Consumer Psychology

BUS 318 Module

Semester A
2023

Session 5: Attitude formation

 Today’s Outline:
• Organisational issues – (Mid-Module Review and deadline for
assignment)
• Simulation Guest
• Concept Maps
• Consumer Psychology
– Test your knowledge (Chapter 4)
– Attitudes Part 1 (Chapter 5-6)
 Organisational Issues:
• Deadline for Final Paper Assignment:

December 18th, 2023, 4:00pm

• Upload your papers on Qmplus by this deadline (ideally a bit sooner)

 Concept Maps:
• The good stuff…
 Concept Maps:
• The good stuff…
 Concept Maps:
• The good stuff…
 Concept Maps:
• The good stuff…
 Concept Maps:
• The good stuff…
 Consumer Psychology- Chapter 4:

• Test your knowledge:

If you have troubles remembering the pin code for your bank card explicitly, but
then close your eyes and let your fingers do the work, this is due to successful
retrieval of what kind of memory?
a. declarative.
b. sensory.
c. working.
d. procedural.
e. episodic.
 Consumer Psychology- Chapter 4:

• Test your knowledge:

If you have troubles remembering the pin code for your bank card explicitly, but
then close your eyes and let your fingers do the work, this is due to successful
retrieval of what kind of memory?
a. declarative.
b. sensory.
c. working.
d. procedural.
e. episodic.
 Consumer Psychology- Chapter 5-6:
• Today we will examine the role of attitudes in consumer
behavior

• Basics of attitudes
• Attitude formation
• Attitude change
• Attitude-Behaviour link
 Attitude
Why are attitudes important for marketing?
• Attitudes influence perceptions and judgments
• Attitudes may influence behaviour…
 Attitude
Why are attitudes important for marketing?

• Do you think McDonalds is healthy?

 Attitude
Marketers aim to form or change consumers’ attitudes:
 Attitude
“…an overall evaluation that expresses how much we like or
dislike an object, issue, person, or action.”
Hoyer et al. 2013

“a settled way of thinking or feeling“

Oxford English Dictionary

“a mental and neural state of readiness to respond, organized

through experience and exerting a directive and/or dynamic
influence on behaviour“
Thurstone 1930s

“a predisposition to respond in a consistent or predictable

manner to a stimulus“
Evans, Jamal, & Foxall, 2006
 Attitude
Foundations of Attitudes:

Cognitive Foundations Affective Foundations

 Attitude
Cognitive Foundations of Attitudes
• You are in control of your attitude
• Analytical processes (e.g. reasoning) influence formation of attitude
• Reasoning by analogy or category
– e.g. A product is similarity to other products.

• Elaboration on direct or imagined experiences influences attitude

• Marketers may give you information that may change your attitude
(persuasion)
• Values-driven attitudes
 Attitude
Values-Driven Ad:
 Attitude
Cognitive Foundations of Attitudes
• Cognitive Response Model
– We are better at remembering our responses to a
message than its content…
– “Self-talk” is more persuasive than message content
• Generating counterarguments reduces persuasion
• Generating supportive arguments increases persuasion
 Attitude
Cognitive Foundations of Attitudes
• Cognitive Response Model
– We are better at remembering our responses to a
message than its content…
– “Self-talk” is more persuasive than message content
• Expectancy-Value Models
– Attitudes/Behaviour are a function of expectations and
values/norms
− Theory of Reasoned Action (TORA)
 Attitude
Affective (Emotional) Foundations of Attitudes
• Affective involvement (meaningful)
 Attitude
Affective (Emotional) Foundations of Attitudes
• Affective involvement (meaningful)
• Affective responses (emotional reactions to stimuli)
• Emotional appeals
– Example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0JV8LrsPio
 Attitude
Characteristics
• Attitudes exist at an unobservable level and vary in
dimensions
• Attitudes are predispositions and have motivational qualities
 Functional Theory of Attitudes
• Attitudes are formed during information processing and
stored in memory
• Attitudes are assumed to be relatively enduring, develop
and change over time.
• Attitudes are based on experiences, thoughts, and feelings
 Hierarchies of Effects
 Attitude
Standard Hierarchy of Effects Model
• C – A – B (Cognition-Affect-Behaviour or Think-Feel-Do)

Marketers try to take consumers through each of these steps.

 Attitude
Functional Theory of Attitudes
• Attitudes exist because they serve some function for the
person and have motivational qualities

Utilitarian Function Ego-defensive Function

Relates to rewards Protect ourselves from external
and punishments threats or internal feelings
(Behaviouristic Learning Theory) (Freudian and neo-Freudian thinking)

Value-expressive Function Knowledge Function

Expresses consumer‘s values Need for order, structure,
or self-concept or meaning
(Humanistic Psychology) (Gestalt Psychology)
 Attitude
Functional Theory of Attitudes
• Utilitarian Function of Attitudes
– Attitudes are used to maximize rewards and minimize
punishments
– Consuming something because it brings a specific
benefit
 Attitude
Functional Theory of Attitudes
• Value-expressive Function of Attitudes
– Attitudes allow consumers to express core values, self-
concept, and beliefs
 Attitude
Functional Theory of Attitudes
• Ego-defensive Function of Attitudes
– Attitudes are defense mechanisms against threats to
self-concepts and low self-esteem
– Attitudes are adapted to (negative) behaviour (e.g.
smoking)
 Attitude
Functional Theory of Attitudes
• Knowledge Function of Attitudes
– Attitudes help to simplify decision making processes
– Attitudes help avoid undesirable situations and approach
more desirable situations (e.g. buying the right
chocolate).
Attitude & Behaviour

Do attitudes predict behaviour?

 Attitude & Behaviour
The basics…
− Stronger attitudes are more accessible & exert more
influence on behavior
− Specific (versus abstract) attitudes are better at
predicting behavior
− The more the topic affects or concerns you, the stronger
the attitude-behavior link
− Forming an attitude differs from changing attitudes
− The simpler the attitude, the easier to change the attitude
− Attitudes do not always predict behaviour.
 Attitude & Behaviour
Theory of Reasoned Action (TORA)
 Attitude & Behaviour
Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB)
• Adds dimension of consumers’ perceived (lack of) control
• You control & plan your behavior in many contexts
 Attitude & Behaviour
Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB)

Control
 Attitude & Behaviour
Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB)
• Adds dimension of consumers’ perceived (lack of) control
• You control & plan your behavior in many contexts

• Limitations:
– May assume the consumer is completely rational
– Perfect versus imperfect information in the marketplace
– TPB does not place emphasis on consumer emotions
 Attitude & Behaviour
Changing Attitudes based on TORA/TPB
• There is resistance to change
• Devising strategies for change:
– Change beliefs
– Change evaluations
– Add a new belief
– Target normative beliefs
Any questions?
See you all next time!