Chapter%207%20Attitudes

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Chapter 7Attitudes
By Michael R. Solomon
Consumer Behavior Buying, Having, and Being Sixth
Edition
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The Power of Attitudes

• Attitude
• A lasting, general evaluation of people
  (including oneself), objects, advertisements, or
  issues
• Anything toward which one has an attitude is
  called an object (Ao).
• Attitudes are lasting because they tend to endure
  over time.

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The Functions of Attitudes

• Functional Theory of Attitudes
• Attitudes exist because they serve some function
  for the person (i.e., they are determined by a
  persons motives) (expect to deal with situation
  again form att)
• Katzs Attitude Functions
• Utilitarian function (Pleasure /Pain -)
• Value-expressive function (we form attgtprod what
  it says)
• Ego-defensive function (1950 Housewives and
  instant coffee)
• Knowledge function (need for order, structure,
  new product)
• Marketers emphasize the function a product serves
  for consumers

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Addressing Smoking Attitudes

• This Norwegian ad addresses young peoples
  smoking attitudes by arousing strong negative
  feelings. The ad reads (left panel) Smokers are
  more sociable than others. (Right panel) While
  it lasts.

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The ABC Model of Attitudes

• Three interrelated attitude components
• Affect
• The way a consumer feels about an attitude object
• Behavior
• Involves the persons intentions to do something
  with regard to an attitude object
• Cognition
• The beliefs a consumer has about an attitude
  object
• Hierarchy of Effects
• Relative impact/importance of attitude components
  depends on consumers motivation toward attitude
  object
• A fixed sequence of steps that occur en route to
  an attitude

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Three Hierarchies of Effects
Figure 7.1
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Attitude Hierarchies

• The Standard Learning Hierarchy
• Consumer approaches a product decision as a
  problem-solving process
• The Low-Involvement Hierarchy
• Consumer does not have strong initial preference
• Consumer acts on limited knowledge
• Consumer forms an evaluation only after product
  trial
• Involvement paradox the less important products
  to consumers, the more important the marketing
  stimuli (package)
• The Experiential Hierarchy
• Consumers act on the basis of their emotional
  reactions (Consumers hedonic motivations and
  moods)

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Experiential Hierarchy

• Emotional Contagion
• Emotions expressed by the communicator of a
  marketing message affect the attitude toward the
  product
• Cognitive-Affective Model
• Argues that an affective judgment is the last
  step in a series of cognitive processes
• Independence Hypothesis
• Takes the position that affect and cognition
  involve two separate, independent systems

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Smith and Wollensky

• This ad for New Yorks famous Smith Wollensky
  restaurant emphasizes that marketers and others
  associated with a product or service are often
  more involved with it than are their consumers.

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Discussion

• Contrast the hierarchies of effects outlined in
  this chapter
• How should marketers strategic decisions related
  to the marketing mix change depending upon which
  hierarchy is operative among target consumers?
• Contextual Marketing

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Product Attitudes Dont Tell the Whole Story

• Attitude Toward the Advertisement (Aad)
• A predisposition to respond in a favorable or
  unfavorable manner to a particular advertising
  stimulus during a particular exposure occasion
• Aad attitude toward advertiser evaluations of
  ad execution ad evoked mood ad arousal
  effects on consumer viewing context
• Ads Have Feelings Too
• Three emotional dimensions
• Pleasure, arousal, and intimidation
• Specific types of feelings that can be generated
  by an ad
• Upbeat feelings Amused, delighted, playful
• Warm feelings Affectionate, contemplative/thought
  ful, hopeful
• Negative feelings Critical, defiant/challenging,
  offended

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Forming Attitudes

• Classical conditioning
• Instrumental conditioning
• Cognitive learning/modeling

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Forming Attitudes

• Not All Attitudes are Created Equal
• Levels of Commitment to an Attitude The degree
  of commitment is related to the level of
  involvement with an attitude object
• Compliance (superficial)
• Identification (social consequences)
• Internalization (part of value system)

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Levels of Attitudinal Commitment

• By describing Cadillac as my company, the woman
  in this ad exhibits a high level of attitudinal
  commitment to her employer.

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Forming Attitudes

• The Consistency Principle
• Principle of Cognitive Consistency Consumers
  value harmony among their thoughts, feelings or
  behaviors to be consistent with other experiences
  
• We will change components to make them consistent

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Forming Attitudes (cont.)

• Conflict of attitudes and behavior motivates us
  to reduce dissonance
• We make them fit by eliminating, adding, or
  changing elements
• Explains why evaluations of products increase
  after purchase
• Horse race experiment
• Marketers post-purchase reinforcement

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Self-Perception Theory

• We use observations of our own behavior to
  determine what our attitudes are
• We must have a positive attitude toward a product
  if we freely purchase it, right?
• Low-involvement hierarchy
• Foot-in-the-door technique
• Low-ball technique
• Door-in-the-face technique
• Foot-in-the-door technique
• Sales strategy based on the observation that
  consumers will comply with a request if they have
  first agreed to comply with a smaller request

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Social Judgment Theory

• Social Judgment Theory
• People assimilate new information about Aos
  based on what they already know or feel.
• Initial attitude frame of reference
• Latitudes of acceptance and rejection People
  differ in the information they find acceptable or
  unacceptable.
• Assimilation effect Messages that fall within
  the latitude of acceptance tend to be seen as
  more consistent with ones position than they
  actually are
• Contrast effect Messages falling within the
  latitude of rejection tend to be seen as being
  farther from ones position than they actually
  are
• Choosy mothers choose Jif peanut butter

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Balance Theory

• Triad attitude structures
• Person
• Perception of attitude object
• Perception of other person/object
• Perception can be positive or negative
• Balanced/harmonious triad elements
• Unit relation
• An element is seen as belonging to or being part
  of the other
• Sentiment relation
• Two elements are linked because one has expressed
  a preference for the other
• Marketing Applications of Balance Theory
• Celebrity endorsements

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Alternative Routes to Restoring Balance in a
Triad
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Discussion Question

• Consumer researchers understand that consumers
  like to bask in the reflected glory of
  successful college athletic programs by wearing
  merchandise adorned with logos like the ones on
  the right.
• How do the different attitude theories explain
  this consumer phenomenon?

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Attitude Models

• Attitude Models
• Specify the different elements that might work
  together to influence peoples evaluations of
  Aos
• Multiattribute Models
• Model that assumes a consumers Ao will depend on
  the beliefs he or she has about several
  attributes toward the object
• Multiattribute Models Specify 3 Elements
• Attributes (Scholarly reputation)
• Beliefs (GJU is strong academically)
• Importance Weights (Stressing research
  opportunities over athletics)

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The Fishbein Model

• Most influential multi-attribute model
• Measures 3 components of attitude
• (1) Salient Beliefs
• (2) Object-attribute linkages
• (3) Evaluation
• Assumptions of the Fishbein Model
• Ability to specify all relevant choice attributes
• Identification, weight, and summing of attributes
• Affect referral
• A process by which a consumers overall attitude
  is formed by an overall affective response

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The Fishbein Equation

• The Basic Formula
• Aijk SßijkIik
• Where
• i attribute
• j brand
• k consumer
• I the importance weight given attribute I by
  consumer k
• ß consumer ks belief regarding the extent to
  which brand j possesses attribute I
• A a particular consumers (ks) attitude score
  for brand j
• Overall Attitude Score (consumers rating of
  each attribute for all brands) x (importance
  rating for that attribute)

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The Basic Multiattribute Model
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Strategic Applications of the Multiattribute Model

• Capitalize on Relative Advantage
• Stress the importance of an attribute
• Strengthen Perceived Product/Attribute Linkages
• New and improved campaigns
• Add a New Attribute
• To distinguish oneself from competitors
• Influence Competitors Ratings
• comparative advertising,

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Using Attitudes to Predict Behavior

• In many cases, knowledge of a persons attitude
  is not a very good predictor of behavior
• Questionable link between attitude and behavior
• Consumers love a commercial, but dont buy the
  product
• The Extended Fishbein Model
• Called the Theory of Reasoned Action
• Contains several important additions to the
  original, which improve its ability to predict
  behavior

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The Theory of Reasoned Action

• Intentions Versus Behavior
• Social Pressure
• Subjective Norm (SN)
• Normative Belief (NB) Belief that others believe
  an action should or should not be taken
• Motivation to Comply (MC) Degree to which
  consumers take into account anticipated reactions
• Attitude Toward Buying
• Attitude toward the act of buying (Aact)
• How someone feels about buying due to the
  perceived consequences of a purchase

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Obstacles to Predicting Behavior in the Theory of
Reasoned Action

• Many researchers do not use Fishbein Model
  appropriately
• A few of the many obstacles (full list on pages
  254-255)
• Actual behavior vs. outcomes of behavior
• Outcomes beyond consumers control
• Voluntary vs. nonvoluntary acts across cultures
• Relative impact of SNs vary across cultures

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Cultural Roadblocks to the Theory of Reasoned
Action

• Roadblocks that diminish the universality of the
  theory
• Model was designed to predict voluntary acts
• The relative impact of subject norms varies
  across cultures
• The model assumes that consumers are actively
  thinking ahead and planning behaviors
• A consumer that forms an intention claims that he
  or she is in control of his or her actions

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Trying to Consume

• Theory of Trying to Consume
• States that the criterion of behavior in the
  reasoned action model should be replaced with
  trying to reach a goal
• Sample issues that might be addressed
• Past frequency
• Recency
• Beliefs
• Evaluations of consequences
• The process
• Expectations of success and failure
• Subjective norms toward trying

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Theory of Trying (TT)
Figure 7.3
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Tracking Attitudes over Time

• Attitude-tracking program
• An single-attitude survey is a snapshot in time
• A program allows researchers to analyze attitude
  trends during an extended period of time
• Ongoing Tracking Studies
• Attitude tracking involves administration of a
  survey at regular intervals (e.g. Gallup Poll,
  Yankelovich Monitor)
• This activity is valuable for making strategic
  decisions

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Attitude Changes over Time

• Changes to Look for over Time
• Changes in different age groups
• Attitudes change with age
• Historical effects
• Scenarios about the future
• Consumers tracked in terms of future plans,
  confidence in economy, and so on
• Identification of change agents
• Social phenomena can alter peoples attitudes

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Changing Attitudes
Percentage of 16- to 24-year-olds who agree We
must take radical action to cut down on how we
use our cars.
Figure 7.4
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Homework!

• Construct a multi-attribute model for a set of
• local restaurants
• Universities
• Banks
• Based on your findings, suggest how managers can
  improve an establishments image via the
  strategies described in this chapter