ATTITUDE

Consumer Behavior
Sem 2, 2023-2024

Adapted from Hoyer W. D., MacInnis D. J. and Pieters R. (2018), Consumer Behavior, 7th ed., Cengage Learning.
Learning objectives
1. Discuss how marketers can apply various cognitive models to understand
consumers’ attitudes based on high-effort thought processes

2. Describe some of the methods for using the communication source and the
message to favorably influence consumers’ attitudes in high-effort situations

3. Identify the emotional foundations of attitudes when consumers' processing

effort is high
Learning objectives
4. Explain how and why a company might try to change consumers’ attitudes
by influencing their feelings

5. Discuss the various elements that can affect whether a consumer’s attitudes
will influence his or her behavior
Nếu người ta đã nghĩ họ đúng
Điều mình nói đúng cũng thành sai
Nếu người ta đã không cần nữa
Mình làm gì thì cũng không phải
In the previous chapter, you’ve learned that marketers want consumers to
be exposed to and to comprehend their marketing messages.

They also want consumers’ responses to be positive rather than negative.

Attitude
 Relatively global and enduring evaluation of an object, issue, person, or
action based on the set of associations linked to it.

 Influences thoughts, feelings, and behavior

• Cognitive function

• Affective function

• Connative function
Quester P., Pettigrew S., Rao Hill S., Kopanidis F., Hawkins D. I. 2014, Consumer Behaviour - Implications for Marketing Strategy,
McGraw-Hill Education.
 What are your beliefs of Coke Zero?

• No kilojoules
• Contains caffeine
• Is competitively priced
• Is made by a large company
…

The total configuration of beliefs represents

the cognitive component of an attitude
towards Coke Zero.
How about your feelings?

• I do not like Coke Zero because

it is overpriced.
• Coke Zero is terrible as it tastes
artificial.

Most beliefs about a product have

associated affective reactions or
evaluations.
 How market strategy can affect behavior

Quester P., Pettigrew S., Rao Hill S., Kopanidis F., Hawkins D. I. 2014, Consumer Behaviour - Implications for Marketing Strategy,
McGraw-Hill Education.
Characteristics of attitudes

Favorability Accessibility Confidence

Persistence Resistance Ambivalence

Approaches to attitude formation and change
Cognitive foundation of attitudes
 Direct or imagined experience

 Reasoning by analogy or category

 Values-driven attitudes

 Social identity-based attitude generation

 Analytic processes of attitude construction

Cognitive foundation of attitudes
 Direct or imagined experience
Cognitive foundation of attitudes
 Reasoning by analogy or category
Cognitive foundation of attitudes
 Values-driven attitudes
Cognitive foundation of attitudes
 Social identity-based attitude generation
Analytic processes of attitude construction
 Cognitive response to communication: Thought individuals have in response
to a communication

• Counterargument (CA): Thought that disagrees with the message

• Support arguments (SA): Thought that agrees with the message

• Source derogations (SD): Thought that discounts or attacks the source of the
message

 Consumers may not blindly accept and follow suggestions made in persuasive
messages!
Analytic processes of attitude construction
 Expectancy-Value Models: Explain how consumer attitudes form and change
based on:
• Beliefs or knowledge about an object or action
• Evaluations of these particular beliefs
You might like a Volkswagen because you believe it is reliable, moderately priced, and
environmentally friendly—and you think it is good for a car to have these traits.

 Theory of reasoned action (TORA): Model that provides an explanation of

how, when, and why attitudes predict behavior
• Normative influences play a significant role in how people behave
Analytic processes of attitude construction
 Theory of planned behavior (TPB): Extension of the TORA model; predicts
behaviors over which consumers perceive they have control
Discussion question

Can attitudes be changed?

In which circumstances do marketers want to change attitudes?

How can marketers change attitudes?

Marketing implications on changing consumer attitudes
 Strategies for changing attitudes, intentions, and behavior

• Changing beliefs

• Changing evaluations

• Adding a new belief

• Encouraging attitude formation based on imagined experience

• Targeting normative beliefs

Quester P., Pettigrew S., Rao Hill S.,
Kopanidis F., Hawkins D. I. 2014,
Consumer Behaviour - Implications for
Marketing Strategy, McGraw-
Hill Education.
How cognitively based attitudes are influenced
 Communication source
• Source credibility - Trustworthiness, expertise, and status
• Company reputation
• Sleeper effect: Consumers forget the source of a message faster than the message

 Message
• Strong argument: Features the central merits of an offering in a convincing manner
• One-sided messages: Only positive information
• Two-sided messages: Positive and negative information
• Comparative message: Direct comparisons with competitors
Affective (Emotional) foundations of attitudes
 High affective involvement leads to emotional engagement with a stimulus

 Affective response: Generation of feelings and images in response to a message

 Emotional appeal: Message designed to elicit an emotional response

What is an example of a brand using an emotional appeal in advertising?

Are certain industries more prone to benefit from emotional appeals in their
advertising and marketing communications?
How affectively based attitudes are influenced
 Source
• Attractiveness: Evokes favorable attitudes if a source is physically attractive, likable,
familiar, or similar to the consumer
• Match-up hypothesis: Idea that the source must match the product or service

 Message
• Emotional appeals - Elicit emotions that attract consumers
• Fear appeals: Stress negative consequences
Attitude toward an Ad
 Whether the consumer likes or dislikes an ad

 Dimensions

• Utilitarian (functional): When an ad provides information

• Hedonic: When an ad creates positive or negative feelings

When do attitudes predict behavior?
 Level of involvement or elaboration
 Knowledge and experience
 Analysis of reasons
 Accessibility of attitudes
 Attitude confidence
 Specificity of attitudes
When do attitudes predict behavior?
 Attitude-behavior relationship over time
 Emotional attachment
 Situational factors
 Normative factors
 Personality variables
Strategies based on attitudes
 Market segmentation
 Product development