Chapter 6: Consumer Attitude Formation and Change
Cognitive component
consists of a person's knowledge and perceptions of the features of an attitude object - commonly expressed as beliefs; or whether or not the consumer believes that the attitude object possesses specific attributes.
Knowledge function
holds that people form attitudes because they have a strong need to understand the characters of the people, events, and objects they encounter.
Subjective Norm (Subjective, Norm)
what a consumer believes about whether relevant others would react favorably or unfavorably toward given behaviors a person's perception (____) of the typical response (_____)
Conative component
reflects the likelihood that an individual will undertake a specific action or behave in a particular way with regard to the attitude object - treated as an expression of the consumer's intention to buy in consumer research.
Influencing Attitudes w/ Attributes
-Add a new attribute to an existing brand -Change perceived importance of an attribute, Develop totally new products with new features
ATT. CHANGE BEFORE BEHAVIOR
-MULTI-ATTRIBUTE MODEL -BALANCE THEORY (Resolving conflicting attitudes) -FUNCTIONAL APPROACH (changing motivational function) These first three theories deal with the situation when attitude change occurs *before* behavior
Attitude
A learned predisposition to behave in a consistently favorable or unfavorable manner with respect to a given object. Formed before we buy things. ____ is affected by personal experience, family and friends, media, the Internet, and (increasingly) social media Consistent, situation-specific, dynamic (they can change)
Attribution Theory
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 people's behavior. Related to the question we have after a behavior of "Why did I do that?" This process of making inferences about behavior can lead to attitude formation and change.
Balance Theory (Resolving Conflicting Attitudes)
Any conflict or inconsistency in the cognitive system of the individual causes discomfort and the customer will try to resolve the inconsistency. Generally,the easiest path will be chosen. Resolving conflicts in the belief system often leads to changes in beliefs and attitudes.
Attitude change
Attempts to teach consumers about your brand can take the central or the peripheral route to persuasion
3 Multi-attribute Attitude Models (MAAM Models)
Attitude models that examine the composition of consumer attitudes in terms of selected product attributes or beliefs. Just as the name implies, these are models that breakdown overall attitude into the attributes or beliefs which form an overall opinion. 1. Attitude toward the object 2.' '' '' '' '' toward the behavior 3. Theory of reasoned action
ATT. CHANGE AFTER BEHAVIOR
COGNITIVE DISSONANCE THEORY ATTRIBUTION THEORY the last two theories deal with when attitude change happens based on prior behavior.
Altering Consumer Beliefs & Attitudes
Changing attitudes about products and brands is difficult because consumers frequently resist evidence that challenges strongly held attitudes or beliefs and tend to interpret any ambiguous information in ways that reinforce their preexisting attitudes. Marketers may try to change beliefs or perceptions about the brand itself (the most common form of advertising appeal), attempt to alter consumers' overall perceptions of the brand, or change beliefs about competing brands.
Functional Approach
Changing attitudes by appealing to consumers' motivations/reasons or functions behind their attitudes. Attitudes are classified into four functions: the utilitarian function, ego-defensive function, value-expressive function, and knowledge function.
Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM)
Defined based off of two routes to persuasion Effectiveness depends on one's involvement level... -High involvement = central route -Low involvement = peripheral route
Central Route to Persuasion
High-Involvement Information rich Literal Logical "Left-brain" approach Evidence-based Encourages cognitive elaboration
Peripheral Route to Persuasion
Low Involvement Intuitive Holistic Sensory "Right brain" approach Visuals Music Rhyming
Theory of reasoned action
MAAM MODEL: -*Attitude towards the product/brand*, *attitude toward subjective norms*(feelings about what others would think about the action), and *motivation to comply with these norms will determine behavior* (purchase/no purchase) toward the product or brand; Like tri-component model, incorporates the cognitive, affective, and conative components. -Has a greater predictive ability. -People who perceive that 'others' would have a positive attitude toward their personal consumption of an object are more likely to buy that object if they want to comply with those 'others.' -A consumer has beliefs about what others think they should do and also have differing levels of how likely they will follow those beliefs, also known as their motivation to comply with the referents.
Attitude toward behavior model (Behavior)
MAAM MODEL: Attitude toward (XX) with regard to the product or brand, based on beliefs about the product or brand and beliefs about self, will determine (XX) (purchase/no purchase) toward the product or brand. People who have positive attitudes toward their personal consumption of an object are more likely to buy the object.
Attitude toward the object
MAAM MODEL: Attitude toward a product or brand; Based on beliefs about the product or brand; Determines behavior (purchase/no purchase) toward the product or brand. So, our attitude toward a Lexus is determined by the beliefs about Lexus on specfic attributes (comfortable ride, gas mileage, acceleration, etc.) and the importances of those attributes. So if we want to change the attitude toward the Lexus, we have to change the beliefs or the importances of specific attributes. Maintains that a consumer's evaluation of a product is a function of: 1. The extent to which the product has (or lacks) each of a given set of attributes. 2. The importance of each of these attributes to the consumer. Consumers generally have more favorable attitudes toward those brands that they believe have better performance on the attributes that they view as important than other brands.
Implication
Marketers should try to change beliefs gradually over time. Radical changes through extreme messages will most often be rejected by consumers. Gradual changes are more likely to be assimilated into the belief system of the individual.
theory of reasoned action
The ______ model likely has greatest predictive ability.
Tri-component attitude model
The _______ maintains that attitudes consist of three components: -*Cognitive* (KNOWLEDGE/ BELIEFS) -*Affective* (FEELINGS/EMOTIONS) -*Conative* (BEHAVIOR/ACTION TENDENCIES). Marketers, on the other hand, mainly think of the affective or emotional component as being attitude. However, marketers do agree that all the three aspects are connected sequentially Beliefs -> Attitudes -> Action MARKETERS CAN INFLUENCE THE COGNITIVE, AFFECTIVE, OR CONATIVE COMPONENTS IN ORDER TO INFLUENCE BEHAVIOR
Altering Components of the Multiattribute Model
Using Attributes- Changing relative evaluation of attributes, Adding a new attribute, Designing a new product with new attributes Changing Beliefs - Changing brand beliefs, Changing overall brand image; cause related marketing Changing Beliefs about Competitors' Brands; comparative advertising
The Assimilation Contrast Theory
When consumers view a message they either look at it as being close to their own position (assimilation effect) or they look at it as being different from their position (contrast effect). Radical messages are more likely to trigger a contrast effect. Relates to changing beliefs. Marketers have to be careful that they don't use extreme messages to create major changes in beliefs in one step. Consumers are more likely to reject such extreme messages. It is much better to build a brand image gradually over time and change beliefs of consumers more gradually.
Motivation to comply
Willingness to act consistent with the subjective norm Depends on how the consumer feels about the relevant 'others'
Need for cognition
craving information and enjoyment of thinking, affect consumer behavior. When high individuals are likely to form positive attitudes in response to promotions that include a lot of detailed, product-related information, while consumers who are relatively low in this need are more likely to form positive attitudes in response to ads that feature attractive models or celebrities, or other peripheral cues about the products advertised.
Self-perception theory
is the inferences or judgment as to the causes of your behavior. Did something happen, like you won an award, because you were really good, because the competition was weak, or because the judges were rushed? We are constantly examining our behavior and often try to stay consistent. This is considered the foot-in-the-door technique, the fact that if you say yes to something, you will probably say yes to a similar act later on to remain consistent in your behavior.
Value-expressive function
maintains that attitudes reflect consumers' values and beliefs.
Ego-defensive approach
maintains that people form attitudes in order to protect themselves from sensing doubt and to replace uncertainty with feelings of security and confidence
Self-perception attribution
reflects the way people see themselves in the causalities they form about prior behaviors and the attitudes they develop thereafter.
Affective component
represents the consumer's emotions and feelings regarding the attitude object, or evaluations (i.e., the extent to which the individual rates the attitude object as "favorable" or "unfavorable," "good" or "bad").
Utilitarian Approach
stems from the belief that consumers' attitudes reflect the utilities that brands provide. When a product has been useful or enabled us to perform certain tasks in the past, our attitude toward it tends to be favorable.
