Unit 4 – Learning and memory
Definition
A relatively permanent change in behaviour caused by experience
Theories of Learning
Learning is the change in behaviour that experience causes. It can occur through simple
associations between a stimulus and a response or through a complex series of cognitive
activities.
Behavioural Learning Theories
Focuses on stimulus response
The action that comes out of the stimulus
Consumers are conditioned and the condition comes from learning
Classical Conditioning
o Stimulus that elicits a response paired with a stimulus that initially doesn’t illicit a
response
o Involuntary, it just happens
o Unconditioned response, normal reaction, then a conditioned stimulus is introduced
and over time the stimulus will lead to a conditioned response
Marketing Application
o When we repeat something over and over to consumers they remember better
o Such as an advert
o More the brand is exposes to consumers the more awareness they have
o When exposure deceases extinction occurs and the consumer forgets
o Too much exposure leads to advertising wearing out
o There needs to be a balance between repeating the right amount and not leading to
advertising wear out
o Consumers can be taught to associate good things with your brands, by increasing
positive associations there will be a more positive response to the brand and it will
be more successful
o Stimulus can be generalised, be similar, and still have the same response
- Family branding
- Product line extension, positive meaning attached to a brand can be
extended to new products
- Licensing, renting the name and the product quality is the same wherever
you go
- Look-alike packaging, products that look similar to original products to get
the same response from consumers.
o Stimulus discrimination
- Discriminating between two stimulus weakening the effect of the stimulus
Definition
A relatively permanent change in behaviour caused by experience
Theories of Learning
Learning is the change in behaviour that experience causes. It can occur through simple
associations between a stimulus and a response or through a complex series of cognitive
activities.
Behavioural Learning Theories
Focuses on stimulus response
The action that comes out of the stimulus
Consumers are conditioned and the condition comes from learning
Classical Conditioning
o Stimulus that elicits a response paired with a stimulus that initially doesn’t illicit a
response
o Involuntary, it just happens
o Unconditioned response, normal reaction, then a conditioned stimulus is introduced
and over time the stimulus will lead to a conditioned response
Marketing Application
o When we repeat something over and over to consumers they remember better
o Such as an advert
o More the brand is exposes to consumers the more awareness they have
o When exposure deceases extinction occurs and the consumer forgets
o Too much exposure leads to advertising wearing out
o There needs to be a balance between repeating the right amount and not leading to
advertising wear out
o Consumers can be taught to associate good things with your brands, by increasing
positive associations there will be a more positive response to the brand and it will
be more successful
o Stimulus can be generalised, be similar, and still have the same response
- Family branding
- Product line extension, positive meaning attached to a brand can be
extended to new products
- Licensing, renting the name and the product quality is the same wherever
you go
- Look-alike packaging, products that look similar to original products to get
the same response from consumers.
o Stimulus discrimination
- Discriminating between two stimulus weakening the effect of the stimulus
