Definition of Consumer Attitudes

Introduction

An attitude describes a person’s relatively consistent evaluations, feelings, and tendencies towards an object or an idea. Attitudes put people into a frame of mind for liking or disliking things and moving toward or away from them. Companies can benefit by researching attitudes towards their products. Understanding attitudes and beliefs is the first step toward changing or reinforcing them. Attitudes are very difficult to change. A person’s attitudes fit into a pattern, and changing one attitude may require making many difficult adjustments. It is easier for a company to create products that are compatible with existing attitudes than to change the attitudes toward their products. There are exceptions, of course, where the high cost of trying to change attitudes may pay off.. We can now appreciate the many individual characteristics and forces influencing consumer behavior. Consumer choice is the result of a complex interplay of cultural, social, personal, and psychological factors. We as marketers cannot influence many of these; however, they help the marketer to better understand Customer’s reactions and behavior.

Attitudes are defined as a mental predisposition to act that is expressed by evaluating a particular entity with some degree of favor or disfavor. The value of attitude in marketing can be explained in terms of its importance in prediction, diagnostic value and also as relatively inexpensive information that is easily obtained.

Models of Attitude

We will now look at the various models of attitudes. But before looking at these models, we have to understand the fact that many a times our attitudes depend on the situations.

Structural models of attitudes: To understand the relationships between attitudes and behavior, psychologists have tried to develop models that capture the underlying dimensions of attitude. To serve this purpose, the focus has been on specifying the composition of an attitude to better explain or predict behavior.

Tri-component Attitude Model

According to the tri-component attitude model, attitude consists of three major components, viz., a cognitive component, an affective component, and a conative component.

The cognitive component: The cognitive component consists of a person’s cognitions, i.e., knowledge and perceptions (about an object). This knowledge and resulting perceptions commonly take the form of beliefs, images, and long-term memories. A utility function representing the weighted product of attributes and criteria would be used to develop the final ranking and thus choice. This model represents the process used by individuals with a strong Thinking Cognitive Style.

The affective component: The affective component of an attitude comprises of the consumers emotions or feelings (toward an object). These emotions or feelings are frequently treated by consumer researchers as primarily evaluative in nature; i.e., they capture an individual’s direct or global assessment of the attitude-object, which might be positive, negative, or mixed reaction consisting of our feelings about an object. Buying of any product or service would be accomplished on the basis of how each product/service makes the decision maker feel. The product that evokes the greatest positive (pleasurable) affective response would thus be ranked first. The affective response may be derived through association (i.e., category attributes) or directly attributed to the interaction between the product or service and the decision maker. It is believed that the manner in which the product/service affirms or disaffirms the self-concept of the decision maker has a strong impact to the decision maker’s affect response to the candidate. This model represents the process used by individuals with a strong Feeling Cognitive Style. Ordering of the three job candidates would be accomplished on the basis of how each candidate makes the decision maker feel. The candidate that evokes the greatest positive (pleasurable) affective response would thus be ranked first. The affective response may be derived through association (i.e., category attributes) or directly attributed to the interaction between the candidate and the decision maker. It is believed that the manner in which the candidate affirms or disaffirms the self-concept of the decision maker has a strong impact to the decision maker’s affect response to the candidate.

The conative component: The conative component is concerned with the likelihood or tendency of certain behavior with regard to the attitude object. It would also mean the predisposition or tendency to act in a certain manner toward an object

Multi-attribute Attitude Models

Multi-attribute attitude models portray consumers’ attitudes with regard to an attitude “object” as a function of consumers’ perceptions and assessment of the key attributes or beliefs held with regard to the particular attitude “objects”. The three models, which are very popular, are: the attitude-toward-object model, the attitude-toward-behavior model, and the theory of reasoned-action model.

Attitude toward object model. The attitude-toward object model is suitable for measuring attitudes towards a product or service category or specific brands. This model says that the consumer’s attitude toward a product or specific brands of a product is a function of the presence or absence and evaluation of certain product-specific beliefs or attributes. In other words, consumers generally have favorable attitudes toward those brands that they believe have an adequate level of attributes that they evaluate as positive, and they have unfavorable attitudes towards those brands they feel do not have an adequate level of desired attributes or have too many negative or undesired attributes.

Attitude towards behavior model: This model is the individual’s attitude toward the object itself. The crux of the attitude-towards-behavior model is that it seems to correspond somewhat more closely to actual behavior than does the attitude-toward-object model. So taking on from liking a BMW, we may say you are not ready to buy/drive one because you believe that you are too young/ old to do so

Theory of reasoned-action-model: This model represents a comprehensive integration of attitude components into a structure that is designed to lead to both better explanations and better predictions of behavior. Similar to the basic tricomponent attitude model, the theory-of-reasoned-action model incorporates a cognitive component, an affective component, and a conative component; however these are arranged in a pattern different from that of the tricomponent model.

To understand intention, in accordance with this model, we also need to measure the subjective norms that influence an individual’s intention to act. A subjective norm can be measured directly by assessing a consumer’s feelings as to what relevant others would think of the action being contemplated; i.e., would they look favorably or unfavorably on the anticipated action?

Theory of Trying to Consume

The theory of trying to consume has been designed to account for the many cases where the action or outcome is not certain, but instead reflects the consumer’s attempts to consume or purchase. In such cases there are often personal impediments and/or environmental impediments that might prevent the desired action or outcome from occurring. Here again, the key point is that in these cases of trying, the outcome is not, and cannot be assumed to be certain. The focus here is the “trying” or seeking part, rather than the outcome (consumption)

Attitude-Towards-the-Ad Models

The gist of this model can be explained by the following: 1) Normally, if you like an ad, you are more likely to purchase the advertised brand. 2) For a new product/brand, an ad has a stronger impact on brand attitude and purchase intention.

Attitude Formation and Change

How are attitudes formed?

We examine attitude formation by dividing into three areas: how attitudes are learned, the sources of influence on attitude formation, and the impact of personality on attitude formation.

How attitudes are learned:

The shift from having no attitude toward a given object to having an attitude is learned. The learning may come from information exposure, consumers’ own cognition (knowledge or belief), or experience.

Consumers may form an attitude before or after a purchase. Sources of influence on attitude formation: personal experience, friends and family, direct marketing, or mass media.

Personality factors: such as high/low need for cognition (information seeking), and social status consciousness

Learning of Attitudes

By formation of attitude, we mean a situation, where there is a shift from having no attitude towards a given object to having some attitude toward it. This shift from no attitude to an attitude or the formation of attitude is a result of learning. Attitudes are generally formed through: · Repeated exposure to novel social objects,

Classical conditioning,

Operant conditioning and

Exposure to live and symbolic models.

Consumers generally purchase new products that are associated with a favorably viewed brand name. Their favorable attitude toward the brand name is frequently the result of repeated satisfaction with other products produced by the same company. In terms of classical conditioning, an established brand name is an unconditioned stimulus that has resulted in a favorable brand attitude through past positive reinforcement. A new product, which is yet to be linked to the established brand, would be the conditioned impulse. For example, by giving a new anti-wrinkle lotion the benefit of its well-known and respected family name, Johnson & Johnson may be counting on an extension of the favorable attitude already associated with the brand name to the new product. They are counting on stimulus generalization from the brand name to the new product. It has been shown by research that the “fit” between a parent brand like in the case of J&J and a brand extension, for instance, J&J’s anti-wrinkle, is a function of two factors: (1) the similarity between the pre-existing product categories already associated with the parent brand and the new extension, and (2) the “fit” or match between the images of the parent brand and the new extension. At times, attitudes follow the purchase and consumption of a product. For example, a consumer may purchase a brand-name product without having a prior attitude towards it, because it is the only product available like the last bottle of shampoo in a hotel store). Consumers sometimes make trial purchases of new brands from product categories in which they have little personal involvement. If they find the purchased brand to be satisfactory, then they are likely to develop a favorable attitude toward it. Life is too complicated to predict what attitudes will persist and which will change but early socialization experiences do shape attitudes.

Sources of Influence on Attitude Formation

The formation of consumer attitudes is strongly influenced by personal experience, the influence of family and friends, direct marketing, and mass media. Attitudes towards goods and services are primarily formed through the consumer’s direct experience

Personality Factors

We know that the personality of each individual is different and it plays a very crucial role in formation of attitude. Say for example, if you have a high need for cognition, i.e., you crave for information and enjoy thinking. Then you are likely to form a positive attitude in response to ads or direct mail that is rich in product related information. On the other hand, your friend Ravi, who is relatively low in need for cognition, is more likely to form positive attitudes in response to ads that feature an attractive model or well-known celebrity.

Attitude Change and Persuasion

Strategies of Attitude Change

Bringing about a change in the consumer attitudes is a very important strategic consideration for us marketing people. When the product or brand is the market leader, the marketers will work at ensuring that their customers continue to patronize their product with the existing positive attitude. Such firms also have to ensure that their existing loyal customers do not succumb to their competitor’s attitude change ploys. But it is the firm whose is not the brand leader, which tries to adopt marketing strategies so as to change the attitudes of the market leaders, customers and win them over. Among the attitude change strategies that are available to them are:

Changing the consumer’s basic motivational function

Associating the product with an admired group or event

Resolving two conflicting attitudes

Altering components of the Multi-attribute model, and

Changing consumer beliefs about competitor’s brands.

Now let us look at each of these strategies in greater details.

Changing the basic motivational function

This strategy calls for changing consumer attitudes towards a product or brand by making a new need prominent. One such method changing motivation is called the functional approach. As per this approach, attitudes can be classified in terms of four functions, viz:

The utilitarian function

The ego defensive function

The value - expressive function

The Knowledge function.

The utilitarian function: A consumer develops a brand attitude because of its utility. In other words; we develop a favorable altitude towards a product because of its utility function. So marketers try to change consumer attitudes in favor of their products or brand by highlighting its utilitarian purpose, which they (the competitors consumers ;) may not have considered.

Ego defensive function: Most individuals want to protect their self-image. They want re-assurance about their self-image from inner feelings or doubts. Firms marketing personal care and cosmetics try to appeal to this need and develop a favorable attitude change towards their products or brands by communicating a re-assurance to the consumers self concept

The value expressive function: A. consumer develops an attitude based on his general value, life style and outlook. If the target consumers hold a positive attitude towards being fashionable, then they will have a positive attitude towards high fashion clothes

The knowledge function: Human nature is such that individuals prefer to know and understand the people and things they are in contact. While product positioning, marketers try to do this and improve the consumers attitude towards their product or brand by highlighting its benefits over competing brands.

Associating the product with an admired group or event

At times attitudes come to be attached to certain groups, social events or causes. So marketers could try strategies whereby their product or service comes to be associated with certain events, social groups or causes.

Resolving two conflicting attitudes

Marketers also try to take advantage of actual or potential conflict between attitudes. At times firms make consumers see that their attitudes towards a brand is in conflict with another attitude, and then they may be inclined to change their evaluation of the brand.

Altering components of the Multi-attribute model

In the earlier lesson we discussed a number of Multi-attribute models, which have implication for attitude change strategies. To be more precise, these models provide us with additional insights as to how to bring about attitudinal change:

Changing the relative evaluation of attributes

Changing brand beliefs

Adding an attribute, and

Changing the overall brand rating

Changing the relative evaluation of attributes

Consumer markets can be segmented in the same product category according to brands that offer different features or beliefs.

Changing brand beliefs

This calls for changing attitudes of consumers by changing beliefs or perceptions about the brand itself.

Adding an attribute

This means either adding an attitude that p previously has been ignored or one that represents an improvement or technological innovation.

Changing the overall brand rating

Altering the consumers overall assessment of the brand directly without attempting to improve or change their evaluation of a single brand attribute. Usually this strategy is used by using some form of global statement like “ this is the largest selling brand

Changing consumer beliefs about competitor’s brands

Usually it is seen that the attitude change agent is a well respected agent authority or peer group. The amount of attitude change is related to the credibility of the source of the message. The major purpose of changing attitudes is to eventually change consumer behavior. Thus an understanding of consumer attitudes towards their product will enable the marketer to adopt suitable strategies and create a positive image or attitude for that matter of their products in the minds of the consumer. Behavior Can Precede or Follow Attitude Formation'

Cognitive Dissonance Theory

According to cognitive dissonance theory, discomfort or dissonance occurs when a consumer holds confusing thoughts about a belief or an attitude object (either before or after the purchase).

Post purchase dissonance occurs after the purchase.

The consumer is not happy with the purchase—so they adjust their attitudes to conform to their behavior. Post purchase dissonance is quite normal. Attitude change is frequently an outcome of an action or behavior. Dissonance propels consumers to reduce the unpleasant feelings created by the rival thoughts.

Tactics that consumers can use to reduce dissonance include reduction

By rationalizing the decision as being wise. By seeking out advertisements that support the original reason for choosing the product. By trying to “sell” friends on the positive features of the brand. By looking to known satisfied owners for reassurance. Marketers can help reduce post purchase uncertainty by aiming specific messages at reinforcing consumer decisions. Beyond these dissonance-reducing tactics, marketers increasingly are developing affinity or relationship programs designed to reward good customers and to build customer loyalty and satisfaction.

Attribution Theory

What does attribution theory say about attitude? Attribution theory attempts to explain how people assign causality to events on the basis of either their own behavior or the behavior of others.

Self-Perception Theory

Self-perception theory addresses individuals’ inferences or judgments as to the cause of their own behavior. In terms of consumer behavior, self-perception theory suggests that attitudes develop as consumers look at and make judgments about their own behavior. Internal and external attributions—attitudes develop as consumers look at and make judgments about their own behavior. These judgments can be divided into internal, external, and defensive attributions. Internal attribution—giving yourself credit for the outcomes— your ability, your skill, or your effort.

External attribution—the purchase was good because of factors beyond your control—luck, etc.

Defensive attribution—consumers are likely to accept credit personally for success, and to credit failure to others or to outside events.

For this reason, it is crucial that marketers offer uniformly high quality products that allow consumers to perceive themselves as the reason for the success; that is, “I am competent.”

Attributions Toward Others

Every time you ask “Why?” about a statement or action of another or “others”—a family member, a friend, a salesperson, a direct marketer, a shipping company— attribution toward others theory is relevant.

Attributions Toward Things

It is in the area of judging product performance that consumers are most likely to form product attributions toward things. Specifically, they want to find out why a product meets or do not meet their expectations. In this regard, they could attribute the product’s successful performance (or failure) to the product itself, to themselves, to other people or situations, or to some combination of these factors.

How we Test our Attributions

We as Individuals acquire conviction about particular observations by acting like “naive scientists,” that is, by collecting additional information in an attempt to confirm (or disconfirm) prior inferences. In collecting such information, we often use the following:

Distinctiveness—The consumer attributes an action to a particular product or person if the action occurs when the product (or person) is present and does not occur in its absence.

Consistency over time—Whenever the person or product is present, the consumer’s inference or reaction must be the same, or nearly so.

Consistency over modality—The inference or reaction must be the same, even when the situation in which it occurs varies.

Consensus—The action is perceived in the same way by other consumers.