Consumer Behavior
1) Intro to CB
Core questions: HOW do consumers behave? WHY do they behave that way? What are
the IMPLICATIONS for organizations?
Why do we study CB?
We (technically) can
We should: link to marketing (create, communicate, deliver value) and link to
consumer research (research & marketing practice)
We like to: everyone is a consumer in daily life
Difference between consumer & customer
Consumers are the people who use the product/services, also children
Customers are the one who make the decision and pay the product/service
Consumer behavior: the dynamic interaction of affect & cognition, behavior, and the
environment by which human beings conduct the exchange aspects to their lives
Wheel of consumer analysis
Consumer responses could be mental responses (cognitive & affective) or behavioral
responses (attitudes & preference) both influenced by the consumer environment
Relationships
1. Evaluations (attitudes/preferences) shaped/modified by affect or cognition?
Affect follows cognition: to like something, we must know what it is!
Preferences are based on exposure and not necessarily on (re)cognition
2. When are evaluations (attitudes/preferences) converted into behavior?
What people say they do, or plan to do, may not predict what they will do
How to change attitudes? Relevant for positioning, marketing communication, branding
Cognitive persuasive info (attributes, benefits, arguments)
Affective aim at affective components
Contingency thinking: attitudes don’t always predict behavior it depends on: which
factors? What is their influence? When do they matter?
3 M’s that influence attitude-behavior relationship:
Measurement: reliability (same outcome? reliable vs. valid) & scales (different scales)
Moderators: influences (strength of) relationship between A and B
Mediators: act as an intermediary between A and B no direct effect between
attitudes and behavior, but mediated by intensions
Armitage & Christian (2003). From Attitudes to Behavior
Moderator: Partitions a focal independent variable into subgroups that establish its
domains of maximal effectiveness in regard to a given dependent variable
Attitude strength: stronger attitudes are likely to be more predictive of people’s
behavior than weak attitudes attitudes are more predictive of behavior if they are:
univalent rather than ambivalent, accessible in memory & personally involving
Principle of correspondence: the way in which attitudes and behaviors are measured
However, a problem with the key moderator attitude strength is that there are many
different measures of attitude strength, which seem to act independently of one another.
1
, Mediator: Generative mechanism through which the focal independent variable is able to
influence the dependent variable of interest
Behavioral intentions: motivation required to perform a particular behavior, reflecting
an individual’s decision to follow a course of action, as well as an index of how hard
people are willing to try and perform the behavior move away from traditional view:
rather than attitudes being related directly to behavior, they only serve to direct
behavior to the extent that they influence intentions
Theory of Reasoned Action
Goes further than the inclusion of intention as a mediator of the attitude-behavior
relationship
It holds that attitude (overall positive/negative evaluations of behavior) is only one
determinant of intention and that social pressure (subjective norms) is also likely to
determine intentions
Attitude: outcome belief x outcome evaluations = behavioral belief only outcomes
that are valued are likely to impact upon one’s attitude
Subjective norms: referent belief x motivations to comply = normative belief one is
only likely to experience social pressure from particular referents if one is motivated to
comply with those referents
Theory of Planned Behavior
Behavior is only dependent on personal agency (formation of an intention), and
control over behavior (personal resources/environmental determinants of behavior) is
relative unimportant
Extends the theory of reasoned action by including perceived behavioral control as
determinant of both behavioral intention & behavior holding intention constant,
greater perceived control will increase the likelihood that the behavior will be
performed successfully
Perceived behavioral control is the 3rd determinant of intention: the easier a behavior,
the more likely one will intend to perform it
Strength: its broad applicability across numerous disciplines (nursing, info technology,
social policy and sociology)
Zajonc & Markus (1982). Affective and Cognitive Factors in Preferences
Preference: a tendency to approach X more often and strongly than Y, because X has a
greater utility/value than Y
How are preferences acquired & how are these preferences modified?
In attempts to change a given preference, it’s necessary to identify the features of the
object and try to influence the person’s evaluation of these features.
Preferences through cognition
Affect in preferences attaches itself to cognitive representations of the properties and
attributes of the object: before you can like something, you must know what it is
2
, However, because experience also can influence preferences, sometimes it might be the
function of bad/good experiences with alternatives, rather than the features of a product
affective responses (preference) may be independent of cognition, in contrast with
traditional view
Preferences through exposures
Exposure effect: when objects are presented to the individual frequently, the attitude
toward this objects become more positive recognition is a factor that could influence
affective ratings of the stimuli, but isn’t a necessary factor (in contrast with traditional
view)
Affective cognitive factors in attitudes
Preferences acquired in childhood are formed primarily on affective basis
Later preferences have as their basis a rich cognitive structure
How to change attitudes
Attitudes that have a emotional basis and are developed on affective basis, can be
changed only by methods that have a direct emotional influence and that bypass
cognitive components
Preference by cognition can be changed only in early stages of preference formation,
because when a preference has been built up from cognitions its affect may become
partly independent of the original cognitive elements one begins to like an object
because of repeated exposure
Peter & Olson (2001). Consumer Behavior and Marketing Strategy
Chapter 1
Companies are changing to serve consumers better because:
1. Dramatic success of Japanese companies that provide consumers with high value
products
2. Increase in quality of consumer and marketing research. Due to technological changes
companies now have access to consumer info, allowing them to better implement the
marketing concept
3. Development of internet as a marketing tool, what reduces marketing costs
opportunity for small entrepreneurs
Consumer behavior: the dynamic interactions of affect and cognition, behavior, and the
environment by which human beings conduct the exchange aspects of their lives
CB is:
Dynamic: consumers and environment are constantly changing strategies that
work at one time/market may fail at other times/markets
About interaction: involves interactions between all elements (thinking, feeling,
actions, environment) understand how these interactions influence consumers to
create value
About exchanges of value doesn’t necessarily equal money or profit!
CB involves:
Affect: emotions, feelings, moods, attitudes
Cognition: memory (knowledge, meanings, beliefs) & processes (attention,
understanding, remembering, evaluation, decision)
Behavior: product purchase, shop visits, info search, complaints, etc.
Environment: social stimuli (culture, social class, reference group, family) & physical
stimuli (locations, stores, products, personnel, etc.)
Approaches to study CB
1. Interpretive approach: develop understanding of consumption and its meaning
description
3
1) Intro to CB
Core questions: HOW do consumers behave? WHY do they behave that way? What are
the IMPLICATIONS for organizations?
Why do we study CB?
We (technically) can
We should: link to marketing (create, communicate, deliver value) and link to
consumer research (research & marketing practice)
We like to: everyone is a consumer in daily life
Difference between consumer & customer
Consumers are the people who use the product/services, also children
Customers are the one who make the decision and pay the product/service
Consumer behavior: the dynamic interaction of affect & cognition, behavior, and the
environment by which human beings conduct the exchange aspects to their lives
Wheel of consumer analysis
Consumer responses could be mental responses (cognitive & affective) or behavioral
responses (attitudes & preference) both influenced by the consumer environment
Relationships
1. Evaluations (attitudes/preferences) shaped/modified by affect or cognition?
Affect follows cognition: to like something, we must know what it is!
Preferences are based on exposure and not necessarily on (re)cognition
2. When are evaluations (attitudes/preferences) converted into behavior?
What people say they do, or plan to do, may not predict what they will do
How to change attitudes? Relevant for positioning, marketing communication, branding
Cognitive persuasive info (attributes, benefits, arguments)
Affective aim at affective components
Contingency thinking: attitudes don’t always predict behavior it depends on: which
factors? What is their influence? When do they matter?
3 M’s that influence attitude-behavior relationship:
Measurement: reliability (same outcome? reliable vs. valid) & scales (different scales)
Moderators: influences (strength of) relationship between A and B
Mediators: act as an intermediary between A and B no direct effect between
attitudes and behavior, but mediated by intensions
Armitage & Christian (2003). From Attitudes to Behavior
Moderator: Partitions a focal independent variable into subgroups that establish its
domains of maximal effectiveness in regard to a given dependent variable
Attitude strength: stronger attitudes are likely to be more predictive of people’s
behavior than weak attitudes attitudes are more predictive of behavior if they are:
univalent rather than ambivalent, accessible in memory & personally involving
Principle of correspondence: the way in which attitudes and behaviors are measured
However, a problem with the key moderator attitude strength is that there are many
different measures of attitude strength, which seem to act independently of one another.
1
, Mediator: Generative mechanism through which the focal independent variable is able to
influence the dependent variable of interest
Behavioral intentions: motivation required to perform a particular behavior, reflecting
an individual’s decision to follow a course of action, as well as an index of how hard
people are willing to try and perform the behavior move away from traditional view:
rather than attitudes being related directly to behavior, they only serve to direct
behavior to the extent that they influence intentions
Theory of Reasoned Action
Goes further than the inclusion of intention as a mediator of the attitude-behavior
relationship
It holds that attitude (overall positive/negative evaluations of behavior) is only one
determinant of intention and that social pressure (subjective norms) is also likely to
determine intentions
Attitude: outcome belief x outcome evaluations = behavioral belief only outcomes
that are valued are likely to impact upon one’s attitude
Subjective norms: referent belief x motivations to comply = normative belief one is
only likely to experience social pressure from particular referents if one is motivated to
comply with those referents
Theory of Planned Behavior
Behavior is only dependent on personal agency (formation of an intention), and
control over behavior (personal resources/environmental determinants of behavior) is
relative unimportant
Extends the theory of reasoned action by including perceived behavioral control as
determinant of both behavioral intention & behavior holding intention constant,
greater perceived control will increase the likelihood that the behavior will be
performed successfully
Perceived behavioral control is the 3rd determinant of intention: the easier a behavior,
the more likely one will intend to perform it
Strength: its broad applicability across numerous disciplines (nursing, info technology,
social policy and sociology)
Zajonc & Markus (1982). Affective and Cognitive Factors in Preferences
Preference: a tendency to approach X more often and strongly than Y, because X has a
greater utility/value than Y
How are preferences acquired & how are these preferences modified?
In attempts to change a given preference, it’s necessary to identify the features of the
object and try to influence the person’s evaluation of these features.
Preferences through cognition
Affect in preferences attaches itself to cognitive representations of the properties and
attributes of the object: before you can like something, you must know what it is
2
, However, because experience also can influence preferences, sometimes it might be the
function of bad/good experiences with alternatives, rather than the features of a product
affective responses (preference) may be independent of cognition, in contrast with
traditional view
Preferences through exposures
Exposure effect: when objects are presented to the individual frequently, the attitude
toward this objects become more positive recognition is a factor that could influence
affective ratings of the stimuli, but isn’t a necessary factor (in contrast with traditional
view)
Affective cognitive factors in attitudes
Preferences acquired in childhood are formed primarily on affective basis
Later preferences have as their basis a rich cognitive structure
How to change attitudes
Attitudes that have a emotional basis and are developed on affective basis, can be
changed only by methods that have a direct emotional influence and that bypass
cognitive components
Preference by cognition can be changed only in early stages of preference formation,
because when a preference has been built up from cognitions its affect may become
partly independent of the original cognitive elements one begins to like an object
because of repeated exposure
Peter & Olson (2001). Consumer Behavior and Marketing Strategy
Chapter 1
Companies are changing to serve consumers better because:
1. Dramatic success of Japanese companies that provide consumers with high value
products
2. Increase in quality of consumer and marketing research. Due to technological changes
companies now have access to consumer info, allowing them to better implement the
marketing concept
3. Development of internet as a marketing tool, what reduces marketing costs
opportunity for small entrepreneurs
Consumer behavior: the dynamic interactions of affect and cognition, behavior, and the
environment by which human beings conduct the exchange aspects of their lives
CB is:
Dynamic: consumers and environment are constantly changing strategies that
work at one time/market may fail at other times/markets
About interaction: involves interactions between all elements (thinking, feeling,
actions, environment) understand how these interactions influence consumers to
create value
About exchanges of value doesn’t necessarily equal money or profit!
CB involves:
Affect: emotions, feelings, moods, attitudes
Cognition: memory (knowledge, meanings, beliefs) & processes (attention,
understanding, remembering, evaluation, decision)
Behavior: product purchase, shop visits, info search, complaints, etc.
Environment: social stimuli (culture, social class, reference group, family) & physical
stimuli (locations, stores, products, personnel, etc.)
Approaches to study CB
1. Interpretive approach: develop understanding of consumption and its meaning
description
3
