Consumer Attitude Formation and Change

1. Consumer Attitude Formation and Change Consumer Behaviour MKT9117M 4. Lecture

2. Overview • Define attitude and its role in consumer behaviour • Summarise the ABC model of attitudes and its applications • Discuss the structures of multi-attribute models and their use in altering consumers’ attitudes • Understand how to alter consumers’ attitudes by making particular needs prominent

3. Consumer Behaviour Figure: Consumer Behaviour model (Mothersbaughand Hawkins, 2016)

4. Attitude A predisposition to evaluate an object or product positively or negatively. (Solomon et al., 2016) A learned tendency to respond to an object in a consistently favourable or unfavourable way. (Onkvisit and Shaw, 1994)

5. Attitude The attitude “object”, in other words we must define the object Attitudes are a learned predisposition Attitudes are consistent with behavior Attitudes occur within a situation

6. Attitude formation Image: https://www.kitkat.co.uk/content/content/img/range/4-finger-1.png?cb=20170126150000http://media3.s-nbcnews.com/j/msnbc/components/video/201607/a_ov_rnc_trump_mashup_160722__872382.nbcnews-ux-1080-600.jpg • Consumers learn attitudes • Sources of attitude formation • Experience • Family and friends • Media/Internet/Social Media • Role of personality factors • Need for cognition • Innovativeness Image: http://media3.s-nbcnews.com/j/msnbc/components/video/201607/a_ov_rnc_trump_mashup_160722__872382.nbcnews-ux-1080-600.jpg

7. Attitude formation Image: https://celebrityalchemy.files.wordpress.com/2014/06/2-montre-tag-heuer-carrera-1887-leonardo-dicaprio1.jpg • Attitudes can form in different ways, depending on the particular hierarchy of effects in operation • They can occur via: • Classical conditioning • Instrumental conditioning • Complex cognitive process

8. Level of commitment • Consumers vary in their commitment to an attitude; the degree of commitment is related to their level of involvement with the attitude object • Compliance – formed to gain reward or avoid punishment • Identification – formed to be similar to others • Internalisation– has to become part of a person’s value system (hard to change once formed)

9. Structural models of attitudes ABC Model/ Tri-component Attitude Model Multi-attribute Attitude Model Theory of Reasoned Action Theory of Planned Behaviour Attitude-Toward-the-Ad Model

10. ABCmodel of attitudes Cognition • The model emphasises the interrelationships between knowing, feeling and doing. Figure: Schiffmannand Kanuk (2015)

11. ABCmodel of attitudes – hierarchies of effects • The standard learning hierarchy(Think →Feel→Do)This is a problem-solving process. Beliefs lead to feelings, which in turn influence behaviour. • The low-involvement hierarchy (Do→Feel→Think)Based on good or bad experiences. Beliefs directly influence behaviour, which in turn generates feelings. • The experiential hierarchy (Feel→ Do →Think)An emotional response. Feelings lead to behaviour, which in turn generates beliefs.

12. ABCmodel of attitudes – hierarchies of effects Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fnl72-urvCg

13. Affect (Feelings) A consumer’s emotions or feelings about the attitude object (particular product or brand) ABCmodel of attitudes Components

14. Affect (Feelings) Classical Conditioning Affect towards the Ad or Website Mere exposure Attitude change strategies Components Image: https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/29/44/55/294455cccc8971a785413591adcc77c4.jpg

15. ABCmodel of attitudes Behaviour The likelihood or tendency that an individual will undertake a specific action or behave in a particular way with regard to the attitude object Components

16. The consistency principle According to the principle of cognitive consistency, consumers’ value harmony among their thoughts, feelings and behaviours and they are motivated to maintain uniformity among these elements. People will change to remain consistent with prior experiences. The theory of cognitive dissonance states that: • When a person is confronted with inconsistencies among attitudes or behaviours, he or she will take some action to resolve this ‘dissonance’, perhaps by changing an attitude or modifying behaviour. • People seek to reduce dissonant behaviour or feelings. This can be done by eliminating, adding or changing elements.

17. Cognitive (Beliefs) The knowledge and perceptions that are acquired by a combination of direct experience with the attitude object and related information from various sources ABCmodel of attitudes Components

18. Cognition (Beliefs) Change beliefs Shift importance Add beliefs Change ideal Attitude change strategies Components Image: http://d2td6mzj4f4e1e.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2014/10/NEW-Quaker-TV-Campaign-20141.jpg

19. Multi-attribute attitude models Attitude models that examine the composition of consumer attitudes in terms of selected product attributes or beliefs. Basic multi-attribute models specify three elements: (a) Attributes - Characteristics of the attitude object (b) Beliefs - Cognitions about the specific attitude object (c) Importance weights - Reflect the priority consumers place on the object

20. Multi-attribute attitude models The attitude-toward-object model Attitude is function of the presence of certain beliefs or attributes. Used to change attitudes Ways: Add an attribute Change perceived importance of an attribute Develop new products Types Image: Schiffmannand Kanuk (2015)

21. Attitudes towards objects Attitude is proportional to: • Belief about each attribute • Weighted for importance of each attribute A =a X b A = Attitude towards an object a = Evaluation of each attribute b = Strength of belief that the object has each attribute

22. Multi-attribute procedure example • List 5 Attributes for a trainer (shoe):1: Shock absorbent2: Durable3:4:5: • Give each a value on a 1 - 5 scale1 if very unimportant3 if neutral5 if very important • Estimate the rating of the competing brands:1 if very poor3 if neutral5 if very good Nike Air Max vs Adidas Corduroy

24. Multi-attribute attitude models The attitude-toward-behaviour model Is the attitude toward behaving or acting with respect to an object, rather than the attitude toward the object itself Corresponds closely to actual behaviour Types

25. Attitude-toward-behaviour modelbehavioural intentions A =  aX b A = Intention a = Attitude towards performing the behaviour b = Belief that consequence will result

26. Multi-attribute attitude models Theory-of-reasoned-action model Includes cognitive (think), affective (feel), and conative (do) components Includes subjective norms in addition to attitude Types

27. Theory of reasoned action Firgure: Schiffmannand Kanuk (2015)

28. Theory of reasoned action Firgure: http://amactraining.co.uk/resources/handy-information/free-learning-material/models-and-theories-of-health-behaviour-change-index/models-and-theories-of-health-behaviour-4/

29. Theory of planned behaviour • Extension of TRA • Consumers modify their behaviour according to experience • Past behaviour helps predict future outcomes • Attitudes to behaviour correlate with actual behaviour more closely than does attitude towards the object Figure: https://seelio.com/w/1fqn/persuasive-theory-research-paper-theory-of-planned-behavior

30. Attitude-toward-the-ad model A model that proposes that a consumer forms various feelings (affects) and judgments (cognitions) as the result of exposure to an advertisement, which, in turn, affect the consumer’s attitude toward the ad and attitude toward the brand.

31. Attitude-toward-the-ad model Figure: Schiffmannand Kanuk (2015)

32. Elaboration likelihood model • Central Route • Peripheral Route • High involvement • Considered thought and cognitive processing • Learning through • Attribute-based information • High quality arguments • Exertion of effort to learn, comprehend, evaluate • Comparative ads • Objective knowledge • Low involvement • Little thought and little information processing • Learning through • Repetition • Passive processing of visual cues • Holistic processing • Non-comparative ads • Subjective knowledge

33. Strategies of attitude change Changing the basic motivational function Associating the product with an admired group or event Resolving two conflicting attitudes Altering components of the multi-attribute model Changing beliefs about competitors’ brands

34. Summary • Tri-component model – underlying concept for other models • Models attempt to understand the relationships between attitude and behaviour • Attitude change and formation are both learned, they are both influenced by personal experience and personality

35. Pause for thought “The biggest risk is not taking any risk ... In a world that is changing really quickly, the only strategy that is guaranteed to fail is not taking risks.” (Mark Zuckerberg)