons even when your placing does
not agree with the official’s. Do not say anything that is not true.
Do not use a set of “canned” reasons.
Organization is arranging information in a logical order. Bring out
major and general points first. Use a system in organizing and giving reasons.
Your system will be determined by the way you placed the class and why. Were
there definite top and bottom items and a close middle pair? Or, was there
a definite top pair and a definite bottom pair? Get to the point without repetition.
Reasons should be organized, but not memorized. Train yourself to retain a
mental picture of the items and the good and bad points of each.
Delivery is your ability to present your reasons in a pleasing, confident
manner, and to be easily understood and easily followed. Speak slowly and distinctly,
but without hesitation. Use a conversational tone and speak loud enough to
be heard. Speak with confidence and state reasons in complete sentences, using
correct grammar.
Ignore any distractions that occur around you while giving your oral
reasons. Keep the judge interested in what you have to say. The value of your
accuracy may be lost in poor presentation if most of what you say does not
get through to the listener.
Look directly at the reasons judge. Stand firmly on both feet and place
your hands behind your back. Act and speak with confidence and avoid distracting
mannerisms.
Convincing delivery comes through many hours of hard work. Confidence,
voice, posture, and personal appearance combine to create a convincing image.
These factors combined with accurate comparisons presented in an organized
manner will help you become a good consumer judge.
Completeness is your ability to bring out all major good and bad points
in your reasons. Avoid small points that may be close or controversial. Reasons
should be brief and emphasize the major criteria. Present the differences first
on each pair. Point out the differences only; do not describe them. Claim strong
points that make one item superior to the other. Then grant (identify)
the advantages of other items. Be concise and definite. Do not hunt for something
else to say. If you cannot remember, move on to the next pair.
Criticism of the top item is given last. Never start reasons by criticizing
the first place. You may grant an advantage to the second place rather than
criticize the first place. End reasons with a strong, but concise statement
of why you placed the last item last followed by a repeat of the class placing.
Length should be no more than two minutes. This is adequate time to
give well-organized and properly presented reasons.
Terms should be simple, understandable, generally accepted words used
to describe consumer goods and services. Know what appropriate terms mean and
use them correctly when giving reasons. You must have a good vocabulary of
consumer-related terms to give a good set of reasons. Using incorrect terms
detracts from the value of what you say. Use comparative terms when describing
characteristics of one item in comparison with those of another.
Eliminate unnecessary words or phrases that add nothing but more words to reasons.
Examples of extra or undesirable words and phrases follow.
Don’t say “item ...”
Instead use specific name
Don’t say “I would like to see ...”
Instead use “I criticize 2 because ...”
Don’t say “kinds of types ...”
Instead use specific name
Don’t say “number 2 over number 1 ...”
Instead use “2 over 1 ...”
Don’t say “it ...”
Instead use item number
Don’t say “lacks, an item lacks something ...”
Instead use “the item is (point out fault)”
Don’t say “in the order of 2 over 1 ...”
Instead use “2 over 1 ...”
Don’t say “I am placing ...”
Instead use “I place ...”
Don’t say “I am criticizing ...”
Instead use “I criticize ...”
How Good are Your Reasons?
The judge will assess the value of your reasons based on appearance, delivery,
proper use of terms, accuracy of statements, and importance of points covered.
Organization is the key to effective communications. The organization
of reasons determines how easy it is to follow what you say. In giving reasons,
a class of four items should be divided into top, middle, and bottom pairs.
Different systems can be used. Here is one way that is logical, clear and easy
to use, based on a placing of 1-2-3-4.
1. State name of class and placing
Top Pair
2. Reasons for placing 1 over 2, using comparative terms
3. Grants for 2 over 1, pointing out advantages of 2 in comparative terms
4. Criticisms of 2, using comparative or descriptive terms
Middle Pair
5. Reasons for placing 2 over 3
6. Grants for 3 over 2
7. Criticisms of 3
Bottom Pair
8. Reasons for placing 3 over 4
9. Grants for 4 over
10. Criticisms of 4
11. Repeat class placing
Making Notes
Your reasons will be easier to develop if you follow an orderly system. Begin by making good notes. They should be short, simple, and easy to use. Here is a sample format that may help you.
Reasons Work Sheet
Following this pattern, a sample class of reasons should be:
“I place this class of ________, 1-2-3-4.
In the top pair, I place 1 over 2 because 1 is _______________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________.
I grant 2 is _________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
is also
_____________________________________________________________________________________
than 2.
In the middle pair, I place 2 over 3, since 2 is ______________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________.
2 is ______________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________.
I admit that 3 is _____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
than 2.
Coming to my bottom pair, I place 3 over 4 because 3 is
_____________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________.
3 is ______________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________.
I place4 last because it is ______________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________.
For these reasons (or therefore), I place this class of _________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________, 1-2-3-4.”
Prepare and Give Good Reasons
Giving reasons for your decisions is an important part of consumer judging. When you explain your placing, you are giving reasons. You will need to:
Practice
Here is a sample class for you to use to practice giving reasons.
Situational Statement
Pat is planning to invite some of his classmates over to study and wants
to serve fresh popped popcorn. He is planning to use his electric popper and
needs to watch his costs carefully. Some of Pat’s friends prefer no salt
and some want their popcorn salted. Pat needs at least 10 cups of popcorn.
Class Items
Placing
2-3-1-4
Reasons
I place this class of popcorn
2-3-1-4.
I place 2 over 3 because 3 is more expensive than 2.
I grant that both can be freshly popped in an electric popper and are unsalted.
I place 3 over 1 because 1 is more expensive, already
has salt, and must be popped in a microwave oven. I place 1 over 4 because 1 can
be freshly popped. I place 4 last because 4 is not freshly popped,
is the most expensive, and is already salted. For these reasons, I place this
class of popcorn 2-3-1-4.
Reasons for Placing
2 is $.031/cup popped
3 is $.036/cup popped
1 is $.091/cup popped
4 is $.139/cup popped
Admit or Grant
2 = 3 can be freshly popped in electric popper, both unsalted
1 can be freshly popped
Faults
1 has salt, needs microwave
4 not freshly popped, has salt
To organize your reasons a set of short, simple, easy to use notes may help.
Use them as study aids before you present reasons to the judge. Do not read
your notes to the judge or refer to notes while you speak. Notes should be
used only to help you remember the class.
Here’s a set of sample notes:
Class: _________________________________________________________________
Placing 1-2-3-4
| (Item) Criticize |
Reason | (Placing) Grant |
| 1 | Reasons for 1 over 2 | Grant to 2 |
| 2 | Reasons for 2 over 3 | Grant to 3 |
| 3 | Reasons for 3 over 4 | Grant to 4 |
| Criticize 4 and place last |
Top Pair = 1
Middle Pair = 2
Bottom Pair = 3
Reasons Score Guide
Total Possible Points = 50
| Criteria | Standard Score |
| Correct organization and format | 10 |
| Accurate descriptions | 10 |
| Correct terminology | 5 |
| Complete descriptions | 5 |
| Confident and convincing (good, sound reasoning) |
5 |
| Good grammar | 5 |
| Good delivery* | 10* |
* Maximum penalty for use of notes = 10 points
When notes are used, the following scale may be used to determine the penalty:
| Minus | |
| Reading | -10 |
| Heavy Use | - 8 |
| Medium Use | - 6 |
| Light Use | - 4 |
| No Use | - 0 |
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Financial Management / Consumer Education Programs
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Content by Nancy Porter and Deborah
Thomason, Extension Family and Consumer Sciences, Clemson University
Webmaster: Linda
McGee, Extension Family and Consumer Sciences, Clemson University
Last update:
October 1, 2007
