consumer behavior chapter 8

8.1 attitude

is a lasting, general evaluation of people (including oneself), objects, advertisements, or issues.

8.4 principle of cognitive consistency

we value harmony among our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, and a need to maintain uniformity among these elements motivates us. This desire means that, if necessary, we change our thoughts, feelings, or behaviors to make them consistent with other experiences.

8.1 Utilitarian function—The utilitarian function relates to the basic principles of reward and punishment we learned about in Chapter 4. We develop some attitudes toward products simply because they provide pleasure or pai

—The utilitarian function relates to the basic principles of reward and punishment. We develop some attitudes toward products simply because they provide pleasure or pain.

8.1 Value-expressive function

Attitudes that perform a value-expressive function relate to the consumer's self-concept or central values. A person forms a product attitude in this case because of what the product says about him or her as a person.

8.1 Ego-defensive function

Attitudes we form to protect ourselves either from external threats or internal feelings perform an ego-defensive function. An early marketing study showed that housewives resisted the use of instant coffee because it threatened their conception of themselves as capable homemakers

8.4 postpurchase dissonance.

Bettors evaluated their chosen horse more highly and were more confident of its success after they placed a bet than before. Because the bettor financially commits to the choice, he or she reduces dissonance by elevating the attractiveness of the chosen alternative relative to the nonchosen ones

8.4 latitudes of acceptance and rejection

One important aspect of the theory is that people differ in terms of the information they will find acceptable or unacceptable. They form around an attitude standard. They will consider and evaluate ideas falling within the latitude favorably, but they are more likely to reject out of hand those that fall outside of this zone.

8.4 foot-in-the-door technique

They know that consumers are more likely to comply with a big request if they agree to a smaller one first.17 The name for this technique comes from the old practice of door-to-door selling; salespeople learn to plant their foot in a door so the prospect doesn't slam it on them.

8.1 attitude object (Ao)

We call anything toward which one has an attitude an attitude object (Ao).

8.1 Knowledge function

We form some attitudes because we need order, structure, or meaning. A knowledge function applies when a person is in an ambiguous situation ("it's OK to wear casual pants to work, but only on Friday") or when he or she confronts a new product (e.g., "Bayer wants you to know about pain relievers").

8.4 How do we reduce dissonance?

When we eliminate, add or , change elements.

8.4 Social judgment theory

also assumes that people assimilate new information about attitude objects in light of what they already know or feel.

8.1 Psychologist Daniel Katz developed the functional theory of attitude

explain how attitudes facilitate social behavior.

8.4 Balance theory

how people perceive relations among different attitude objects, and how they alter their attitudes so that these remain consistent

8.4 Self-perception theory

provides an alternative explanation of dissonance effects.16 It assumes that we observe our own behavior to determine just what our attitudes are, much as we assume that we know what another person's attitude is when we watch what he does.