1. Attitudes
Chapter 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

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

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.”

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

6. Hierarchy of Effects
Figure 7.1

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

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

9. Ads Have Feelings Too Commercials evoke emotion Pleasure Arousal
Intimidation

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

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

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.

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”

14. Balance Theory Triad: Unit relation: Sentiment relation:
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

15. Figure 7.2: Balance Theory+
Larry
Alex
Earring O
Figure 7.2: Balance Theory

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

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)

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

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.

20. Multi Attribute Models: TPB
Fishbein Ajzen model (theory of planned
behaviour)
Control beliefs
Perceived behavioural
control (PC)
Behaviour Beliefs (b)
* Outcome evaluation (e)
Normative beliefs (n)
* Motivation to comply (mc)
Attitude to
Behaviour (AB)
Subjective Norm
(SN)
Behavioural
Intention (BI)
Behaviour

21. Theory of Planned Behavior
attitude to quitting smoking
0.44
intention to quit
smoking
attempts to quit
smoking
0.32
0.35
confidence about quitting smoking
0.33
previous attempts at quitting smoking
0.09
Co-efficients relating attitude, confidence and previous attempts to intention and later quitting smoking
Sutton et al 1986, in East

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

23. Associative Network for Snickers Chocolate Bar
Yummy
Fattening
Nuts
Chocolate
Give
Cavities
Dentist

24. Activation at Dentist’s Office
Yummy
Fattening
Nuts
Snickers Bar
Chocolate
Give
Cavities
Dentist

25. Attitude Formation Snickers Attitude Yummy Fattening Nuts Snickers Bar
Chocolate
Give
Cavities
Dentist

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

27. Theory of Trying
Figure 7.3

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