Ch. 6 - Consumer Attitude Formation and Change Flashcards
(38 cards)
Attitude
A learned predisposition to behave in a consistently favorable or unfavorable way toward a given object (product, brand, service, price, package, ad, etc.).
Word-of-mouth
A method in which consumers learn attitudes
Need for cognition
High: those who crave information and enjoy thinking
form positive attitudes in response to promotions that include a lot of detailed, product-related information.
Low: those who don’t
form positive attitudes in response to ads that feature attractive models, celebrities, or other peripheral cues about the product.
Tri-component attitude model
A model describing the structure of attitudes, it maintains that an attitude consists of three components.
Cognitive
Affective
Conative
Cognitive Component
The first component of the Tri-Component Model of attitudes. It represents the person’s knowledge and perceptions of the features of the attitude object, which, collectively, are the beliefs that the object possesses or does not possess specific attributes.
Affective Component
The second component of the Tri-Component Model of attitudes. It represents the person’s emotions and feelings regarding the attitude object, which are considered evaluations because they capture the person’s overall assessment of the attitude object (i.e., the extent to which the individual rates the attitude object as “favorable” or “unfavorable,” “good” or “bad”).
ex: if person visiting shopping center feels particularly joyous during shopping there, he will spend more time doing so and recall with great pleasure the time spent at the shopping center
Likert Scale
The most popular form of attitude scale, where consumers are asked to check numbers corresponding to their level of “agreement” or “disagreement” with a series of statements about the studied object. The scale consists of an equal number of agreement/disagreement choices on either side of a neutral choice.
Semantic Differential Scale
A measure consisting of a series of bipolar adjectives (such as “good/bad,” “hot/cold,” “like/dislike,” or “expensive/inexpensive”) anchored at the ends of an odd-numbered (e.g., five- or seven-point) continuum.
Conative Component
The third component of the Tri-Component Model of attitudes. It represents he likelihood that an individual will behave in a particular way with regard to the attitude object. In consumer behavior, the conative component is treated as an expression of the consumer’s intention to buy.
What are the two primary strategies for changing consumers’ attitudes?
Changing an offerings overall image
Referring to specific product attributes
Comparative Advertising
An advertising appeal where marketers proclaim that their products are better than competing brands named in the ads.
A means by which to change attitude towards competitors
Two-sided message
A message that acknowledges competing products and/or the negatives of one’s own product or brand
Multiattribute attitude models
Models that portray consumers’ attitudes as functions of their assessments of the objects’ prominent attributes.
Attitude-toward-object model
A model stating that a consumer’s attitude toward a product or brand is a function of the presence of certain attributes and the consumer’s evaluation of those attributes.
Used in the development of new products, changing positioning, etc.
Attitude-toward-behavior model
A model stating that a consumer’s 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).
ex: Consumer looking for a new car likes Lexus cars (i.e., positive attitude toward the object), but not be ready or willing to buy an expensive Lexus (i.e., a negative attitude toward the behavior associated with the object).
TRA
Theory of reasoned action
Like the tri-component model, Incorporates the cognitive, affective, and conative components.
An approach to studying attitudes that measures the “subjective norms” that influence a person’s intention to act, which include his (or her) beliefs as to what relevant others (e.g., family, friends, roommates, co-workers) might think of the person’s contemplated action
What two factors underlie subjective norms
Normative beliefs that the individual attributes to relevant others
Motivation to comply with the preferences of the relevant others
Theory of trying to consume
represents cases where the outcome of a contemplated action (e.g., a purchase), stemming from a positive attitude, is uncertain but is still being pursued by the consumer. Two types of obstacles that may prevent the desired outcome
Personal impediments: trying to find the right tie for less than $50 or a person trying to lose weight but loves cookies
Environmental impediments: the reality that “just the right tie” costs more than $50, or realizing that one cannot continue eating cookies and lose weight, and that there are no low-calorie cookies that taste good
Attitude-toward-the-ad-model
A model maintaining that a consumer forms various feelings (affects) and judgments (cognitions) as the result of exposure to an advertisement, which, in turn, affects the consumer’s attitude toward the ad and beliefs and attitudes toward the brand advertised.
Attitudes-toward-social-media posts
The attitudes-toward-social-media-posts model proposes that consumers form attitudes about a brand when they see and hear posts about the brands on social media.
Functional approach
An approach to changing attitudes by appealing to the reasons (or motivations) behind people’s attitudes. These reasons are called “functions.”
Utilitarian function, ego-defensive function, value-expressive function, knowledge function
Utilitarian function
Reflects the utilities that brands provide. When a product enabled us to perform certain tasks in the past, our attitude toward it tends to be favorable.
One strategy for changing attitudes in favor of a product is by demonstrating to consumers that the product possesses a utilitarian purpose(s) that they may not have considered.
Paper towels spread germs, but Lysol wipes kill them
Ego-defensive function
maintains that people form attitudes in order to protect themselves from sensing doubt and to replace uncertainty with feelings of security and confidence.
ex: ad for dentures that tells consumers that they can feel secure, smile, and eat because their brand of denture cream will not let their dentures fall out.
Value expressive function
maintains that attitudes reflect consumers’ values and beliefs, and that marketers can create ads that either support or refute these notions.
ex: nutrition-conscious consumers believe that prepared salads are healthy and low in calories. An ad that refutes that belief stating these salads can be fattening because of salad dressing and added ingredients challenges the consumer’s belief.
