consumer behaviour- evaluation Flashcards
cognitive approach
strength
Evidence: North (2012) asked four groups of people to taste and describe wine while background music was being played. Each group heard a piece of music that had different characteristics: one heard a ‘powerful and heavy’ piece, another heard something that was ‘Subtle and refined’. The third group’s music was ‘zingy and refreshing’ and the fourth was ‘Mellow and soft.’ The descriptions given by the participants tended to match the characteristics of the music, even though they all tasted the same wine.
T-word- This supports priming as a key influence on consumer behavior.
cognitive approach
weakness
1) Evidence: Some studies support the view of priming on consumer behaviour, but some studies do not support this. Issue of replication and problems of the reliability of findings, psychologists must be able to replicate findings.
T word: Therefore, this undermines the claims about the value of priming and biases consumer behaviour
2) ethical issues
Evidence: For instance, by definition priming takes place without the individual’s awareness. Advertising is obviously intended to influence people. But some adverts may be designed to iinfluence consumers’ buying choices and brand loyalty in ways they are not aware of. This could be interpreted as a form of deception which is unethical.
T word: This means that psychologists should think very carefully about their professional involvement with techniques deliberately designed to manipulate consumers perceptions of
social approach
strength
1) point- conformity to social norms can be used to influence consumer behavior
Explanation- significantly more people use the stairs instead of the lift when they read a notice such as “did you know more than 90% of the time people in this building use the stairs instead of the elevator-why not?”. (burger and Shelton). This works because people take the sign as “social proof” that the norm is the stairs.
t-point= this shows how social norms, and social proof can help change health related behaviour
social approach
weakness
Weakness- point= the effectiveness of social proof differs between culture
Explanation= Robert, compared social proof in an individualistic culture (USA) and a collectivist culture (Poland). Participants in both cultures were more willing to agree with a request when told all their peers had agreed than when told none of them had agreed. But the level of agreement was much greater- suggesting social proof is more effective in collectivist cultures.
T-point= this means that campaigners and advertisers who wish to use social proof should take cultural factors into account.
social learning theory and behavioursim
strength
Strength- research supports conditioning and SLT- a brand of toothpaste was associated
explanation- with positive images. Participants expressed more positive attitudes towards the brand- increasing with the number of presentations (highlighting the role of repetition). (stuart et al)
T-point- shows that conditioning and social learning theory can influence positive consumer attitudes towards products.
social learning theory and behavioursim
weakness
1) Weakness- conditioning does not explain the central role of cognitive factors.
Explanation-When we associate an advertised product or brand with positive emotions cognitive factors must be involved otherwise everyone would feel the same way. We also make rational decisions when we buy products and services which is why comparison websites exist. But the behaviorist approach ignores the role of such cognitive factors
T-point= this suggests that conditioning is an incomplete explanation of how marketing works.
2) Weakness- point- research into conditioning has been mostly Labatory based.
Explanation- but in the real world of TV viewing and social media use, the influence of advertising is messier. For instance, lab research investigates the short-term effects of advertising on a narrowly defined behavior. Research into the long-term effects of conditioning suggest the effects are much weaker
T-point= the research tells us little about the effects of advertisement in the real world where conditions are less controlled.
biological approach
strength
neuromarketting techniques can be used instead if self-report methods (questionares)
iVinod Venkatraman et al asked participants to watch genuine adverts. THe researcher used FMRI scans, eye tracking and face coding to measure participant responses.
HE also used no-neuromarketting techniques such as having participants discuss there responses to the adverts
The best technique for prediciting advertising successwas FMRI
biological approach
weakness
ethical concerns to neuro-marketting
neuro-marketting aims to predict consumer behaviour and possibly manipulate it.
neuromarketting may use neuroscientific findings to manipulate responses that people are not aware of and which they have no control over.
