ATTITUDES:Characteristics of Attitudes, Attitudes have consistency

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Consumer Psychology (PSY - 514)

LESSON33

ATTITUDES

CHAPTER 5: INDIVIDUAL DETERMINANTS OF CONSUMER BEHAVIOR

Understanding:

· Attitudes

· Attitude Research

· Characteristics of Research

Attitudes

Attitude is a learned predisposition to behave in a constantly favorable or unfavorable way with respect to

an object

As consumers each of us has a vast number of attitudes towards products, services, advertisements, internet, etc...

Whenever we are asked: Whether we like cable TV or Direct TV, Whether we like or dislike a product. We are

being asked to express our attitudes.

Within the domain of Consumer Behavior, an appreciation of prevailing attitudes has considerable merit for

Consumer Psychology. For example there has been rapid growth in the sales of natural ingredient bath, and other

cosmetic products through out the world. This trend is linked to current popular "attitude". Things natural are

good and things synthetic are bad. In realty this evidence is not based on systematic evidence that natural products

are any safer or better for consumers. To get to the heart of what is driving the Consumer Behavior attitude

research has been used to study a wide range of topics.

Attitude Research

Attitude Research is frequently undertaken to determine whether consumers will accept a proposed new product

idea, to gauge why a firm's target audience has not reacted more favorably to its new product advertisement or to

understand how target consumers are likely to react to a proposed change in the firm's packaging design. All

marketing activities are related to the task of impacting the Consumer's Attitudes.

Characteristics of Attitudes

Following characteristics explain the nature of attitudes

The attitude object

Attitude are learned predisposition

Attitudes have consistency

Attitudes occur within a situation

1. Attitude Object

The word object in our consumer-oriented definition should be interpreted broadly to include specific

consumption or marketing related concepts such as product, product category, brand, service, possessions,

product use, causes or issues, people or advertisements. In conducting attitude research we tend to be object

specific. For example if we are interested in learning about three popularly priced brands of watches our "object"

my include:

Seiko

Fossil

Casio

If we are examining attitudes towards major brands of computer printers, our "object" of study may include HP,

Dell, Brother, and Epson

2. Attitudes are learned predisposition

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Consumer Psychology (PSY - 514)

There is general agreement that attitudes are learned. This means attitudes relevant to purchase behavior are

formed as a result of direct experience with product, word of mouth, information acquired from others, exposure

to mass media advertising, the internet and various forms of direct marketing. It is important to remember that

attitudes result from behavior they are not synonymous to behavior, instead they reflect either favorable or

unfavorable evaluation of the attitude object

3. Attitudes have consistency

Attitudes are relatively consistent with the behavior they reflect; however, attitudes are not necessarily permanent.

Attitudes do change

4. Attitudes occur within a situation

Situation means events or circumstances that at a particular point in time influence the relationship between

attitude and behavior. A specific situation may cause individuals to behave in a way seemingly inconsistent with

their behavior. For example if Ali purchases a different brand of toothpaste every time he runs low. Although his

brand switching behavior may seem to reflect a negative attitude or dissatisfaction with the brands he tries, it

actually may be influenced by a specific situation which in this case is Ali's wish to economize.

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