Chapter_7

Chapter 7: Attitude is Everything

Topics Covered

• Definition of attitude

• ABC model of attitude

• Hierarchies of effects in attitude

• Attitude toward advertisements

• Process of forming attitudes

• Levels of attitude commitment

• Principle of consistency in attitudes

• Multi-attribute attitude model

Definition of Attitude

• Attitude: A lasting and general evaluation of people, objects, advertisements, or issues.

  • Attitude Object (AO): Refers to anything about which an opinion is formed.

  • Attitudes influence preferences and actions.

ABC Model of Attitudes

• Attitudes are composed of three components:

  • Affect: Emotional responses or feelings toward an attitude object.

  • Behavior: Intentions or actions taken concerning the attitude object.

  • Cognition: Beliefs or thoughts about the attitude object.

Hierarchies of Effects

• The impact of attitude components varies by consumer motivation toward the attitude object.

  Types of Hierarchies:

  • High-Involvement Hierarchy: Strong brand loyalty; requires high consumer involvement.

  • Low-Involvement Hierarchy: Weak brand preferences; consumers make decisions based on simple stimulus-response connections.

  • Experiential/Zajonc’s Hierarchy: Based on hedonic motivations and emotional responses.

Attitude Toward Advertisements

• Consumers can form attitudes toward advertisements, influencing their perception of the product.

  • Aad: An abbreviation for attitude toward the advertisement; formed from:

    • Evaluations of ad execution

    • Mood evoked by the advertisement

    • Arousal effects during ad viewing

Forming Attitudes

• Classical Conditioning: Attitudes are formed through repeated exposure.

• Instrumental Conditioning: Formed through reinforcement (rewards or penalties).

• Modeling: Development of attitudes based on the observation of others.

Attitude Commitment

• The level of commitment to an attitude is associated with involvement:

  • Compliance: Lowest level; attitude adopted for rewards or to avoid punishments.

  • Identification: Mid-level; attitude formed to conform to a group or individual.

  • Internalization: Highest level; deeply ingrained attitudes become part of the individual’s values.

Consistency Principle

• Cognitive Consistency: The desire for harmony between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.

  • Consumers change thoughts or behaviors to restore harmony when inconsistencies arise.

Cognitive Dissonance

• Refers to the psychological discomfort experienced when a person holds conflicting beliefs or behaviors.

  • Example of Dissonance: Knowing smoking is harmful but continuing to smoke.

  • Post-Purchase Dissonance: Consumers may experience regret after choosing between multiple favorable options.

    • Strategies to resolve dissonance:

      • Eliminate some behavior (e.g., stop smoking)

      • Add justifications (e.g., anecdotal evidence)

      • Trivialize conflicting evidence (e.g., questioning research reliability)

Balance Theory

• Focuses on the relations among elements consumers perceive as interconnected:

  • Involves triadic structures:

    • Person

    • Perception of Attitude Object

    • Perception of Other Person/Object

  • Relationships can be positive or negative.

Applications of Balance Theory

• Marketers often employ celebrity endorsers to foster positive brand associations.

• Example: Limited-edition products tailored to fan bases can strengthen positive attitudes toward a brand.

Multi-Attribute Attitude Models

• Complex attitudes towards products can be mapped through multi-attribute models.

• Three key elements:

  • Attributes of the attitude object (e.g., college reputation)

  • Beliefs about the attributes (e.g., academic strength)

  • Importance weights assigned to each attribute (e.g., value placed on academic achievement vs. athletics).

Strategic Applications of Multi-Attribute Model

• Leverage relative advantages of products to influence consumer choices.

• Enhance perceived connections between products and critical attributes.

• Introduce new attributes to highlight unique product benefits.

• Decrease competitors' ratings by emphasizing their weaknesses.

Table 7-1 Example: Narveen's Grocery Store Decision

• Attributes assessed with corresponding beliefs and importance ratings:

  • Low Prices: High belief and importance score

  • Customer Loyalty Card: Moderate belief and importance

  • Fresh Produce: High belief, significant importance

  • Overall attitudes scored based on consumer preferences.