Understanding Attitudes and Decision Processes in Consumer Behavior

This set of flashcards covers key vocabulary terms and concepts related to attitudes, consumer behavior, and decision-making processes.

Utilitarian Function

These are basic attitudes based on the pleasure gained from something and pain avoided.

Value-Expressive Function

Attitudes based on how an object relates to personal values and self-perception.

Ego-Defensive Function

Attitudes that protect self-esteem against insecurities related to identity, such as gender roles.

Knowledge Function

Attitudes that provide structure or meaning based on information received.

Affect

The emotional component of attitudes, relating to feelings about an attitude object.

Cognition

The rational aspect of beliefs, tied to what a person thinks or believes to be true.

High Involvement Products

Products that require significant thought and emotional investment before purchase.

Low Involvement Products

Products purchased with minimal thought, often leading to increased familiarity over time.

Cognitive Dissonance

Psychological conflict experienced when holding conflicting beliefs or attitudes.

Foot-in-the-Door Technique

A persuasion strategy that involves getting a person to agree to a small request first.

Reciprocity

The principle that we are more likely to give if we first receive something.

Scarcity

A principle that suggests we desire things that appear to be in limited supply.

Theory of Reasoned Action

A framework predicting behavior based on beliefs, attitudes, intentions, and actions.

Source Credibility

The perceived expertise and trustworthiness of the source providing information.

Sleeper Effect

A phenomenon where information is remembered but the source is forgotten over time.

Self-Regulation

The ability to control one's own behavior and decisions to achieve personal goals.

Feedback Loop

The process where information about performance impacts future behavior.

Evaluate Alternatives

The process of assessing different options before making a purchase decision.

Time Poverty

The sensation of not having enough time to accomplish tasks and its psychological impact.

Queuing Theory

Mathematical study of wait times in various contexts, like traffic and service lines.