Consumer Behavior Topic 7 Attitudes and Attitude Formation A learned predisposition to behave in a consistently favorable or unfavorable way with

respect to a given objective. a. an attitude has an object (i.e., how you feel about a professor, a subject, a drink) and can be abstract or specific b. attitudes are learned (i.e., bigotry) c. attitudes have direction they can intensify in either direction degree favorable (+) or negative (-); strength of feelings measure sureness of feelings and intensity d. attitudes have consistency an interval consistency among attitudes (i.e., if a bigot, then hate ALL) however cognitive dissonance may come into play (i.e., if hate all purple haired people and then meet one that you like, then have to say this one is different); sometimes a situation will impact attitudes (i.e., McDonalds is ok for lunch but not for dinner); a situation can deal with time or social setting Controversy a relationship between attitudes and behavior: Attitude-Behavior Relationship: A classic study from the 1930s conducted by Lapierre (1934) he traveled across the US with a Chinese couple (in that era there was great prejudice against the Chinese) and stayed at hotels and ate at restaurants with them. Afterwards he sent questions to the same restaurants and hotels asking if they would serve a Chinese customer and 90% said they would not serve the Chinese but in reality, they had done so. So in behavior, they were service hence attitudes and behaviors may not correspond. Fishbein model (Martin Fishbein was a psychologist and sociologist before entering marketing field) studied how people make choices as a means by which marketers might predict choices it was popular in the 1970s to explain how attitudes work Fishbein was not just interested in attitudes towards what is purchased because attitudes may not predict what is ought, but also considering behavior. For example, attitude toward behavior model may predict what people actually buy (i.e., they ay love a BMW but it is not a feasible purchase). In order to get a better correspondence between attitude and behavior the considerations have to be more specific a specific action, a specific time period not just general attitudes (i.e., attitudes towards a Cadillac vs. attitudes towards owning a Cadillac) this is called Measurement Correspondence Components of attitudes: a. cognitive component deals with knowledge and beliefs b. affective component deals with emotions feelings c. conative has to do with actions intent such a intention to buy Fishbein teaches us that this is not just theory that attitudes also go into behavior and has many implications for us, especially in how to change attitudes. His

Theory of Reasoned Action says use your brain. Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM) considers if a decision is made through a central or a peripheral path in our thinking do we think before we act? Sometimes we behavior rationally but sometimes we will respond emotionally. Ways to change a consumers motivational function: a. ego defenses protect ego/inner feelings by using defense mechanism rationalize projection as in Aesops fable of the fox and the grapes the fox can not reach the grapes so after numerous tries, he says they are sour anyway has defended his ego by saying they arent worth it rather than he is inadequate at reaching them b. perfumes/cosmetics work on self worth, a way to improve ego c. value expressive attitude (i.e., if conservative, then negative about certain things (i.e., abortion) if anti-societal then may go punk and dress in a particular way that is value expressive d. knowledge function to simplify the work if you believe all beers are alike, this simplifies choices we do this with individuals we stereotype them; ads work with this tendency (i.e., all aspirins are alike and then tell us why they are NOT alike) e. social adjustment help maintain or disrupt relationships with others if Republican, then agree with policies to maintain relationship Attitude formation in general (not Fishbein) where do attitudes come from? One school says attitudes come from conditioning (association when we pair things from cognitive learning). With cognitive learning then we may learn from our own experiences our friends and even relatives, media. Our personality also plays a role if we are high in need for cognition if we need to think then we love information and that will affect attitude. If not need high cognition, then may accept simple attitude approach, such as a celebrity endorser.