Chapter 8

Attitudes and Persuasive

1/27
Communication
2/27 Topic Outline

Attitudes
 The Power of Attitudes
 The ABC Model of Attitudes
 How Do We Form Attitudes?
 The Consistency Principle
 Attitude and Behavior Models
Persuasive Communication
 Persuasive Messages
 The Communication Model
3/27 The Power of Attitudes
 An attitude is a lasting, general evaluation of people, objects,
advertisements, or issues. We call anything toward which one
has an attitude an attitude object (A0)
 Functional theory of attitudes: attitudes exist because they
serve some function for the person:
 Utilitarian function: reward and punishment
 Value-expressive function: self-concept or central values
 Ego-defensive function: Attitudes we form to protect
ourselves either from external threats or internal feelings
 Knowledge function: We form some attitudes because we
need order, structure, or meaning
4/27 The ABC Model of Attitudes

ABC model of attitudes: affect, behavior, and cognition.

 Affect describes how a consumer feels about an attitude object
 Behavior refers to the actions he or she takes toward the object or in
some cases at least his or her intentions to take action about it
 Cognition is what he or she believes to be true about the attitude
object. Affect
(Feeling)

Cognition Behavior
(Knowing) (Doing)
5/27 The ABC Model of Attitudes
Hierarchies of Effects
The high-involvement hierarchy: Think  Feel  Do
ATTITUDE
Based on
Cognition Affect Behavior cognitive
information
processing

The Low-involvement hierarchy: Think  Do  Feel

ATTITUDE
Based on
Cognition Behavior Affect behavioral
learning
processes

The Experiential hierarchy: Feel  Do  Think

ATTITUDE
Based on
Affect Behavior Cognition
hedonic
consumption
 6/27 The ABC Model of Attitudes
Hierarchies of Effects
 Are cognition and affect independent or linked?
 Cognitive-affective model: proposes that an
emotional reaction is just the last step in a
series of cognitive processes that follows
sensory recognition of a stimulus and
retrieval of information from memory that
helps to categorize it.
 Independence hypothesis argues that
affect and cognition are separate systems
so that it’s not always necessary to have a
cognition to elicit an emotional response.
7/27 The ABC Model of Attitudes

 Affect measurement:

Brand A (Starbuck)makes me feel:

Happy Unhappy
Joyful Melancholic
Elegant Vulgar
Interested Monotonous
Tasteful Tasteless
8/27 The ABC Model of Attitudes

 Behavior measurement:

Purchase intention:
If I need a product, I intent to purchase brand A 1 2 3 4 5
I intend to continue purchasing brand A in the future 1 2 3 4 5
I will regularly purchase brand A in the future 1 2 3 4 5
9/27 The ABC Model of Attitudes

 Cognition measurement:

I think product A’s attribute a is:

Expensive Cheap
Too much Too little
Too high Too low
Delicate Rough
10/27 How Do We Form Attitudes?
All Attitudes Are Not Created Equal
 We form an attitude in several different ways: hierarchies of effects,
results of classical conditioning, instrumental conditioning, or complex
cognitive process.
 All attitudes are not created equal: consumers have different levels of
attitudes, because they have different levels of commitment to an
attitude. Three levels of commitment:
 Compliance: we form an attitude because it helps us to gain rewards
or avoid punishment. This attitude is superficial and ease to change.
 Identification: we form an attitude to conform to another person’s or
group’s expectations. This attitude is ease to change.
 Internalization: deep-seated attitudes become part of our value
system. These attitudes are difficult to change.
11/27 The Consistency Principle
 Principle of cognitive consistency: we value harmony among our
thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, and a need to maintain uniformity
among these elements motivates us.
 Theory of cognitive dissonance: people have a need for order and
consistency in their lives and that a state of dissonance (tension)
exists when beliefs or behaviors conflict with one another.
 Cognitive dissonance reduction: is a process where we look for a way to
reduce this inconsistency (or dissonance) and thus eliminate unpleasant
tension.
 Postdecision dissonance: occurs when a consumer must choose between two
products, both of which possess good and bad qualities.
 Postpurchase dissonance: occurs when a consumer may be unsatisfied after a
purchase.
12/27 The Consistency Principle
Self-Perception Theory

 Self-perception theory: assumes that we

observe our own behavior to determine just
what our attitudes are, much as we assume
that we know what another person’s attitude is
when we watch what he does.
 Self-perception theory helps to explain the
effectiveness of a strategy salespeople call the
foot-in-the-door technique: They know that
consumers are more likely to comply with a big
request if they agree to a smaller one first
13/27 The Consistency Principle
Social Judgement Theory

 Social judgment theory: assumes that people assimilate new

information about attitude objects in light of what they already
know or feel. The initial attitude acts as a frame of reference,
and we categorize new information in terms of this existing
standard.
 Assimilation effect: people tend to perceive messages within
their latitude of acceptance as more consistent with their
position than those messages actually are.
 Contrast effect: tend to see messages that fall in our latitude of
rejection as even more unacceptable than they actually are
14/27 The Consistency Principle
Balance Theory
 Balance theory considers how people perceive relations among
different attitude objects, and how they alter their attitudes so that
these remain consistent (or “balanced”).
Attitude
Object 1 Celebrities

A person Attitude Consumer Products

His/her perceptions Object 2

Elements are linked together either by a unit relation or a sentiment relation

(Quan hệ liên kết or Quan hệ tì nh cảm)
15/27 The Consistency Principle
 Balance theory reminds us
Balance Theory that when we have
Michael balanced perceptions,
our attitudes also are likely
+ + to be stable. However,
when we experience
inconsistencies, we also
Lisa Game are more likely to change
- our attitudes.

Michael
Michael Michael

+ + +
- + o

Lisa Game Lisa Game Lisa Game

+ - -
16/27 Attitude and Behavior Models
Multiattribute Attitude Models

 Attitude models specify the different elements that might work

together to influence people’s evaluations of attitude objects.
 Multiattribute attitude models: assumes that consumers’ attitude
toward an attitude object (Ao) depends on the beliefs they have
about several of its attributes.
 Basic multiattribute models contain three specific elements:
 Attributes are characteristics of the Ao
 Beliefs are cognitions about the specific Ao
 Importance weights reflect the relative priority of an attribute to
the consumer.
17/27 Attitude and Behavior Models
Multiattribute Attitude Models
 Fishbein Model: 𝑨𝒋𝒌 = 𝜷𝒊𝒋𝒌 𝑰𝒊𝒌 (i=attribute, j=brand, k=consumer, I=the
importance weight given attribute i by consumer k, β=consumer k’s belief regarding
the extent to which brand j possesses attribute i, A=a particular consumer’s (k’s)
attitude score for brand j)
Beliefs (B)
Attribute (i) Importance (I) Apple (j1) Samsung (j2) Huawei (j3) Oppo (j4)

Price 6 8 (48) 8 (48) 6 (36) 6 (36)

Quality 7 9 (63) 7 (49) 6 (42) 6 (42)
Camera 5 5 (25) 4 (20) 4 (20) 8 (40)
Service 3 4 (12) 3 ( 9) 3 ( 9) 3 ( 9)
Warranty 2 3 ( 6) 3 ( 6) 3 ( 6) 2 ( 4)
Attitude score 154 132 113 131
18/27 Attitude and Behavior Models
Marketing Applications of The Multiattribute Attitude Models

Capitalize on relative Advantage.

Strengthen Perceived Product/Attribute Linkages.
Add a new Attribute.
Influence Competitors’ ratings.
19/27 Attitude and Behavior Models
Do Attitude Predict Behavior?
 In many cases, a person’s attitude doesn’t predict Subjective
Attitude
behavior. norm

 Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA): behavioral intention is a

function of both attitudes and subjective norms toward
that behavior.
Intention
𝐵𝐼 = 𝐴𝐵 𝑊1 + 𝑆𝑁 𝑊2
where:
BI=behavioral intention
AB=one’s attitude toward performing the behavior
Behavior
W=empirically derived weights
SN=one’s subjective norm related to performing the behavior
20/27 Attitude and Behavior Models
Do Attitude Predict Behavior?
 Theory of planed behavior (TPB): behavioral
intention is a function of attitudes, subjective Perceived
norms, and perceived behavioral control. behavioral
control
Attitude Subjective
norm
𝐵𝐼 = 𝐴𝐵 𝑊1 + 𝑆𝑁 𝑊2 + 𝑃𝐵𝐶 𝑊3
where:
BI=behavioral intention
Intention
AB=one’s attitude toward performing the behavior
W=empirically derived weights
SN=one’s subjective norm related to performing the
behavior Behavior

PBC=perceived behavioral control

21/27 Attitude and Behavior Models
Do Attitude Predict Behavior?
 Technology Acceptance Model (TAM): behavioral intention to use a particular
technology is a function of perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness.
 Perceived ease of use : "the degree to which a person believes that using a
particular system would be free from effort"
 Perceived usefulness : "the degree to which a person believes that using a particular
system would enhance his or her job performance"

Perceived
usefulness
External Attitude toward Intention Actual
variables using to use system use
Perceived
ease of use
22/27 Persuasion: How Do Marketers Change Attitudes?
 Persuasion involves an active attempt to change attitudes.
 Some basic psychological principles that influence people to change
their minds or comply with a request:

Reciprocity

Consensus Scarcity

Attitude
change

Liking Authority

Consistency
23/27 Persuasion: How Do Marketers Change Attitudes?

Decisions: Tactical Communication Options

 Suppose Audi wants to create an advertising campaign for a new car it
targets to young drivers. How should Audi develop its persuasive
messages?
Who will drive How should we
the car in the construct the
Source ad? message? Message

Persuasive
messages
What characteristics
of the target market
What media might lead its
should we members to accept
Media use? the ad? Consumer
24/27 Communication Models

The traditional communication model:

FEEBACK
Consumer Consumer

Source Message Medium Consumer

Consumer
Consumer
Mass communication
25/27 Communication Models
An Updated View: Interactive Communication
 An Updated View: Interactive Communication
 The consumer who processes a message is not the passive receiver of
information marketers once believed him or her to be.

Sender Receiver

Sender Communication
Medium Receiver

Sender Receiver
26/27 Communication Models

100 years of beauty