HOW CULTURE IS LEARNT ENVIRONMENTAL INFLUENCES:Formal Learning

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Consumer Psychology (PSY - 514)

LESSON 18

HOW CULTURE IS LEARNT

ENVIRONMENTAL INFLUENCES

Understanding

· How Culture is learnt

· Three forms of Culture Learning

Formal

Informal

Technical

· Advertising & Culture learning

Enhancing Informal Culture Learning

Repetition in Advertising

Movement of Cultural meaning to consumer goods

· Enculturation & Acculturation

· Language & Symbols

· Rituals

Unlike innate biological characteristics (e.g. gender, skin, hair color, intelligence) culture is learned. At an early age

we begin to acquire from our social environment a set of beliefs, values and customs that make up our culture.

1. Three Forms of Cultural Learning

Psychologists and anthropologists have identified three distinct forms of cultural learning.

A. Formal Learning

Adults and older siblings of the family teach a young member how to behave:

Please shake hands with uncle

Say hi to aunty

Wash your hands before eating

Take small bites

B. Informal Learning

A child learns primarily by imitating the behavior of selected others, such as family, friends and TV heroes.

C. Technical Learning

Teachers instruct the child in an educational environment about what should be done, how it should be done and

why it should be done e.g.:

Do your homework every day to learn the course or you will fail

Work hard

Pay attention

Control yourself, focus

Learn discipline

2. Advertising and Cultural Learning

Consumer Psychology (PSY - 514)

Advertising can impact all three ways of cultural learning.

Enhancing informal cultural learning

Many product advertisements enhance informal cultural learning by providing the audience with a model of

behavior to imitate. This is especially true for visible or conspicuous products that are evaluated in public settings

e.g. designers clothing

Repetition in Advertising

Repetition creates and reinforces cultural beliefs and values. Many advertisers continually stress the same selected

benefits of their products. Certain product advertisements may reinforce the benefits that consumers want from

the product. They also teach the consumers to expect the same benefits from the product category.

Movement of cultural meaning to consumer goods

Cultural meaning moves from culturally constituted world to consumer goods to the end consumer through

various consumption related vehicles. For example:

How T-Shirts can identify cultural meaning and identity for the wearers

T-Shirts as trophies (as proof of participating in sports)

Self proclaimed labels of belonging to a cultural category

T-Shirts can also be used as a means of self expression

A New York T-Shirt would be worn by a person whop has been to NY, consumers can buy such a T-Shirt

from a local retailer and create the impression that they have been to NY or else they can show their affinity

for the NY

3. Enculturation and Acculturation

Enculturation

Learning of one's own culture is called Enculturation. The process of enculturation may be utilized to position the

products.

Acculturation

The learning of new or foreign culture is called Acculturation. Too many marketers contemplating international

expansion make the strategic error of believing that if their products are liked by the local consumers then every

one will like them. To overcome such a narrow view marketers must go through an acculturation process. They

must learn everything that is relevant about the usage or potential usage of their products and product categories in

the foreign countries in which they plan to operate

4. Language and Symbols

To acquire a common culture the members of a society must be able to communicate with each other through a

common language.

1. Language & Symbols

A symbol is anything that stands for something else. Any word is a symbol. Marketers must use appropriate

symbols to convey desired product images and/or characteristics. Symbols can be verbal or non-verbal. Verbal

symbols may include a TV announcement or an advertisement in the magazine. Non-Verbal communication

involves the use of such symbols as figures, colors, shapes and even textures. Human mind can process symbols. It

is possible for a person to experience cognitively a visualization for a product for example the advertisement of

Skin moisturizing gel may use the images of two landscapes, one of a dry desert without the gel and the other of

rich green landscape with gel

Contradictory Meanings of Symbols

Trademark depicting an old craftsman may depict careful craftsmanship. It may also show an image of outdated

methods and lack of style

Using the Slang Language

An advertiser using slang in the advertisements to attract teenage audience must do so with great care. Slang that is

misused or outdated will symbolically date the marketer's firm and product

Consumer Psychology (PSY - 514)

Price and Channels of Distribution as Symbols

Price often implies quality to potential buyers. Type of store is an important symbol of quality. Its promotion,

price and the stores at which the product is available are symbols that communicate ranges of quality to potential

buyers.

2. Rituals

Ritual is a type of symbolic activity consisting of a series of steps (multiple behaviors) occurring in fixed sequence

and repeated over time

Ritualized Behavior

In addition to language and symbols culture includes ritualized experiences and behaviors.

Rituals extend over the human life cycle from birth to death including a host of intermediate experiences

(confirmations, graduation and marriage). Ritualized behavior is rather formal and often scripted behavior.

Importance of Rituals for Marketers

Rituals are replete with ritual artifacts. Ritual artifacts are products that are associated with or somehow enhance

the performance of a ritual. In addition to a ritual there is something called ritualistic behavior? Ritualistic Behavior

is any behavior that is made into a ritual

For example a tennis player may a few times or swing the arm holding the racket in a big arc once or twice before

every serve

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