Chap # 8: Consumer Attitude

Formation & Change

Name: Faria Noor
SAP No: 6846
 Attitudes
■ The definition of an attitude is a way of feeling or acting toward a person, thing or situation.
OR a feeling or opinion about something or someone, or a way of behaving.

Attitude in reference to Consumer Behavior:

 Attitude in consumer behaviour refers to a way of Thinking or behaviour of a person towards a
product or service which is developed through his past purchase experiences, use, knowledge
beliefs etc.
 For Example:
A person can have a positive or a negative attitude towards a service or product for example elders
usually have a negative attitude towards fast food as they consider it and unhealthy but youngsters
have a positive attitude towards fast food
The attitude “object”

■ It is important to understand these four concepts. The first is that we must clearly
define the object which we are discussing or measuring the attitude toward. Is it a
product category, a specific brand, or a particular model?

■ Object refers to such things as; product, product category , brand, service, price,
packaging etc.

■ Examples;
– consumer attitude towards online shopping
– consumer attitude towards mobile services
Attitudes are a learned predisposition(tendency)
■ The second is the agreement among researchers that attitudes are learned, this means that
they are formed through

– direct experience with the product

– Word of mouth information acquired from others
– Mass media advertising

■ Attitudes are learned predispositions to respond in a consistent way (favourable or

unfavorable way)

■ attitudes have a motivational quality; that is they might propel consumer towards a particular
behaviour or repel the consumer away from a particular behaviour
Attitudes have consistency

■ Attitudes are consistent with behaviors, they are not necessarily permanent and can
change over time.
■ Consistency is the most important characteristic of an attitude
■ For example if a person has a belief that imported goods are more reliable than the
local goods, then he will develop a consistent attitude of preferring imported brands
instead of local brands
■ But matter of affordability may intervene, and the consumer has to buy local cheaper
brand instead of the imported one.
Attitudes occur within a situation

■ We all know how our attitude can be affected by a situation – Events or circumstances
that, at a particular point in time, influence the relationship between an attitude and
behaviour
■ Think about the times you have to eat foods that are not necessarily your favorite but
they are what is available or what you are being served at a friend’s house.
■ How attitudes affect behaviour depends on the situation in which the behaviour occurs.
Thus a specific situation may cause consumers to behave in ways that are inconsistent
with their attitudes