content area B2- consumer behaviour Flashcards
Consumer behavior =
how people make decisions about what products or services to buy- and all the activities that influence those decisions.
cognitive approach
how can it explain aggression
. priming
. cognitive biases
How do they include primes in advertisement -
Direct attribute priming- You can prime features (attributes) to the brand or product itself. Consumers associate that attribute with the product. Therefore, later when they consider the desirable features, the consumer thinks of the advertised brand.
Indirect attribute priming- The prime is linked with the brand. For example, context of the product rather than the product itself. Context will activate the schema in the mind- making it more memorable.
Two types of cognitive primes used-
Subliminal messages- being shown something (stimulus) which is processed without conscious recognition. The brain has processed it without us knowing it. This makes us more likely to buy/choose the product.
Brainwashing techniques- can manipulate the consumer through repetition of words, songs or phrases associated to the brand or product. They also associate the product with the most desirable outcome- making the consumer want to buy/choose the product.
Cognitive biases
how does it relate to consumer behaviour ?
Confirmation bias- when we buy a product, we look for evidence we made the right choice. We look for benefits and become over-impressed with the product. Look for information that supports our existing beliefs.
Brand loyalty- people stick with the products they are used to. This is helpful when there are little actual differences between brands.
Authority bias- consumers will assign credibility to opinions of authority figures, who can be seen as an expert. Example- dentist in an oral b advert even though they are probably an actor.
Evaluation of cognitive approach and consumer behavior
Point : Research supports-
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.
Point: One weakness is that the findings of research are often contradictory
Evidence: Some studies support the view of priming on consumer behavior, 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 behavior
Point: Another weakness is that there are ethical issues involved in advertising techniques
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 and consumer behaviour
how does it link
Conformity to social norms
Normative social influence and behaviour
change
Social proof
The bandwagon effect
Social norms =
beliefs and unwritten rules about behaviors that are considered “Normal”
link to consumer behaviour =
Adverts try to influence us by promoting the message that if you do something you are going to be liked by other people.
how does NSI relate to consumer behaviour -
Deutsch & Gerard (1955) states that wanting to be accepted by others is one reason for conforming – it appeals to our natural desire to be liked
therefore, People may buy products or brands to fit in with their friends because they risk ridicule and rejection if they don’t.
We may be willing to change behaviour to fit in (e.g.switch to a different brand.)
how does social proof relate to consumer behaviour=
social proof- another word for ISI
Social proof=situations where we are unsure, and we may look to others for guidance. Conforming due to the belief others have more competent or correct information.
. This can explain why rating systems (such as Amazon- leaving reviews) are influential. (e.g. If the product has a five star view it must be good).
. We are also more likely to read a post with lots of likes than those with fewer likes.
what is the bandwagon effect and how does it relate to consumer behaviour -
Bandwagon effect= a psychological phenomenon where people adopt certain behaviours, styles, or attitudes simply because others are doing so
. Adverts exploit the bandwagon effect by creating the illusion that a product is already popular
this stimulates the demand for a product
. “Success breeds success” - once a product is adopted by a ‘critical mass’ of people-many more will join in.
Strength –
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
strength-
research supports
Strength-point=research supports the bandwagon effect
Explanation= teenage students saw an advert for a luxury product which was associated in the experiment with a famous person. Compared with a control group of students who saw the advert without the famous person the experimental group of students were willing to display a significantly bigger logo of the brand on their T-shirt.
T-point-this shows that the bandwagon effect can explain the sudden popularity of even expensive products in terms of conformity to social norms
weakness
(hint-culture)
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 - consumer behavior
How does behaviourism relate to consumer behaviour ?
through Classical conditioning
how does classical conditioning relate to consumer behaviour ?
Emotional association-
advertisement associates the topic of an advert with a positive feeling in order to change someone behaviour or see a brand or product in a positive light.
Repitition-
over time a conditioned response to a product might weaken (if we are not shown it very often). However, this can be avoided through repeated pairing of the unconditioned stimulus and the conditioned response. So, a product is continually advertised to restrengthen the association and produce the desired controlled response.
how does behaviourism relate to consumer behaviour
through operant conditioning
how does operant conditioning relate to consumer behaviour=
Positive reinforcement= any behaviour that results in a pleasurable consequence is likely to be repeated. For example, you buy a product from a certain brand and have a good experience. You find this rewarding making it more likely you will repeat the behaviour of purchasing.
Offers and loyalty points= companies use schemes to provide reinforcement of buying behaviour. “Buy one get one free” is ‘reinforcing’ because you feel like you are getting a bargain. Loyalty schemes offer points for each purchase. You collect points and exchange them for something tangible. This reinforces your loyalty to the store or brand and means you are more likely to buy again.
how does social learning theory relate to consumer behaviour ?
Modelling=
occurs when someone observes behaviour of another person and imitates it. Adverts will use models to demonstrate a behaviour that will gain us popularity or success. The customer experiences vicarious reinforcement from the positive emotions of the model and later imitate the same behaviour (buy the product they are promoting).
Celebrities in advertisement= The celebrity may possess something the consumer admires –status, wealth, fame, physical attractiveness etc. The observer wants to be like the celebrity, so may buy the products the think the celebrity uses themselves
evaluation
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.
weakness-
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.
weakness-
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.
