CONSUMER ATTITUDE

FORMATION AND CHANGE

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WHAT ARE ATTITUDES?

A learned predisposition to behave in a
consistently favorable or unfavorable
manner with respect to a given object.
We have attitudes toward many things
to people, products, advertisements,
ideas, and more.

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 The attitude object

Attitudes are a learned predispositioneither through direct experience or from
others
Attitudes may not be consistent over time
Attitudes occur within a situation

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WHAT ARE ATTITUDES?

HOW ARE ATTITUDES

LEARNED?
Classical conditioning - through past associations
Operant conditioning - through trial and
reinforcement
Cognitive learning through information
processing
Cognitive dissonance theory
Attribution theory

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FOUR BASIC FUNCTIONS OF

ATTITUDES
The

How well it performs

The

Value-expressive Function

To convey ones values and lifestyles

The

Ego-defensive Function

To protect ones self-concept

The

Utilitarian Function

Knowledge Function

A way to gain knowledge

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Tricomponent Attitude Model

Multiattribute Attitude Model
The Trying-to-Consume Model
Attitude-Toward-the-Ad Model

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STRUCTURAL MODELS
OF ATTITUDES

TRI COMPONENT ATTITUDE MODEL

Cognition : The knowledge and

perceptions that are acquired by a
combination of direct experience with the
attitude object and related information
from various sources
Affect : A consumers emotions or feelings
about a particular product or brand

Source: Consumer Behavior, tenth ed., SCHIFFMAN & KAN

Conation: The likelihood or tendency that

an individual will undertake a specific
action or behave in a particular way with
regard
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Multiattribute
Attitude
Models

Attitude models that

examine
the
composition
of
consumer attitudes
in terms of selected
product attributes or
beliefs.

Types
The
attitudetoward-object
model
The attitudetowardbehavior
model
Theory-ofreasoned6/11/2015

Attitude is function
of the presence of
certain beliefs or
attributes.
Useful to measure
attitudes
toward
product
and
service categories
or specific brands.

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MULTIATTRIBUTE
ATTITUDE MODELS

Types

The attitudetoward-object
model
The attitudetowardbehavior
model
Theory-ofreasoned6/11/2015
action model

Is the attitude toward

behaving or acting
with respect to an
object, rather than the
attitude toward the
object itself
Corresponds closely to
actual behavior

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MULTIATTRIBUTE
ATTITUDE MODELS

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CONSUMER CHARACTERISTICS, ATTITUDE

AND ONLINE SHOPPING

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Types
The attitudetoward-object
model
The attitudetowardbehavior
model
Theory-ofreasonedaction model
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Includes
cognitive,
affective,
and
conative
components
Includes
subjective
norms in addition to
attitude

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MULTIATTRIBUTE ATTITUDE MODELS

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Theory of
Trying to
Consume

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An
attitude
theory
designed to account for
the many cases where
the action or outcome is
not certain but instead
reflects the consumers
attempt to consume (or
purchase).

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AttitudeToward-theAd Model

A model that proposes

that a consumer forms
various feelings (affects)
and
judgments
(cognitions) as the result
of exposure to an
advertisement, which, in
turn,
affect
the
consumers
attitude
toward the ad and
attitude
toward
the
brand.

ATTITUDE-TOWARD-THE-AD MODEL

Source: Consumer Behavior, tenth ed., SCHIFFMAN & KANUK

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 Altering Components of the Multiattribute Model

Changing relative evaluation of attributes
Changing brand beliefs
Adding an attribute
Changing the overall brand rating
Changing Beliefs about Competitors Brands

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ATTITUDE CHANGE

CHANGING ATTITUDES...
Changing attitudes directly though behavior
Cognitive Dissonance Theories
Balance Theory
Social Judgment Theory
Attribution Theory

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BEHAVIOR CAN PRECEDE OR

FOLLOW
ATTITUDE FORMATION
Cognitive
Dissonance Theory

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A theory concerned
with how people assign
causality to events and
form or alter their
attitudes as an outcome
of assessing their own
or
other
peoples
behavior.
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Holds that discomfort

or dissonance occurs
when a consumer holds
conflicting
thoughts
about a belief or an
attitude object.

Attribution Theory

BALANCE THEORY
Consumers
strive
for
consistency
between
interconnected attitudes.
Marketers can influence attitudes by creating
imbalance within the target of persuasion-motivates consumer to change one or more of the
interconnected attitudes to restore balance.

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SOCIAL JUDGMENT THEORY

Consumers use attitudes as a frame of reference to
judge new information.
If high involvement:
Narrow latitude of acceptance
Wide latitude of rejection
Assimilation effect
Contrast effect
If low involvement:

Wide latitude of acceptance

Wide latitude of non commitment
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ATTRIBUTION THEORY
Consumers make inferences about behaviors,
assign causality--blame or credit--to events on the
basis of their or others behaviors.
In the process of assigning causality, form attitudes.
Marketing implications:
Offer high quality products
Advertising should emphasize quality.
Moderate-sized incentives.

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ISSUES IN ATTRIBUTION THEORY

Self-perception Theory
A theory that suggests that consumers develop
attitudes by reflecting on their own behavior.
Judgments about own behaviour Internal and
external attributions
Defensive Attribution
A theory that suggests consumers are likely to
accept credit for successful outcomes (internal
attribution) and to blame other persons or
products for failure (external attribution).
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CHANGING ATTITUDES.
Change beliefs and attitudes through persuasion
Elaboration likelihood model of persuasion (ELM)

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Motivation
to
Elaborate

High

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Ability
to
Elaborate

Amount
of
Elaboration

Low

Central
Route to
Persuasion

Peripheral
Route to
Persuasion

Message
Arguments
Determine
persuasion

Peripheral
Cues
Determine
persuasion

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ATTITUDES AND MARKETING

STRATEGY
Alter

components of the attitude

Change

relative evaluation of attributes

Change brand beliefs
Add an attribute
Change overall brand evaluation
Change

brands

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beliefs about competitors

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