Consumer Behavior: A FrameworkJohn C. Mowen & Michael Minor

Chapter 7:Consumer Belief, Attitude, & Behavior Formation and Change

Key Concepts Beliefs, attitudes, &

behavioral intentions

Attributes Direct formation of

beliefs, etc. Hierarchies of

effects The attitude-

toward-the-object model

The behavioral intentions model

The elaboration likelihood model

Balance theory Attitude toward ads Behavioral

influence techniques of persuasion

Consumer Beliefs About Product Attributes

Beliefs 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 object

Additional Info on Attributes

A halo effect occurs when consumers assume that because a product is good or bad on one product characteristic it is also good or bad on another product characteristic.

Attribute importance A person’s assessment of

the significance of an attribute.

Influenced by amount of attention directed to the feature.

A person’s self-concept, advertising, and the salience of the attribute can influence the attention focused on the feature.

Consumer Attitudes

Attitude is the amount of affect or feeling for or against a stimulus

Attitudes are stored in long-term memory

Beliefs are the cognitive knowledge about an

object

In high involvement situations, beliefs predict

attitudes.

The Functions of Attitudes

Utilitarian Function: use to obtain rewards and avoid punishments.

Ego-Defensive Function: self-protection, e.g., smokers

Knowledge Function: simplifies decisions, e.g., brand loyalty

Value-Expressive Function: express identify to others. e.g., t-shirts.

Behaviors & Intentions to Behave

Consumer behaviors consist of all the actions taken by consumers related to acquiring, disposing, and using products and services

Behavioral intentions may be defined as the intentions of consumers to behave.

Usually measured on 7 or 9 point scale: low likelihood of performing behavior to high likelihood.

Beliefs, Attitudes, and Behaviors May Be Formed in Two Ways:

Direct formation is when a belief, attitude, or behavior is created without either of the other states occurring first.

Hierarchy of effects occurs after a belief, attitude, or behavior is formed directly, there is a tendency for the states to build upon each other to create hierarchies

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 Directly Classical conditioning/associative

learning--positive affect is attached to object

Mere 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 Behavior Strong 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 Behaviors

Decision-Making Hierarchies

Experiential Hierarchy

Behavioral Influence Hierarchy

Decision making hierarchies High involvement: beliefs

attitudes behavior Low involvement: beliefs behavior

attitudes Experiential

Affect behavior beliefs Behavioral influence hierarchy

Behavior beliefs affect

Predicting Consumer Attitudes

Multiattribute 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.

Attitude-Toward-The-Object Model

Identifies three major factors that are predictive of attitudes:

Salient Beliefs

Strength of the Belief

Evaluation

A beo i i

i

n

1

Measurement issues bi: 1 = low probability that object

possesses attribute. 9=high likelihood.

ei: -3 = negative evaluation of attribute. +3 = positive evaluation of attribute.

Fishbein Attitude Toward Object Model: which college will be chosen by

Student Y?Ao = Sum (Bi x Ei)

Attribute Ivy State U Local U Ei Bi Bi Bi

High Price -2 9 -18 2 -4 5 -10Good Job 3 8 24 6 18 3 9Easy entry -1 1 -3 4 -4 8 -1Learn a lot 2 9 18 7 14 4 8 21 24 -1

University/College

Global Attitude Measure:Direct measure of overall affect and feelings regarding object.

Use multiple scales to measureBad 1 2 3 4 5 GoodNegative 1 2 3 4 5 PositiveDislike 1 2 3 4 5 LikeCompare results of global measure to results of Attitude-toward-the-object measure.

The Behavioral Intentions Model . . .

. . . was developed by Fishbein and his colleagues to improve on the ability of the attitude-toward-the-object model to predict consumer behavior

Included subjective norms: how other people feel about the behavior.

Assesses the consumer’s attitude toward the overt behavior of purchasing the product rather than toward the object itself. Use consequences of the behavior rather than attributes of object.

When Do Attitudes Predict Behavior?

When consumer involvement is high. measurement must at proper level of abstraction.

Cannot predict whether someone will go to church on Sunday by asking them about overall attitude toward church.

Must consider subjective norms Situational factors Other brands/objects Attitude strength Mere measurement effect: just asking intention to

buy increases likelihood of buying. When measured close in hierarchy to behavior.

Surface traits are much like global attitude measures.

Persuasion . . . Persuasion is the explicit

attempt to influence beliefs, attitudes, and/or behaviors.

Communication is defined broadly to include all aspects of the message, including the source of the message, the type of message given, and through what channel it moved (e.g., television, radio, or print media)

The Elaboration Likelihood Model: a decision making approach to persuasion

. . . is an approach to understanding the persuasion process which illustrates the decision-making path to belief, attitude, and behavior change

Central Peripheral Routes to Persuasion

Belief and Attitude Change May Take One of Two Routes The Central Route to persuasion is

when the consumer has high-involvement information processing

The Peripheral Route to persuasion is when the consumer has low-involvement information processing

The Central Route to Persuasion Moves through the high involvement

hierarchy. The consumer attends more carefully to the

message being received and compares it to his or her own attitudinal position.

Likely to generate a number of cognitive responses to the communication

Central Cues refer to ideas and supporting data that bear directly upon the quality of the arguments developed in the message

The Peripheral Route to Persuasion

Consumer moves through the low involvement hierarchy.

Cognitive responses are much less likely to occur, because the consumer is not carefully considering the pros and cons of the issue.

Peripheral persuasion cues include such factors as the attractiveness and expertise of the source, the mere number of the arguments presented, and the positive or negative stimuli that form the context within which the message was presented (e.g., pleasant music, source attractiveness, source trustworthiness, etc.)

Truth effect. Repeat something often enough, people will come to believe it.

Individual Differences in Route to Persuasion: the Need for Cognition

High

Low

Low High Need for cognition

Strong arguments

Weak arguments

AttitudeToward Ad

Multiattribute Models and the Decision-Making Path A-T-O model:

Change the perceived evaluation of an attribute

Change the belief that an object has a particular attribute

add an attribute

Behavioral Intentions Model: Influence consumer perceptions of the

consequences of a behavior. Influence perceptions of normative influence

Experiential Path to Attitude Change

Balance Theory Attitudes Toward the

Advertisement

Balance Theory . . . Balance Theory . . .

. . . proposes that people have a . . . proposes that people have a preference to maintain a preference to maintain a balanced state among the balanced state among the cognitive elements if these cognitive elements if these elements are perceived as elements are perceived as forming a systemforming a system

…….basic rule: multiplication of .basic rule: multiplication of the signs of the relations must the signs of the relations must come out with a positive sign.come out with a positive sign.

Person

Endorser

Product

++ Unit connection

?? to +

SentimentConnection

SentimentConnection

Sentiment connection: feeling toward evaluative objectsUnit connection: psychological linkage between two

evaluative objects. Enhance by increasing the association via attribution and Gestalt principles.

Attitudes Toward the Advertisement . . .

. . . are a consumer’s general liking or disliking for a particular advertising stimulus during a particular advertising exposure. Will influence attitude toward brand.

Measurement: like a global attitude.

The Behavioral Influence Route to Behavior Change

The ecological design of buildings and spaces can strongly affect the behavior of people without them being aware of the influence

Strong reinforcers or punishers in the environment can induce people to take actions that they would prefer to avoid.

Behavioral influence techniques employ strong norms to influence behavior directly.

Behavioral Influence Techniques:

Ingratiation. . . refers to self-serving tactics engaged in by one person to make himself or herself more attractive to another.*Similarity *conforming to wishes*offering gifts *express liking*ask advice

Additional Behavioral Influence Tactics Foot in the door: small request and

then large request. Uses self-perception and self-consistency.

Door in the face: large request and then small request. Uses the norm of reciprocity.

even a penny will help. Based upon desire to present self positively to others.

Ethical issues?? Never, ever lie to consumers.

Some Managerial Implications

Positioning/differentiation: position brands based upon key attributes.

Environmental analysis: assess and manipulate environment to implement behavioral influence approach.

Market research: employ to identify salient attributes and key benefits, measure attitudes, and predict behavioral intentions

Marketing mix: identify benefits sought by consumers and develop products to provide them. Develop promotions to communicate to consumers key attributes, to influence beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors.

Segmentation: Employ benefit segmentation by identifying target markets desiring specific product benefits.