Chapter 7 Flashcards
(7 cards)
What is the definition of an attitude?
An attitude is a lasting, general evaluation of people (including oneself), objects, advertisements, or issues. Attitudes are learned predispositions to behave in a consistently favorable or unfavorable manner with respect to a given object
What are the key characteristics of attitudes?
Attitudes are learned through experience and interactions.
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Attitudes are context-dependent, varying depending on the situation. For example, someone may have a positive attitude towards drinking beer at a party but a negative attitude towards drinking it at work.
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Attitudes are complex and influenced by various factors like personal beliefs, values, and social norms.
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Attitudes are persistent, meaning they tend to endure over time, particularly when strongly held.
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Attitudes can be resistant to change, especially if they are deeply rooted in values or beliefs.
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Attitudes have both direction (positive, negative, or neutral) and strength (weak or strong).
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A positive attitude is generally a necessary, but not sufficient, condition for purchase. This means that a consumer may have a positive attitude towards a product but not purchase it due to other factors, like price or availability.
What are the four functions of attitudes according to Katz’s Functional Theory?
Katz’s Functional Theory proposes that attitudes exist to serve these functions:
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Utilitarian Function: Relates to basic principles of reward and punishment. Consumers develop attitudes based on whether a product provides pleasure or pain. Advertisements that stress straightforward product benefits, like taste or convenience, often appeal to this function. For example, “You should drink Diet Coke ‘just for the taste of it!’”.
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Value-Expressive Function: Attitudes express a consumer’s central values or self-concept. Individuals may form product attitudes based on what the product says about them as a person. For example, a person might choose to drive a hybrid vehicle to express their concern for the environment.
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Ego-Defensive Function: Attitudes can protect individuals from external threats or internal feelings. Products that help a consumer project a certain image or enhance their self-esteem can appeal to this function. For example, advertisements for cosmetics or personal care products often target consumers’ insecurities about their appearance.
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Knowledge Function: Attitudes can be formed as a result of a need for order, structure, or meaning. This applies when consumers are in ambiguous situations or encounter new products. For example, when faced with a new type of food, a consumer might form an attitude based on information about its nutritional content or ingredients.
What are the three components of the ABC model of attitudes? Explain and give examples.
Affect: Refers to the way a consumer feels about an attitude object. This is the emotional component of an attitude. For example, a consumer might feel excitement when thinking about a new smartphone.
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Behavior (Conation): This involves a person’s intentions to do something with regard to an attitude object. Note that intentions do not always result in actual behavior. For example, a consumer might intend to buy a certain brand of cereal but end up choosing a different one at the store.
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Cognition: This refers to the beliefs a consumer has about an attitude object. For example, a consumer might believe that a certain brand of car is reliable and fuel-efficient.
What are the different ways in which attitudes are learned? Explain and provide examples.
Classical Conditioning: Consumers learn associations between stimuli. This type of learning can be seen in advertising, where a product is repeatedly paired with positive imagery or music. Over time, the consumer may develop a positive attitude towards the product simply because they have learned to associate it with pleasant feelings. For example, a perfume commercial might pair the fragrance with images of romance and luxury.
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Instrumental Conditioning (Operant Conditioning): This learning occurs when individuals are rewarded or punished for their behavior. Consumers learn to perform behaviors that produce positive outcomes and to avoid those that yield negative outcomes. In the context of marketing, this can be applied through loyalty programs, where repeat purchases are rewarded with discounts or points. For example, if you buy 10 coffees, you get the 11th free.
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Cognitive Learning Theory: This perspective views consumers as complex problem solvers who learn by observing others and forming abstract rules and concepts. For example, a consumer might form a negative attitude towards a brand after reading negative reviews online or hearing about a friend’s bad experience with the brand. This type of learning is often more conscious and deliberate than classical or instrumental conditioning
What factors can influence how attitudes are formed?
Personal Experience: Attitudes formed through direct, personal experience with an attitude object are stronger and more predictive of behavior than those formed indirectly, such as through advertising. For example, a positive experience with a product sample is more likely to lead to a positive attitude and purchase than just seeing an ad.
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Social Roles and Norms: Societal expectations and group dynamics influence attitudes. People are more likely to adopt attitudes and behaviors that are considered acceptable by their social groups.
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Culture: Cultural values, beliefs, and practices shape attitudes. What is considered desirable or undesirable in one culture may be different in another.
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Family: Parents and other family members play a significant role in shaping early attitudes, particularly towards products and brands. These early influences can have long-lasting effects.
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Reference Groups: Individuals often adopt attitudes and behaviors consistent with groups they identify with or aspire to join.
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Media Exposure: Advertising, news, and entertainment media can influence attitudes by shaping perceptions and providing information.
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Personality: Individual personality traits, such as openness to experience or need for cognition, can affect attitude formation.
How can social norms influence consumer attitudes and behaviors?
Social Norms are informal rules that govern what is right or wrong in a particular social context. They can be powerful motivators of behavior and can influence how consumers form and change their attitudes.
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The sources distinguish between two types of social norms:
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Injunctive Norms: These are perceptions of what other people think we should do. For example, an injunctive norm might be that people should recycle their plastic bottles.
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Descriptive Norms: These are perceptions of what other people actually do. For example, a descriptive norm might be that most people in your neighborhood recycle their plastic bottles.
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Marketers can leverage social norms to influence behavior by highlighting the prevalence of a desired action (descriptive norm) or by emphasizing the social approval associated with that action (injunctive norm). For example, a hotel might encourage guests to reuse towels by posting a sign that says “75% of guests in this room reuse their towels.”
