Attitudes

Chapter 7

7-2

The Power of Attitudes

• Attitude:– A lasting, general evaluation of

people (including oneself), objects, advertisements, or issues

– Anything toward which one has an attitude is called an object (Ao).

– Attitudes are lasting because they tend to endure over time.

Cognition Affect

Attitude

7-3

The Functions of Attitudes• Functional Theory of Attitudes:

– Attitudes exist because they serve some function for the person (i.e., they are determined by a person’s motives)

• Katz’s Attitude Functions– Utilitarian function: obtain rewards / avoid

punishments– Value-expressive function: express identify to others – Ego-defensive function: self-protection– Knowledge function: simplifies decisions, e.g., Brand

loyalty

7-4

Addressing Smoking Attitudes

• This Norwegian ad addresses young people’s smoking attitudes by arousing strong negative feelings. The ad reads (left panel) “Smokers are more sociable than others.” (Right panel): “While it lasts.”

7-5

The ABC Model of Attitudes• Affect:

– The way a consumer feels about an attitude object• Behavior:

– Involves the person’s intentions to do something with regard to an attitude object

• Cognition:– The beliefs a consumer has about an attitude object

• Hierarchy of Effects:– A fixed sequence of steps that occur en route to an

attitude

7-6

Hierarchy of Effects

Figure 7.1

7-7

Hierarchy of Effects• Standard Learning Hierarchy

– Results in strong brand loyalty– Assumes high consumer involvement

• Low-Involvement Hierarchy– Consumer does not have strong brand preference– Consumers swayed by simple stimulus-response

connections• Experiential Hierarchy

– Consumers’ hedonic motivations and moods– Emotional contagion– Cognitive-affective model vs. independence

hypothesis

7-8

Product Attitudes Don’t Tell the Whole Story

• Attitude Toward the Advertisement (Aad):– A predisposition to respond in a favorable or

unfavorable manner to a particular advertising stimulus during a particular exposure occasion

• Ads Have Feelings Too:– Three emotional dimensions:

• Pleasure, arousal, and intimidation

– Specific types of feelings that can be generated by an ad

• Upbeat feelings: Amused, delighted, playful• Warm feelings: Affectionate, contemplative, hopeful• Negative feelings: Critical, defiant, offended

7-9

Ads Have Feelings Too

• Commercials evoke emotion– Pleasure– Arousal– Intimidation

7-10

Attitude Toward the Ad

• We form attitudes toward objects other than the product that can influence our product selections

• We often form product attitudes from its ads– Aad: attitude toward advertiser + evaluations of

ad execution + ad evoked mood + ad arousal effects on consumer + viewing context

7-11

Forming Attitudes (cont.)

• Cognitive Dissonance and Harmony among Attitudes:– Theory of Cognitive Dissonance: When a person is

confronted with inconsistencies among attitudes or behaviors, he or she will take action to reduce the dissonance by changing an attitude or modifying a behavior.

• Self-Perception Theory:– People maintain consistency by inferring that they

must maintain a positive attitude toward a product they have bought or consumed

• Foot-in-the-door technique:– Sales strategy based on the observation that

consumers will comply with a request if they have first agreed to comply with a smaller request

7-12

Levels of Attitudinal Commitment

• By describing Cadillac as “my company,” the woman in this ad exhibits a high level of attitudinal commitment to her employer.

7-13

Social Judgment Theory

• We assimilate new information about attitude objects in light of what we already know/feel– Initial attitude = frame of reference– Latitudes of acceptance and rejection

• Assimilation and contrast effects• “Choosy mothers choose Jif peanut butter”

7-14

Balance Theory• Triad:

– An attitude structure consisting of three elements• (1) A person and his/her perceptions of• (2) an attitude object, and• (3) some other person or object

• Unit relation:– An element is seen as belonging to or being part of

the other• Sentiment relation:

– Two elements are linked because one has expressed a preference for the other

• Marketing Applications of Balance Theory– Celebrity endorsements

7-15

+

+Larry

Alex

Earring +

OLarry

Alex

Earring

+Larry

Alex

Earring

+

+Larry

Alex

Earring

+

Larry

Alex

Earring

Figure 7.2: Balance Theory

7-16

Balance Theory (Cont’d)

• Marketing Applications– “Basking in reflected

glory”– Unit relation with

popular product = positive sentiment relation in other people’s triads

– Celebrity endorsers of products

7-17

Multi-attribute Attitude Model(Fishbein)

BELIEF: – Salient beliefs

(important attributes)

– Strength of the belief (product’s score on attribute)

EVALUATION: (attribute’s importance to you)

ATTITUDE = SUM OF (SCORE ON ATTRIBUTE X IMPORTANCE OF ATTRIBUTE)

7-18

Multi-attribute Attitude Models

• Three elements– Attributes of AO (e.g., college)

• e.g., Scholarly reputation

– Beliefs about AO

• e.g., University of North Carolina is strong academically

– Importance weights• e.g., Stressing research opportunities over

athletics

7-19

The Theory of Reasoned Action

By Fishbein et al to improve on Multiattriube model.

– Includes subjective norms: how other people feel about the behavior.

– Assesses the consumer’s attitude toward the overt behavior of purchasing the product rather than toward the object itself.

– Uses consequences of the behavior rather than attributes of object.

7-22

Extended Fishbein Model• Research: low correlation

between reported attitude and actual behavior– We love commercials, yet still

not buy!• Theory of reasoned action

– Intentions vs. behavior• Conviction and past purchase

behavior• Behavioral intentions

– Social pressure• SN = NB + MC

– Attitude toward act of buying

7-23

Associative Network for Snickers Chocolate Bar

Fattening

Chocolate Give Cavities

Yummy

Nuts

Dentist

7-24

Activation at Dentist’s Office

Fattening

Chocolate Give Cavities

Yummy

NutsSnickers Bar

Dentist

7-25

Attitude Formation

Fattening

Chocolate Give Cavities

Yummy

NutsSnickers Bar

Dentist

Snickers Attitude

7-26

Trying to Consume

• Theory of trying– Criterion should be trying to

reach goal– Intervening factors between

intent and performance– Several new components to

account for act of trying

7-27

Theory of TryingFigure 7.3

7-28

Tracking Attitudes over Time

• Attitude-tracking program:– An single-attitude survey is a snapshot in time– A program allows researchers to analyze

attitude trends during an extended period of time

• Ongoing Tracking Studies– Attitude tracking involves administration of a

survey at regular intervals (e.g. Gallup Poll, Yankelovich Monitor)

– This activity is valuable for making strategic decisions