UNIT 2

Consumer Attitude Formation and Change

Attitudes

A learned predisposition to behave in a consistently favorable or unfavorable manner with respect to a given object.

WHAT ARE ATTITUDES?

The attitude object

Product , Brand, Service, Product category

Attitudes are a learned predisposition

Are formed as a direct experience with the product / service They have a motivational quality

Might propel a consumer towards a particular behavior Might repel a consumer away from a particular behavior

Attitudes have consistency

Relatively consistent with behavior Not necessarily permanent

do change by situational influences

Attitudes occur within a situation

Events that at a particular time effect attitude & behavior

THE NATURE OF ATTITUDES

Attitudes vary in their strength Attitudes reflect a consumers values

Attitudes are learned

Different situations influence attitudes

STRUCTURAL MODELS OF ATTITUDES

Tricomponent Attitude Model

Muliattribute Attitude Model

The Trying-to-Consume Model Attitude-toward-the-Ad Model

Representation of the Tricomponent Attitude Model

Conation

Affect

Cognition

WHATS THE BIG DEAL ABOUT ATTITUDES?

Attitudes

Guide our thoughts (cognitive function) Influence our feelings (affective function) Affect our behavior (conative function)

THE TRICOMPONENT MODEL

Cognitive Component

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

Affective Component

Conative Component

The likelihood or tendency that an individual will undertake a specific action or behave in a particular way with regard to the attitude object.

Multiattri-bute Attitude Models

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

MULTIATTRIBUTE ATTITUDE MODELS

The attitude-toward-object model

Attitude is function of evaluation of product-specific beliefs and evaluations

The attitude-toward-behavior model

Is the attitude towards behaving or acting with respect to an object, rather than the attitude towards the object itself
A comprehensive theory of the interrelationship among attitudes , intentions, and behavior.

Theory-of-reasoned-action model

A Simplified Version of the Theory of Reasoned Action

Beliefs that the behavior leads to certain outcomes Evaluation of the outcomes Beliefs that specific referents think I should or should not perform the behavior Motivation to comply with the specific referents

Attitude toward the behavior

Intention Behavior

Subjective norms Influence individuals intention to act

ADVANTAGES OF MULTIATTRIBUTE MODEL

Clearly shows what is important to consumers about a given product.

Shows how well brands do, relative to each other. Shows how well a specific brand does with respect to attributes perceived as important to consumers.

WEAKNESS OF MULTIATTRIBUTE MODEL

Not a perfect predictor of consumer behavior Lots of variables determine behavior in addition to attitude:

Involvement Friends Family Financial resources Availability of product

Theory of Trying to Consume

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).

Potential Impediments That Might Impact Trying

POTENTIAL PERSONAL IMPEDIMENTS I want to try to lose fifteen pounds by next summer. Im going to attempt to give up smoking by my birthday. I am going to increase how often I go to the gym from two to four times a week. Tonight, Im not going to have dessert at the restaurant. POTENTIAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPEDIMENTS The first ten people to call in will receive a free T-shirt. There are only three bottles of champagne in our stockroom. You better come in sometime today. I am sorry. We cannot serve you. We are closing the restaurant because of a problem with the oven.

AttitudeTowardthe-Ad 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

Very specific to understanding the impact of advertising on consumer attitudes about a particular product or brand. Exposure to advertising directly affects beliefs about the ad and brand, and feelings about the ad. Exposure to advertising indirectly affects attitude toward the brand and attitude toward the ad.

A Conception of the Relationship among Elements in an AttitudeToward-the-Ad Model

Exposure to an Ad Judgments about the Ad (Cognition) Feelings from the Ad (Affect)

Beliefs about the Brand Attitude toward the Brand

Attitude toward the Ad

ATTITUDE FORMATION

How attitudes are learned

Purchase, knowledge, beliefs

Sources of influence on attitude formation

Personal experience, family & friends, media,

Personality factors

HOW DO WE FORM ATTITUDES?

Three different paths to attitude formation:

Attitudes are created by first creating beliefs.

Consumer beliefs are the knowledge that a consumer has about objects, their attributes, and the benefits provided by the objects.

Consumer beliefs are created by processing

information--cognitive learning.

FORMING ATTITUDES, CONT

Attitudes are created directly.

Behavioral learning Mere exposure

Attitudes are created by first creating behaviors.

Consumers respond to strong situational or environmental forces, and after engaging in the behavior, form attitudes about the experience.

STRATEGIES OF ATTITUDE CHANGE

Changing the Basic Motivational Function Associating the Product With an Admired Group or Event Resolving Two Conflicting Attitudes Altering Components of the Multiattribute Model Changing Beliefs About Competitors Brands

FOUR BASIC ATTITUDE FUNCTIONS

Attitudes have 4 main functions:

Utilitarian function

Attitudes are also formed because of brands utility Attitude can be changed by showing people what they might have not considered yet Attitudes are formed to protect the ego Consumers attitudes are often a reflection of their values Attitudes help consumers make decisions and process and filter information

Ego defensive function

Value expressive function

Knowledge function

FIGURE 8.9 CLOROX USES A UTILITARIAN APPEAL

BACK

FIGURE 8.10 SUAVE USES EGO DEFENSIVE APPEAL

BACK

FIGURE 8.11 AC DELCO USES A VALUEEXPRESSIVE APPEAL

BACK

FIGURE 8.12 A KNOWLEDGE APPEAL

BACK

STRATEGIES OF ATTITUDE CHANGE CONT

Alter components of multi-attribute model

Changing brand beliefs Increase the importance of a key attribute Decrease the importance of a weak attribute

Add an entirely new attribute

Decrease belief ratings for competitive brands

Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM)

A theory that suggests that a persons level of involvement during message processing is a critical factor in determining which route to persuasion is likely to be effective.

Motivation to Elaborate Amount of Elaboration

Ability to Elaborate

High Central Route to Persuasion Message Arguments Determine persuasion

Low Peripheral Route to Persuasion Peripheral Cues Determine persuasion

BEHAVIOR PRECEDES ATTITUDE

FORMATION

Cognitive Dissonance Theory Attribution Theory

Cognitive Dissonance Theory

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

COGNITIVE DISSONANCE THEORY

Consumers begin to feel cognitive dissonance when they think of the unique, positive qualities of the brands not selected.

Leave consumers with an uneasy feeling about their prior beliefs or actions

Postpurchase Dissonance

Cognitive dissonance that occurs after a consumer has made a purchase commitment. Consumers resolve this dissonance through a variety of strategies designed to confirm the wisdom of their choice.

REDUCING COGNITIVE DISSONANCE

Attribution Theory

A theory concerned with how people assign casualty(blame or credit) to events on the basis of their own behavior or other peoples behavior.

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, they form attitudes. Marketing implications:

Offer high quality products Advertising should emphasize quality. Moderate-sized incentives.

ISSUES IN ATTRIBUTION THEORY

Self-perception Theory

Foot in the door technique

Attributions Toward Others Attributions Toward Things

SelfPerception Theory

A theory that suggests that consumers develop attitudes by reflecting on their own behavior.

Foot in the door technique

I buy this brand because I like it. This theory is based on the premise that individuals look to the prior behavior before conclusions.

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).

Attributions Toward Others

If the salespersons motives are viewed as favorable to the consumer, the response is also favorable. Pay extra for prompt service - FedEx

Attributions Toward Things

Things product / Service Judging product performance based on product, self, others, situation, or some combination of these factors

CRITERIA FOR CAUSAL ATTRIBUTIONS

Distinctiveness Consistency Over Time Consistency Over Modality Consensus

AttitudeTowardBehavior Model

A model that proposes that a consumers attitude toward a specific behavior is a function of how strongly he or she believes that the action will lead to a specific outcome (either favorable or unfavorable).

Theory of Reasoned Action (TORA)

A comprehensive theory of the interrelationship among attitudes , intentions, and behavior.

THEORY OF REASONED ACTION

Extends multiattribute model; tries to compensate for the inability of the multiattribute model to predict behavior. Assumes that consumers consciously consider the consequences of alternative behaviors under consideration and choose the one that leads to the most desirable consequences. The outcomes of this reasoned choice process is an intention to engage in a selected behavior--behavioral intention.

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.

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