week 5 - attitudes and change

Question 1

define an attitude

Answer 1

a learned predisposition to behave in a consistentily favourable or unfavourable way with respect to a given object

Question 2

according to the tricomponenet of additude model attitude is made up of 3 components

Answer 2

cognitive component (thinking)
affective component (emotion)
conative component (behaviour)

Question 3

explain cognitive component

Answer 3

cognition = thinking so cognititve component captures the knowledge an indivdual has aquired through personal expierence or observation

often takes for of beliefs

An object possesses certain 
attributes (example: Vans don’t 
provide good arch support for 
your feet)
– Using an object will result in 
certain outcomes (example: my 
feet will feel sore if I wear my 
Vans)
• Beliefs can be positive or negative

Question 4

explain affective component of the attitude model

Answer 4

affect = emotion
affective component captures a consumers emotions about a partcular object or behaviour

‒ Example: I feel happy when I wear my Vans
• Note: contradictions can exist in our attitudes; in
this example, the consumer feels happy when they
wear their Vans, even though it hurts their feet

Question 5

explain the tricomponent of attitude - conative

Answer 5

conation = behaviour
s
o the conative component captures the likelihood
that an individual will behave in a particular way
• Often examined in the context of:

‒ Intention, where consumers 
plan to perform a particular 
behaviour in the future 
(example: I will purchase a new 
pair of Vans in the next year)
‒ Past behaviour (example: I 
have purchased a pair of Van in 
the past yea

Question 6

define intention

Answer 6

the likelihood of performing a particular behaviour

Question 7

define referents

Answer 7

people who are important to us,

while subjective norm is perceived support from the behaviour being evaluated

Question 8

explain perceived behavioural control

Answer 8

s an evaluation of our own capacity to perform

the behaviour being evaluated

Question 9

attitude formation can be influeced by

Answer 9

learning
personality
group processes

Question 10

explain attitude formation via learning

Answer 10

Attitude tends to be more favourable for established brand names
(stimulus generalisation and classical conditioning)
‒ Attitude formation may follow trial (instrumental conditioning)
‒ Attitude may change as we integrate existing knowledge (cognitive
learning)

Question 11

explain attitude formation via group processes

Answer 11

attitude formation can be influenced by various sources:
‒ Family and friends
‒ Direct marketing
‒ Mass media
‒ Internet

Question 12

explain attitude formation via personality

Answer 12

Personality can play a critical role in
attitude formation

‒ High need for cognition: more likely to form positive attitudes to
ads rich in product‐related
information

‒ Low need for cognition: more 
likely to form positive attitudes to 
ads containing peripheral 
information, such as whether a 
celebrity has endorsed the 
product

Question 13

there are many stratergies for changing attitude includig

Answer 13

The functional approach
‒ Altering components of the multi‐attribute model
‒ Comparative advertising
‒ Elaboration Likelihood Model
‒ Associating products with admired groups
‒ Message appeals

Question 14

explain the functional approach

Answer 14

n this approach, attitudes serve a particular function:
‒ Utilitarian function
‒ Ego‐defensive function
‒ Value‐expressive function
‒ Knowledge function
• Different attitude change strategies can be developed for each function

Question 15

explain the functional approach - utilitarian

Answer 15

Consumers hold certain attitudes about a product because of the product’s
utility (i.e., its usefulness)
• Attitudes can be changed by showing consumers that a product serves a
utilitarian purpose they had not previously considered

Question 16

explain functional approach ego defensive

Answer 16

Consumers want to protect their self‐image from feelings of doubt
• Attitudes can be changed by reassuring consumers that a product is good
for their self‐image

Question 17

explain functional approach ( value expresive)

Answer 17

Attitudes reflect a consumer’s underlying values and outlook
• Attitudes can be changed by demonstrating how a product expresses a
consumer’s values

Question 18

explain functional approach knowlwedge

Answer 18

Consumers want to understand the world
around them
• Attitudes can be changed by ensuring an
ad has sufficient information to describe
the product/service (and particularly how
it compares with alternatives)
• However, don’t assume that information
by itself will change attitudes; this is a trap
many health campaigns fall into

Question 19

explain the multi attribute model of attiude

Answer 19

Four ways of changing attitudes by altering components of the multi‐
attribute model:
‒ Changing the relative evaluation of attributes
‒ Changing brand beliefs
‒ Adding an attribute
‒ Changing the overall brand rating

Question 20

explain multi attribute (relative evaluation)

Answer 20

Involves changing perceptions of product‐specific attributes
• Particularly useful for attributes that are perceived negatively

e.g. guinesses = long wait = change consumers attitudes towards wait = new advertising “good things take time”

Question 21

explain mulit attribute (brand beliefs)

Answer 21

Aim is to change perceptions of brand‐related attributes

• Claims may need to be repeated often for them to ‘stick’

Question 22

explain multi attribute (adding new attribute)

Answer 22

Emphasise an attribute that has been overlooked (example: bicarbonate 
soda is a great cleaning product)
• Indicate that a product has a new 
feature (example: wristwatch with a 
pedometer)

• Stress how the product is now better
because a specific ingredient has been
removed (example: aluminium‐free
deodorants – great for sensitive skin)

Question 23

explain multi attribute (overall brand rating)

Answer 23

Use a broad statement or claim 
that sets the brand apart from its 
competitors
• Focus should be on shifting overall 
brand evaluations so that 
consumers do not have to change 
their attitudes towards specific 
attributes

Question 24

define comparative advertising

Answer 24

Aim of comparative advertising is to change beliefs about competitors’
brands

Can be effective but may give exposure to the competing brand
• Potential legal issues that need to be carefully considered

Question 25

Other models acknowledge that changes in behaviour can result in attitude
change
• These models include:

Answer 25

Cognitive dissonance theory

‒ Attribution theory

Question 26

explain cognitive dissionance

Answer 26

According to cognitive dissonance, people feel discomfort (dissonance)
when their attitudes and/or behaviours are inconsistent
• Dissonance motivates consumers to resolve the inconsistency between
their attitudes and/or behaviours
• When dissonance occurs after a purchase, it is termed ‘post‐purchase
dissonance’ (example: did I just pay too much for the car I bought?)

Question 27

explain consumer stratergies for cognitive dissionance

Answer 27

Rationalise decision as being wise (also known as post‐purchase
rationalisation); goal is to make themselves feel better about dubious
decisions (example: “This expensive suit is a good purchase because I
can wear it to weddings, funerals, and job interviews!”)
‒ Try to ‘sell’ friends or family on the positive features of the product
(example: “My new phone is amazing; you should get one!”)
‒ Look to known satisfied owners of the product for reassurance (example:
after purchasing a new Mazda, you ring a friend who has always driven a
Mazda to discuss your new car)

Question 28

explain marketing strateergies for reducing cognitive dissionance

Answer 28

for reducing consumer dissonance:
‒ Structure ads to contain information about the benefits of a product to
reinforce consumer’s decision
‒ Offer strong warranties/guarantees
‒ Provide detailed instructions or information about how to use a product
efficiently (or additional ways to use the product)
‒ Emphasise the availability of after‐sales service (example: free online
technical support)

Question 29

define slef perception theory

Answer 29

Self‐perception theory suggests that consumers develop attitudes by
reflecting on their own behaviour
‒ Based on the notion that consumers seek consistency in relation to their
attitudes and beliefs (example: I spend a lot of time on Facebook, so I
must like it)

Question 30

explain self perception theory - defensive attribution

Answer 30

• Defensive attribution refers to the tendency for consumers to:
‒ Attribute success to internal factors
‒ Attribute failure to external factors

Product success/failure can be attributed to internal or external causes
‒ Failure + external attribution (example: the salesperson talked me into
purchasing this dodgy car)
‒ Failure + internal attribution (example: I wish I hadn’t decided to switch
to that terrible brand)
‒ Success + external attribution (example: the app interface is so simple,
anyone could use it)
‒ Success + internal attribution (example: you have to be pretty skilled to
use Photoshop