CONSUMER BEHAVIORBeliefs and Attitudes

Learning ConceptsTypes of AttitudeRelationship between attitude, behavior, cognition, affect and objectConsumer beliefs & marketing implicationsUnderstanding attitude thru attitude modelsTri-component attitude modelMulti-attribute attitude modelFishbein modelBehavior-Intention modelAttitude-toward-an-ad-model

Consumer Beliefs About Product AttributesBeliefs result from cognitive learning.Beliefs are the knowledge and inferences that a consumer has about objects, their attributes, and their benefits provided.Objects are the products, people, companies, and things about which people hold beliefs and attitudes.Benefits are the positive outcomes that attributes provide to the consumer.Attributes are the characteristics of an objectIntrinsic attributesExtrinsic attributes

Beliefs, Attitudes, and BehaviorsThree types of beliefs:Object-attribute beliefAttribute-benefit beliefsObject-benefit beliefs

Forming Beliefs among Objects, Attributes, and BenefitsAttributeBenefitObjectAttribute benefit beliefObject attribute beliefObject Benefit Belief

Consumer Beliefs and Managerial ImplicationsConsumers product-attribute beliefs may not match the reality.Halo effect is a source of consumer misperception. When consumers perceive that one product is good or bad on one attribute, they assume that it is also good or bad on another attributePositioning, differentiation, and segmentation strategies can be based on brands attributesAnalysis of attributes and benefits also affect promotion strategiesConsumers with knowledge process information differently from novices. Managers should carefully determine the expertise of their target market before they decide to advertise a brand by presenting attribute information, benefit attribution, or a combination of the two.

Consumers general assessment of the significance of an attribute for products or services of a certain typeAttribute importance is directly influenced by the amount of attention consumers pay to specific attributesFour elements determine the amount of attention directed to an attribute:Characteristics of message recipient: Consumers needs and valuesConsumers self-conceptCharacteristics of the message:Making an ad that pertains to one product attribute highly concrete and vivid may direct consumers attention to that attribute and enhance perceived importance.Attribute Importance

Attribute ImportanceFactors that influence response-opportunity of recipients determine the extent to which a person must possess information about the attribute. Response opportunity is increased when information about the attribute is repeated and when consumer is not distracted from processing information about the attributeThe characteristics of the product.IPerceived QualityResearch indicates that a new attribute increases the perceived quality for a low quality brand more so than for a high quality brandii.Irrelevant attribute can raise consumers evaluation of the brand if the attribute is unique to the brand.

Price as an AttributePrice is one of the most important attributes evaluated by the consumer.Product price can have either positive or negative influence on consumers.Researchers have identified seven dimensions of price attribute, five negative and two positive:Negative Dimensions:Value conscious the extent to which consumers are concerned with ratio of product quality to price.Price conscious the extent to which consumers focus exclusively on paying low pricesCoupon Prone the extent to which consumers respond to a purchase offer that includes a couponSale prone - the extent to which consumers respond to a purchase offer that includes a temporary reduction in price Price mavens - the extent to which consumers become sources of information to others about pricesPositive DimensionsPrice quality relationshipPrestige Sensitivity - the extent to which consumers form favorable perceptions of the price attribute based on their sensitivity to other consumers perceptions of the status signaled by higher prices

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

What are Attitudes?The attitude is directed at an objectAttitudes are a learned predispositionAttitudes have consistencyAttitudes occur within a situation

A Simple Representation of the Tri-component Attitude ModelConationAffectCognition

The Tri-component ModelCognitive ComponentThe knowledge and perceptions that are acquired by a combination of direct experience with the attitude object and related information from various sources.Affective ComponentA consumers emotions or feelings about a particular product or brand.Conative ComponentThe likelihood or tendency that an individual will undertake a specific action or behave in a particular way with regard to the attitude object.

Four Basic Attitude FunctionsThe Utilitarian FunctionThe Ego-defensive FunctionThe Value-expressive FunctionThe Knowledge Function

Functions of attitudesThe Utilitarian FunctionPeople express feelings to maximize the rewards and minimize punishment they receive from others. Attitude guides behavior to gain positive reinforcement and avoid punishers. Some attitude towards product is developed on the basis whether these products provide pleasure or pain. Ads that stress straight forward product benefit ( Drink, Diet Coke just for the taste of it) appeal to utilitarian function

Clorox Uses A Utilitarian Appeal

Functions of AttitudeThe Ego Defensive Function: (self esteem function) To protect people from basic truths about themselves or from harsh realities of life. Smokers who hold positive attitude toward products that promise to help a man project macho image (e.g. Marlboro) may be appealing to insecurities about their own masculinity.

Suave Uses Ego Defensive Appeal

Functions of Attitudes The Knowledge FunctionSome attitudes are the result of a need for order, structure, or meaning. Through this function peoples attitude form a frame of reference by which they interpret the world. The knowledge function helps to explain some of the effects of Brand loyalty . (Bayer wants you to know about pain relievers)

A Knowledge Appeal

Functions of AttitudesThe Value Expressive FunctionRefers to how people express their central values to others. This is also called social identity function. The expression of attitudes may help an individual define his or her self concept to others. Highly relevant to life style analyses where consumers cultivate a cluster of activities, interests and opinions to express a particular identity. What sort of a man reads playboy?

AC Delco Uses a Value-Expressive Appeal

Two different value expressive appeals

Direct Formation of Beliefs, Attitudes, & Behaviors Direct belief formation corresponds to the decision-making perspective and cognitive learning.The direct formation of attitudes is linked to the experiential perspective.The direct formation of behavior is linked to the behavioral influence perspective. (Operant conditioning and modeling)

Forming Attitudes DirectlyClassical conditioning/associative learning--positive affect is attached to objectMere exposure--frequent exposure to stimulus increases liking for it. Derived from Butterfly effect.Moods--mood at the time of exposure to object influences feelings about object.

Directly Forming BehaviorStrong environmental forces can directly influence behavior, such as from the design of the physical environment.Operant conditioning can influence behavior without the formation of beliefs or attitudes.

Hierarchies of Beliefs, Attitudes, and BehaviorsDecision-Making Hierarchies

Experiential Hierarchy

Behavioral Influence Hierarchy

Hierarchies of Beliefs, Attitudes, And BehaviorHigh Involvement Standard Learning HierarchyBeliefs Affect Behavior

Low Involvement hierarchy Beliefs Behavior Affect

Experiential/ impulseExperiential hierarchy Zajoncs ModelAffect Behavior Belief

Behavioral Influence Behavior Belief - AffectHierarchyBehavior -Feel- Belief

Promotional Strategies based on the type of consumer purchase process

Buying processPossible promotional StrategiesHigh involvementEmphasize developing product attribute and product benefit beliefs through cognitive learning procedures. Can stress print advertisement and personnel selling. Help create affect through product demonstration and advertising using classical conditioningLow involvementEmphasize developing product-attribute beliefs through repetition of simple messages. Tie point of purchase displays to advertising. Place product displays in high traffic areasExperientialEmphasize the fun and feelings that can be obtained by experiencing the product or services. Emphasize creating affect through classical conditioning of positive feelings towards the productBehavioral influenceUse sales promotion techniques, such as sweepstakes, rebates, samples or coupons

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

Multi-attribute Attitude ModelsThe attitude-toward-object modelAttitude is a function of evaluation of product-specific beliefs and evaluationsThe attitude-toward-behavior modelThe attitude toward behaving or acting with respect to an object, rather than the attitude toward the object itself Theory-of-reasoned-action model/ Behavior intention modelA comprehensive, integrative model of attitudes

Predicting Consumer AttitudesMulti-attribute models identify how consumers in high-involvement situations (i.e. standard hierarchy of effects) combine their beliefs about product attributes to form attitudes about various brand alternatives, corporations, or other objects.

The Fishbein Attitude-toward the Object ModelThe model has three components of attitude:Salient beliefs people have about an object (Ao). Usually consists of the attributes that are important to the consumer.Object attribute linkages or the probability that a particular object has an important attribute.This is assessed by asking consumers questions like, How likely is it that this university has high academic reputation:Extremely unlikely 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Extremely likelyHow likely is it that this university has good library resourcesExtremely unlikely 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Extremely LikelyEvaluation of each attribute. The evaluation rating provides an assessment of the liking or disliking of the salient attributei.How bad/ good is it for a university to have high academic reputationVery bad -3 -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3 Very goodHow bad/ good it is for the university to have library resourcesii.Very bad -3 -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3 Very goodA o =

Fishbein Model A 0 = the overall attitude toward an objectbi = the strength of the belief concerning whether object o has some particular attributeei = Evaluation of liking or disliking of attributeN = the number of beliefs

University A University BATTRIBUTEeibibi x eibibi x eiAcademic reputation+3618824Proximity to home+ 110102+2Cost-22-48-16Library facilities+2714918Score3828

Model LimitationsConsumption situations could vary, and this will influence the strength of the attitudebehavior relationship. Evidence suggests that consumers attitudes toward a given brand can actually vary depending on situationsTime usually elapses between when consumers form attitudes and when they are ready to act on those attitudes. During that time, many variables, both expected and unexpected, can intervene to also influence behaviorA distinction must be made between attitude towards object and attitude towards behaving in a certain way toward those objects. The consumers attitude towards some type of behavior is influenced by his evaluation of the perceived consequences (positive and negative) of taking such actions. Therefore, those attitudes are more relevant for predicting consumers actionConsumers are often influenced by their perceptions of what others will think of their actions. Therefore, even though a consumer may have a favorable attitude towards making some purchase, he may refrain from doing so because of his perception that others who are important to him may not approve of his action

Fishbein Behavioral Intentions ModelPersons behavior is a function of his intentions to behave in a certain manner and other intervening variablesTwo factors are seen to influence the persons intention to act in a certain manner:Attitude towards the objectSubjective norms which are the individuals perceptions of how others who are important to him will react to such behaviorSubjective norms are determined by the consumers beliefs about the reactions of others regarding the intended behavior, and motivations to comply with their standards for behaviorThis relationship is expressed in the equation as:B approximately = BI = w 1 (A B) + w2 ( SN)Where B = the persons actual behavior, which is approximately equal to BIBI = his intentions to behave in in a specific mannerA B = his attitude towards the objectSN = subjective norms regarding this behavior W 1 , W 2 = weights representing the relative influence of A B and SN respectively, on the behavioral intention

Behavioral Intention ModelA B = Where AB = the individuals overall attitude towards the objectbi = The persons belief that performing that behavior results in consequences ie i = Persons Evaluation of consequences in = the number of relevant behavioral beliefsSN =

SN = The individuals subjective normsbi = the normative belief that reference group or person I thinks he should or should not perform the behaviormi = his motivation to comply with the thoughts of the referent i

Salient beliefs about the objectEvaluationAttitude towards the ObjectBeliefs about the perception of othersMotivation to complySubjective norms about behaviorBehavioral intentionIntervening variablesBehaviorRelationship between components of behavioral intentions model

Figure 8.4 A Simplified Version of the Theory of Reasoned Action

Part 1 Behavioral intention Model

University AUniversity BAttributeeibiei xbib iei xbiAcademic reputation+36+188+24Proximity to home+110+102+2Cost-22-48-16Library facilities+2714918Score3828

Part 2: Behavioral Intention ModelIdentify the salient referentsMy salient referent thinks that:I should not -1 -2 -3 0 +1 +2 +3 Should Motivation to comply withHow much do you want to do what your salient referent thinks you should do - Not at all ( 0)Slightly( +1)Moderately( +2)Strongly(+3)

Calculation of Subjective Norms

normative belief Product ( bi mi) strength( bi)ReferentsAB(mi)ABFather-1+2+2-2+4 SchoolPrincipal+1+3+2+2+6Friend+3+1+2+6+2Professional+1+3+3+3+9+9+21Wi = .4 University A = .4(38) + .6 (+9) = 20.6 W2 = .6 University B = .4(28) +.6(21) = 23.8

Attitude-Toward-the-Ad ModelA 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.

A Conception of the Relationship among Elements in an Attitude-Toward-the-Ad ModelExposure to an AdJudgments about the Ad (Cognition)Beliefs about the BrandAttitude toward the BrandAttitude toward the AdFeelings from the Ad (Affect)