1. ATTITUDES
9
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2. Attitudes
At the end of this session, you should understand:
• The nature and characteristics of attitudes and their influence
over consumer behaviour
• The ways in which consumer attitudes are formed
• The application of attitude theories to consumer behaviour
• The functions of attitudes
• How consumer attitudes can be measured
• The processes and methods used to change consumer
attitudes
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3. Attitudes - defined
• An attitude may be defined as a learned predisposition
to respond in a consistently favourable or unfavourable
manner with respect
to a given object
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4. The nature of attitudes
• Attitudes vary in their strength
• Attitudes reflect a consumer’s values
• Attitudes are learned
• Different situations influence attitudes
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5. Consumer attitude trends
• By keeping in touch with changing consumer
attitudes, marketers are better able to appeal to
consumers through their marketing messages
and appeals
• Check out the ‘Eye on Australia’ report at
www.greyglobalgroup.com for information on
changing consumer trends
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6. How are attitudes formed?
• Conditioning
– Learning can occur from repeated exposure to stimuli
– We are more likely to develop a positive attitude towards
behaviour that continually brings rewards
• Modelling
– Develop attitudes by watching others that we trust or
respect
• Cognitive Learning
– Involves problem solving or reaching logical conclusions
based on information
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7. Attitude models
• Two main attitude models:
– Tri-component model
– Fishbein’s multi-attribute model
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8. The tri-component model of attitudes
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9. The tri-component model of attitudes
• Attitudes are generally considered to be made up
of three elements:
– Affective component

Feelings

Based on physiological nervous reactions to an object
– Cognitive component

Beliefs

What a person believes to be true about an idea, event,
person, activity or object
– Behavioural intentions

An observable reaction

e.g. to purchase a particular brand
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10. Fishbein’s multi-attribute model of
attitudes
• Assumes that attitudes often have many attributes
that influence them
• (The tri-component model assesses a person’s
attitude to only one attribute of the attitude)
• Differs from tri-component model in 4 main areas:
– Focuses mainly on the affect component
– Considers the strength of multiple attributes
– Suggests that attitude affects intentions and this leads
to behaviour
– Measures strength of attributes
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11. Fishbein’s multi-attribute model of
attitudes
Attitude identification involves:
1. Identifying the attitude
2. Determining consumer intention, based on their attitudes
3. Predicting behaviour based on intentions
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12. Functions of attitudes
Attitudes have 4 main functions:
1. Adjustment function
–
Attitudes help consumers adjust to situations
–
People seek out group acceptance in order to gain praise
or rewards and avoid punishment
2. Ego defensive function
–
Attitudes are formed to protect the ‘ego’
3. Value expressive function
–
A consumer’s attitudes are often a reflection of their values
4. Knowledge function
–
Attitudes help consumers make decisions and process and
filter information
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13. Attitude measurement
• Identify consumer’s salient (most important) beliefs about the
object in question
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14. Attitude measurement tools
• Likert scales
– Used to measure attitudes by offering respondents a list
of attitude statements, for example:
Colgate is a brand I can trust.
1. Strongly Disagree
2. Disagree
3. Neither Agree nor Disagree
4. Agree
5. Strongly Agree
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15. Attitude measurement tools
• Semantic differential scales
– Uses a 7-point rating scale with bipolar labels at the end
points
– Tends to measure a person’s beliefs about a product, for
example:
Pleasant taste Unpleasant taste
Low priced High priced
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16. Attitude measurement tools
• Measuring purchase intention
– Used to measure whether a consumer is likely to
purchase a particular product, for example
1. How often do you usually purchase Colgate toothpaste?
 Weekly
 Once a month
 Once every few months
 Very occasionally
2. How likely are you to buy Colgate toothpaste in the next 3 months?
 Highly likely to buy
 Probably will buy
 Might buy
 Probably will not buy
 Definitely will not buy
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17. Attitude change
• Two conditions must exist to allow for attitude
change:
– The object of the attitude must no longer provide the
satisfaction that it once did
– Attitudes can change when the consumer’s aspirations
change
• Attitude change occurs when one of the three
elements of attitude (affect, cognition, behaviour)
undergoes a change
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18. Attitude change via affect
(influencing feelings)
• Conditioning
– Build up positive feelings through rewards, positive music
or emotive symbols
• Feelings towards advertisement/communication
– If you like the advertisement, there is a greater chance
you’ll like the product
– Using well-liked celebrities
• Mere exposure
– Just showing an advertisement or communication to
consumers can lead to a positive attitude
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19. Attitude change via cognitions
(influencing beliefs)
• Changing consumer’s See EXHIBIT 9.6 Dairy Australia and The
Wiggles work together to reinforce the
beliefs about the need for children to have three serves of
dairy every day, page 266.
attributes of a brand PowerPoint slides supplied on the
Instructor Resource CD to accompany
– Providing information Consumer Behaviour include
about the brand advertisement images.
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20. Attitude change via cognitions
(influencing beliefs)
• Influencing consumers See EXHIBIT 9.7 Nutella is positioned
as an ‘energy’ food rather than just a
to change the tasty spread, page 266.
importance of beliefs PowerPoint slides supplied on the
about the product Instructor Resource CD to accompany
Consumer Behaviour include
advertisement images.
– Communicate the
importance of other
attributes
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21. Attitude change via cognitions
(influencing beliefs)
• Changing consumer See EXHIBIT 9.8 Blackmores is the ‘ideal’
brand, according to this advertisement, page
beliefs about the ‘ideal’ 267.
brand PowerPoint slides supplied on the Instructor
Resource CD to accompany Consumer
– Specify what should be Behaviour include advertisement images.
most important about
the brand
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22. Attitude change via cognitions
(influencing beliefs)
• Adding new beliefs See EXHIBIT 9.9 Most front loaders are
small, but LG front loaders have a very
about the brand large capacity, page 267.
– ‘Did you know that….?’ PowerPoint slides supplied on the
Instructor Resource CD to accompany
Consumer Behaviour include
advertisement images.
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23. Changing attitudes by encouraging
a change in behaviour
• Attitudes can change as a result of behaviour
• Encourage consumers to try your product. For
example, with samples or tastings
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24. Changing attitudes by changing
what is ‘normal’
• Changing what is viewed as normal in a situation
• For example, attitudes to red meat have changed
as a result of campaigns emphasising the benefits
of eating red meat
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25. Influences on attitude formation and
change
• Source credibility
– Attractiveness
– Expertise
– Trustworthiness
• Message characteristics
• Media characteristics
• Receiver characteristics
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