25-10-2024

UNITED UNIVERSITY
FACULTY OF COMMERCE & MANAGEMENT

MBA – SEMESTER – III

(ELECTIVE SPECIALIZATION - MARKETING)

SUBECT NAME – CONSUMER BEHAVIOR

SUBECT CODE – CMPMA3101T
DND

UNIT - 4 INDIVIDUAL INFLUENCES

ON CONSUMER BEHAVIOR

DND

MOTIVATION
• Motivation is the word derived from the word ’motive’ which
means needs, desires, wants or drives within the individuals.
• Motivation refers to the inner state of arousal that leads people
to behave the way they do. It occurs when a need is aroused
within the consumer that they have to satisfy.
• If that need, is not satisfied then the consumer will undergo a
certain amount of tension – the greater the need the more
intense is the state of tension.
• The outcomes of high motivation include goal-relevant behaviour,
high-effort information processing and high levels of
involvement.
Dr. Nishant Dabhade

1
 25-10-2024

“The concept of motivation is

mainly psychological. It relates
to those factors or forces
operating with the individual
which impel him to act or not to
act in certain ways.”
Dalton e. McFarland

NEED ACTION SATISFACTION

Dr. Nishant Dabhade

Consumer Motivation
• The study of consumer motivation essentially addresses
the question: “Why do people shop?” The answer, really, is
that people shop for a variety of reasons and it is very
difficult to make generalizations.
• One of the most influential studies of consumer motivation
is that conducted by Tauber (1972). According to Tauber,
there are two main categories of motivation for shopping:
(refer to next slide)

DND

1. Personal Motives
• Role Playing – some shopping activities are associated with
a particular role in society (housewife, mother, student, etc).
• Diversion – shopping can be a form or recreation, or an
escape from daily routine.
• Self-Gratification – shopping can be mood-related, for
instance where people engage in “retail therapy” to cheer
themselves up or alleviate depression.
• Learning – shopping is an ideal way to learn about new
fashions and trends.

DND

2
 25-10-2024

• Physical Activity – for some people, a stroll around the

mall can be their main form of exercise.
• Sensory Stimulation – shoppers often report that they
enjoy handling merchandise, the sounds of background
music, the scents of perfume counters, etc, and visit stores
or malls to indulge in this.

DND

2. Social Motives
• Social Interaction – people enjoy the opportunities for social
interaction with friends, strangers, sales staff, etc.
• Peer Affiliation – certain shops allow customers mix with key
reference groups; e.g. people with shared interests, members of
a social category they either belong to or aspire to, etc.
• Status & Authority – shopping experiences are sometimes seen
as ways of commanding respect and attention; e.g. during
encounters with sales staff.
• Pleasure of Bargaining – some shoppers love to “haggle”, a
way of obtaining goods at a better price or of priding oneself on
the ability to make “wise” purchases.
DND

EMOTIONAL V/s RATIONAL MOTIVES

• Traditionally, the term rationality is associated with persons
who are carefully weigh the pros and cons of all the
alternatives and then choose the one that gives them the
greatest utility.
• We can say that consumers who are rational generally select
the goals after ascertaining the various objective criteria such
as size, weight price etc.
• As opposed to this, emotional motives are those goals, which
are selected on the basis of emotions involvement. Most of the
time, we select such goals purely on the basis of emotion’s
involvement.
DND

3
 25-10-2024

POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE MOTIVATION

• Motivation can be either positive or negative. A positive motivation
happens when an individual experiences a driving force towards an
object or person or situation. This is also called person motivation.
• On the other hand, a driving force compelling the person to move away
from someone or something will be known as negative motivation.
• Lets take an example. Lets say one of our students Rajesh, joins an
organisation as an executive. After some time he gets promoted, and
transferred to a new place. He then join the local club (a positive goal)
so as to gain social recognition and make new friends.
• His wife may join the kitty parties held by other executive’s wives to
avoid a negative goal (ridiculed by others as an unsocial person).
• So we see in the above example how both positive and negative goals
can motivate a person’s behaviour.
DND

POSITIVE MOTIVATION NEGATIVE MOTIVATION

DND

MASLOW’S NEED HIERARCHY THEORY

• Abraham Maslow developed the need hierarchy theory where he
had explained that people are motivated by different needs like
the physiological needs, security and safety needs, social needs,
esteem needs and self actualization needs, the people desire to
fulfil their higher order need will motivate them.
• Once a need is being fulfilled the individual seeks to fulfil other
needs in the hierarchy, so once say social needs are being fulfilled
the individual will seek to fulfil the esteem needs which becomes
his motivation factor.
• So the managers can find out what can motivate a person and
then plan accordingly.
Dr. Nishant Dabhade

4
 25-10-2024

1) Physiological Needs:
• Physiological needs are the lowest level of Maslow’s
hierarchy of needs. This category includes those needs
which a consumer needs to satisfy first of all in order to
remain alive. It includes food to eat, house to live in, clothes
to wear and sleep for rest.
• Consumer’s motivation at this level derives from their
instinct to survive.
• For example, if someone is extremely hungry, it’s hard to
focus on anything else besides food. Another example of a
physiological need would be the need for adequate sleep.
Dr. Nishant Dabhade

2) Safety Needs:
• After having satisfied the physical needs a consumers thinks
of his safety. Safety, or security needs, relate to a person’s
need to feel safe and secure in their life and surroundings.
• To find stability and security, a person must consider their
physical safety. This means seeking protection from the
elements, violent conditions, or health threats and sickness.
• Additionally, an individual needs economic safety to live and
thrive in modern societies. This refers to the need for job
security, stable income, and savings. One method of achieving
economic safety is to learn proper investment strategies.
Dr. Nishant Dabhade

3) Social Needs:
• Man is a social being and wants to live in society with honour.
It is, therefore, necessary that he should have friends and
relatives with whom he can share his joys and sorrows.
• This level of the hierarchy outlines the consumer’s need for
friendship, family, and love. Humans have the need to give
and receive love; to feel like they belong in a group. When
deprived of these needs, individuals may experience
loneliness or depression.

Dr. Nishant Dabhade

5
 25-10-2024

4) Esteem Needs:
• They are called ego needs of consumers. It means everybody
wants to get a high status which may increase his power and
authority. Esteem needs are related to a person’s need to
gain recognition, status, and feel respected.
• Maslow broke up esteem needs into two categories: the need
for respect from others and the need for respect from
oneself.
• Respect from others relates to achieving fame, prestige, and
recognition. Respect from oneself relates to dignity,
confidence, competence, independence, and freedom.
Dr. Nishant Dabhade

5) Self Actualization Needs:

• Last of all consumers tries to satisfy his self actualization
need. It means that a man should become what he is capable
of. At this level, consumer strive to become the best that they
possibly can be.
• For example- a musician wants to be proficient in the art of
music, an artist wants to gain proficiency in creating works of
art and similarly, a poet wants to be an expert in the art of
writing poems.
• Other examples of famous self-actualized individuals
include Abraham Lincoln, Albert Einstein, and Mother Teresa.
Dr. Nishant Dabhade

Dr. Nishant Dabhade

6
 25-10-2024

HULL’S DRIVES REDUCTION THEORY

OF MOTIVATION
• Drive-reduction theory is based on the idea that the primary
motivation behind all human behaviour is to reduce ‘drives.’
• A ‘drive’ is a state of arousal or discomfort which is triggered by a
person’s physiological or biological needs such as hunger, thirst,
and the need for warmth.
• According to the theory, when a person’s drive emerges, they will
be in an unpleasant state of tension which causes them to
behave in such a way that this tension is reduced.
• To reduce the tension they feel, they will seek out ways to satisfy
their biological needs.
• Hull based his theory on the concept of homeostasis.
DND

Homeostasis
• Like a thermostat on an air conditioner, the body tries to
maintain homeostasis, the natural state of the body’s
systems, with goals, drives, and arousal in balance.
• When a drive or goal is aroused — for instance, when we
are hungry — the thermostat turns on and we start to
behave in a way that attempts to reduce the drive or meet
the goal (in this case to seek food).
• As the body works toward the desired end state, the
thermostat continues to check whether or not the end state
has been reached.
DND

• Eventually, the need or goal is satisfied (we eat), and the

relevant behaviours are turned off. The body’s thermostat
continues to check for homeostasis and is always ready to
react to future needs.
• Many homeostatic mechanisms, such as blood circulation
and immune responses, are automatic and non-conscious.
Others, however, involve deliberate action. Most drive states
motivate action to restore homeostasis using both
“punishments” and “rewards.”

DND

7
 25-10-2024

• Imagine that these homeostatic mechanisms are like

molecular parents. When you behave poorly by departing
from the set point (such as not eating or being somewhere
too cold), they raise their voice at you.
• You experience this as the bad feelings, or “punishments,” of
hunger, thirst, or feeling too cold or too hot.
• However, when you behave well (such as eating nutritious
foods when hungry), these homeostatic parents reward you
with the pleasure that comes from any activity that moves
the system back toward the set point.

DND

Drive Theory
• Lets start with an example. What is the longest you’ve ever
gone without eating? A couple of hours? An entire day? How
did it feel?
• Humans rely critically on food for nutrition and energy, and the
absence of food can create drastic changes, not only in
physical appearance, but in thoughts and behaviours.
• If you’ve ever fasted for a day, you probably noticed how
hunger (a form of “tension”) can take over your mind,
directing your attention to foods you could be eating (a cheesy
slice of pizza, or perhaps some cold ice cream), and motivating
you to obtain and consume these foods.
DND

• It’s not until you’ve eaten that your hunger begins to face
and the tension you have experienced disappears.
• Hunger is a drive state, an affective experience (something
you feel, like the sensation of being tired or hungry) that
motivates organs to fulfill goals that are generally beneficial
to their survival and reproduction.
• Drive-reduction theory suggests that human behaviour
results from wanting to reduce the drives we have. It is
thought that there are primary and secondary drives.

DND

8
 25-10-2024

• Primary drives are innate biological needs such as being

hungry or thirsty. Whereas secondary drives are those
learned through conditioning or association with a primary
drive, such as money and social acceptance.
• In order to minimise the discomfort that is being caused by
primary drives such as hunger, someone may go to the shop,
purchase food, cook it and then eat it.
• All these behaviours are caused by the drives according to
drive-reduction theory. After the individual’s needs are
fulfilled, they then reach homeostasis once again and the
drive to fulfil their needs is reduced.
DND

• Let us take an example to understand this well. Suppose you

are out in the Sun and feeling thirsty. Your behaviour will be
to seek and find out the nearest source of refreshment, a
small restaurant perhaps.
• Going by Hull’s theory it is most likely that you will prefer to
drink a cool drink, which has satisfied your thirst in the past,
‘Pepsi’ for instance. You may also go for something similar
like ‘Coca-Cola’ or try something new.
• If this new option is found to be satisfactory, then it is likely
to be selected next time you are thirsty.

DND

Hull’s Drives reduction Theory

DND

9
 25-10-2024

VROOM’S THEORY OF EXPECTANCY

• Vroom’s expectancy theory of motivation says that an
consumer’s motivation is affected by their expectations
about the future. Expectancy theory explains motivations
much differently than drive theory.
• While drive theory explains why we are motivated to eat,
drink, and sleep (to reduce tensions arising to unmet
needs—hunger, thirst, tiredness), expectancy theory explains
motivations where desirable outcomes can be achieved
through our effort and performance.

DND

According to expectancy theory, individuals ask themselves

three questions:

1. Expectancy
Whether the person believes that high levels of effort will lead to
outcomes of interest, such as performance or success. This
perception is labeled expectancy. For example, do you believe
that the effort you put forth in a class is related to performing
well in that class? If you do, you are more likely to put forth
effort.
Here the belief is that increased effort will lead to increased
performance i.e., if I work harder then it will be better.
DND

2. Instrumentality
• The degree to which the person believes that performance is
related to subsequent outcomes, such as rewards. This
perception is labeled instrumentality.
• For example, do you believe that getting a good grade in the
class is related to rewards such as getting a better job, or
gaining approval from your instructor, or from your friends or
parents? If you do, you are more likely to put forth effort.
• Here the belief is that if you perform well, then the outcome
will be a valuable one for me.

DND

10
 25-10-2024

3. Valence
• Valence is how much importance the individual places upon the
expected outcome. Finally, individuals are also concerned about
the value of the rewards awaiting them as a result of
performance. The anticipated satisfaction that will result from an
outcome is labeled valence.
• For example, do you value getting a better job, or gaining
approval from your instructor, friends, or parents? If these
outcomes are desirable to you, your expectancy and
instrumentality is high, and you are more likely to put forth effort.

Motivation = V * I * E
DND

DND

PERCEPTION
“ We don’t see things as they are,
We see things as we are”

Dr. Nishant Dabhade

11
 25-10-2024

CONCEPT
• A perception is a belief held by a person, or many people,
based upon how they see the world around them.
• It is the process of selecting, organizing and interpreting
information in order to make it meaningful to us. This input
of meaningful information results in decisions and actions.
• Consumer perception is defined as a process by which
consumers sense a marketing stimulus, and organize,
interpret, and provide meaning to it.
• The marketing stimuli may be anything related to the product
and/or brand, and any of the elements of the marketing mix.
Dr. Nishant Dabhade

• We can classify the marketing stimuli into two types, namely

primary or intrinsic and secondary or extrinsic.
• The primary or intrinsic stimuli comprise the product and its
components, namely brand name, label, package, contents,
and physical properties.
• The secondary or extrinsic stimuli comprise the form in
which the good or service offering is represented through
words, visuals, graphics, and the symbolism, or through
other cues such as price, outlet, salespeople, or marketing
communication.

DND

Perception is the process of interpreting something that we see

or hear in our mind and use it later to make a decision
regarding the marketing stimulus etc.
It can be divided into five types −

1. Perception of sound − The ability to receive sound by

identifying vibrations.
2. Perception of speech − The competence of interpreting
and understanding the sounds of language heard.
3. Perception of Touch − Identifying objects through
patterns of its surface by touching it.

12
 25-10-2024

4. Perception of Taste − The ability to receive flavor of

substances by tasting it through sensory organs known as
taste buds.
5. Perception of the social world − It permits people to
understand other individuals and groups of their social
world.
For Example − Priya goes to a restaurant and likes their
customer service, so she will perceive that it is a good place
to hang out and will recommend it to her friends, who may
or may not like it. Priya’s perception about the restaurant is
good.
Dr. Nishant Dabhade

PERCEPTUAL PROCESS
Perceptual process are the different stages of perception we go
through.
The different stages are −

1. Receiving
2. Selecting
3. Organizing
4. Interpreting
5. Response

Dr. Nishant Dabhade

1. Receiving
• Receiving is the first and most important stage in the
process of perception. The world is full of stimuli that can
attract our attention through various senses.
• It is the initial stage in which a person collects all
information and receives the information through the sense
organs.

Dr. Nishant Dabhade

13
 25-10-2024

2. Selecting
Selecting is the second stage in the process. Here a person doesn’t
receive the data randomly but selectively. A person selects some
information out of all in accordance with his interest or needs. The
selection of data is dominated by various external and internal
factors.
A. External factors − The factors that influence the perception of
an individual externally are intensity, size, contrast, movement,
repetition, familiarity, and novelty.
B. Internal factors − The factors that influence the perception of
an individual internally are psychological requirements, learning,
background, experience, self-acceptance, and interest.
Dr. Nishant Dabhade

3. Organizing
Keeping things in order or say in a synchronized way is organizing. In
order to make sense of the data received, it is important to organize
them.
We can organize the data by −
• Grouping them on the basis of their similarity, proximity, closure,
continuity.
• Establishing a figure ground is the basic process in perception.
Here by figure we mean what is kept as main focus and by ground
we mean background stimuli, which are not given attention.
• Perceptual constancy that is the tendency to stabilize perception so
that contextual changes don’t affect them.
Dr. Nishant Dabhade

4. Interpreting
Finally, we have the process of interpreting which means
forming an idea about a particular object depending upon the
need or interest. Interpretation means that the information we
have sensed and organized, is finally given a meaning by
turning it into something that can be categorized. It includes
stereotyping, halo effect (a form of stereotying) etc.

5. Response
The person is then turned into attitudes, motivations, feelings
and beliefs. Which will change the behavior of individual.
Dr. Nishant Dabhade

14
 25-10-2024

Perceptual Process
Selecting Stimuli
External factors : Nature,
Receiving Stimuli Location, Size, contrast,
(External & Internal) Movement, repetition, similarity
Internal factors : Learning,
needs, age, Interest

Organizing
Interpreting
Figure Background ,
Attribution ,Stereotyping, Perceptual Grouping
Halo Effect, Projection
( similarity, proximity,
closure, continuity)

Response
Hidden: Attitudes ,
Motivation, CONSUMER’S
Feeling PERCEPTION
Dr. Nishant Dabhade Overt: Behavior

ELEMENTS OF PERCEPTION
1. Sensation
• Sensory receptors are the human organs that receive
sensory inputs. Their sensory functions are to see, hear,
smell, taste and feel.
• Sensation is the immediate and direct response of the
sensory organs to stimuli. A stimulus may be any unit of
input to any of these senses.
• Examples of stimuli include products, packages, brand
names, advertisements and commercials.

DND

• Any and every stimulus that we are exposed to may not

catch our attention. This is because the stimulus lacks
strength and intensity. For example, a faint sound may not
be heard, or a light smell may go unnoticed.
• Further, the ability to detect a stimulus or variation in the
stimuli is determined by one’s threshold level.
• Sensory threshold is further elaborated upon by the two
sub-concepts, namely absolute threshold and differential
threshold. While absolute threshold is an absolute concept,
differential threshold is a relative concept.

DND

15
 25-10-2024

2. The absolute Threshold

• The lowest level at which an individual can experience a
sensation is called the absolute threshold.
• The point at which a person can detect a difference between
“something” and “nothing” is that person’s absolute threshold
for that stimulus.
• The minimum amount of strength or intensity that a stimulus
should possess to get noticed is referred to as absolute
threshold.
• It is the lowest level of stimulation at which an individual can
detect a sensory experience, and thus, identify a difference
between nothing’ and ‘something’.
DND

• At the two opposite ends of the threshold continuum lie the

subliminal and terminal thresholds.
• When a stimulus possesses strength or intensity that falls
below one’s absolute threshold for sensory reception and/or
conscious awareness, it is known as the subliminal threshold
(or subliminal perception or subliminal stimulation). In
subliminal threshold, the consumer subconsciously receives
information.
• On the other end, where the stimulus is so strong and
intense, and above one’s absolute threshold that it causes
discomfort and pain, it is known as the terminal threshold.
DND

• Those stimuli that lie at or above the absolute threshold, and

which we can easily detect, are called supraliminal. Marketers
should aim to project their brand through this threshold.
Needless to say that a stimulus should neither be subliminal,
as it would go unnoticed, nor be terminal, as it would be
shunned and ignored.
• Every individual has sensory receptors that have an absolute
threshold, which determines the lowest amount of stimulation
that can be detected.
• Thus, the absolute threshold varies from person to person.
The absolute threshold also varies with time, place, and
environment.
DND

16
 25-10-2024

3. The differential threshold

• The minimal difference that can be detected between two
similar stimuli is called the differential threshold or the just
noticeable difference.
• That is why it is also known as j.n.d. (or just noticeable
difference).
• The principle of just noticeable difference (j.n.d.) was first
proposed by the German psychophysicist Ernst Heinrich
Weber in the nineteenth century.

DND

• The greater or stronger the initial level of the characteristic or

the first stimulus itself, the greater or stronger the intensity of
change needed for the second stimulus so that a change can
be identified and perceived in the latter. The principle has also
come to be known as Weber’s Law.
• For example, a shirt that is priced at Rs. 500 could be placed
on a discount sale and offered at Rs. 480, but in case it is
priced at Rs. 2000, it should be placed on a discount sale of
Rs. 1750 to have the desired impact. Similarly, if the price of a
kilogram of sugar is increased by Rs. 2, the consumer may not
notice the change, but if it is increased by Rs. 10, the
consumer would immediately notice it.
DND

• Marketers should understand that while making changes in

their 4 Ps, the differential threshold must be kept in mind.
For changes like increased quantity at the same price, like
‘Buy 2 at the price of 1’ or ‘free 50 grams’, the j.n.d. should
be kept high again, so as to be immediately noticed and
perceived.
• On the other hand, for changes like reduction in product
quantity (or size) at the same price, the j.n.d. should be kept
low, so that the consumer does not perceive the reduction in
quantity in the product package.

DND

17
 25-10-2024

4. Subliminal perception
• Subliminal perceptions, also known as subliminal messages,
are messages, either visual or auditory, that are presented just
beyond the threshold of human perception.
• A subliminal perception may not be audible enough that the
conscious mind might register it but be audible enough for the
subconscious mind.
• Say you listened to a subliminal message that kept saying “I
am going to be a winner." If your conscious mind heard it, it
might be able to easily dismiss the message and say that
you’re not a winner and that you have a tendency to lose at
everything you try.
DND

• However, because your conscious mind cannot perceive the

message and therefore cannot resist it, your subconscious
mind is more likely to just take the message and accept it.
• For example; At first glance, the Amazon logo looks like it is
underlined by a smile, but look closer – the smile is actually
a kind of arrow! The smile at the bottom of the ‘AMAZ’
includes an arrowhead, starting at the A and ending with the
Z. The implication here is that consumers will always be
happy and satisfied doing business with Amazon because
they can find everything from A to Z in the company.

DND

DYNAMICS OF PERCEPTION
A Stimulus is a unit of any of the senses. And the study of
perception is largely the study of what we add to and subtract
from raw sensory inputs to produce our own picture of the
world and most of it is done subconsciously.
There are three aspects of perception:
1. Perpetual selection
2. Perpetual organisation
3. Perpetual interpretation

DND

18
 25-10-2024

1. Perpetual selection
• We are bombarded with lot of stimuli every minute of every
day and our selection of the stimuli depends on two major
factors, our previous experience which effects our
expectation and our motive at the moment of time like
needs, desires, interest and so on.
• People tend to ignore the stimuli that are irrelevant to their
needs. This helps a marketer decide the segments to which
the product can be targeted, this is where innovative
advertisements play a vital role.

DND

• Another important factor which determines the probability

of the stimuli to be perceived is the nature of the stimuli i:e
its physical attributes that is package design, brand name,
advertisements and commercials etc.

DND

2. Perpetual organisation
• We humans do not experience stimuli as separate and
discrete sensations rather we organise them into groups and
perceive them as unified wholes.
• The most basic principles of perceptual organisations are
Figure and Ground, Grouping and Closure.
• For example- After the destruction of World Trade Centre, if
we want to advertise an airline and feature a flying
aeroplane, photographed from the ground up, between two
glass high-rise building.

DND

19
 25-10-2024

• The viewer rather than focusing on the plane and the brand (i.e. The
Figure) will only think about the two tall towers (i:e The Ground) and
the plane crashing into them. Thus advertisers will have to plan their
advertisements carefully to make sure that the stimulus they want to
be noted is seen as the figure and not as ground.
• Similar with Grouping and Closure, individuals tend to group stimuli
and look for closure so that they form a unified picture or
impression.
• It is clear that perceptions are not equivalent to the raw sensory
input of discrete stimuli, rather people tend to add or subtract from
stimuli to which they are exposed according to their expectations
and motives, using generalized principles of organization.

DND

3. Perpetual interpretation
• Stimuli are highly ambiguous and are usually interpreted in
such a way that they serve to fulfill personal needs, wishes,
interest and so on.
• And how close these interpretations are to reality, depends
on the clarity of the stimulus, past experience, motives and
interests or in other words is highly subjective.
• And influences that tend to distort objective interpretation
include physical appearance, stereotypes, halo effects,
irrelevant cues, first impressions and the tendency to jump
into conclusions.
DND

CONSUMER ATTITUDE
• An attitude may be defined as a feeling of favourableness or
unfavourableness that an individual has towards an object,
person, thing or situation.
• It is a learned tendency to show and act based on evaluation
resulting in a feeling of like or dislike towards and object.
• Consumer attitude basically comprises of beliefs, feelings and
behavioral intentions towards some objects.

DND

20
 25-10-2024

• Belief plays a vital role for consumers because, it can be

either positive or negative towards an object. For example,
some may say tea is good and relieves tension, others may say
too much of tea is not good for health. Human beliefs are not
accurate and can change according to situations.

• Consumers have certain specific feelings towards some

products or brands. Sometimes these feelings are based on
certain beliefs and sometimes they are not. For example, an
individual feels uneasy when he thinks about cheese burst
pizza, because of the tremendous amount of cheese or fat it
has.
DND

• Behavioral intentions show the plans of consumers with

respect to the products. This is sometimes a logical result of
beliefs or feelings, but not always. For example, an
individual personally might not like a restaurant, but may
visit it because it is the hangout place for his friends.

DND

FUNCTIONS OF
ATTITUDE
1. Utilitarian Function:
• Attitude helps individuals in maximizing rewards and
minimizing punishments while interacting with individuals,
groups and situations in their environment. Utilitarian
attitudes lead to behaviour that enhances one’s interests.
• For example, someone may have a positive attitude towards
studying because they believe it will lead to good grades
and future success.

DND

21
 25-10-2024

2. Ego Defensive Function

• Attitudes are formed to protect the ego. We all are bothered
about our self-esteem and image so the product boosting
our ego is the target of such a kind of attitude. The ego-
defensive function refers to attitudes that protect our self-
esteem or justify actions that make us feel guilty.
• For example, an individual who is insecure about their
intellectual abilities may develop a negative attitude toward
academic institutions, viewing them as elitist and irrelevant

DND

3. Value Expression Function

Attitudes usually represent the values the individual posses. We gain
values, through our upbringing and training. Our value system
encourages or discourages us to buy certain products. For example,
our value system allows or disallows us to purchase products such
as cigarettes, alcohol, drugs, etc.

4. Knowledge Function
Individuals’ continuously seeks knowledge and information. When an
individual gets information about a particular product, he creates
and modifies his attitude towards that product.

DND

DIFFERENTIATION CHART

Function Meaning Objects of Examples

of of Attitudes
Attitudes function
Utilitarian provide Such products that - Complan helps
function utility. provide utility. children grow
faster and better.

Ego support a Such products that Park avenue Deo

defensive person’s relate to and support prevents body
function ego, self- a person’s ego, self- odour whole day
image and image and self- long.
self- concept.
concept.
DND

22
 25-10-2024

Value reflect values Such products Mercedes Benz,

expressive and lifestyle, that reflect values a car for the CEO
function personality and and lifestyle, or for the
self image, and personality and successful
self concept. self image, and businessman.
self concept.
Knowledge structure Such products Odomos
function knowledge and that structure mosquito
reaffirm it. knowledge and repellent is safe
reaffirm it; they for skin.
provide
conformance,
certainty and
reliability.

DND

MODELS OF ATTITUDE
1. Tri-component Attitude Model
The tri-component attitude model states that attitudes are
composed of three components, viz., a knowledge (cognitive)
component, feeling and emotional (affect) component and the
action (conative) component.

CONATION

COGNITION AFFECT

DND

Following are the three components:

A. Cognitive Component (awareness, comprehension,
knowledge)
B. Affective Component (evaluation, liking,
preference)
C. Conative Component (intention, trial, or purchase)

DND

23
 25-10-2024

1. Cognitive Component
• The first component is cognitive component. It consists of an
individual’s knowledge or perception towards few products or
services through personal experience or related information
from various sources.
• This knowledge, usually results in beliefs, which a consumer
has, and specific behavior.
• For example, Lets take an individual’s attitude toward a
particular brand of toothpaste. His cognitive component of
attitude toward the said brand, say, ‘Pepsodent,’ may be
expressed as, “Pepsodent whitens teeth.”

DND

• How does he say that this particular brand of toothpaste

whitens teeth?
• This is based on his cognition or knowledge about the
brand.
• And this cognition may be developed through reading,
listening to others, or through the experience.

DND

2. Affective Component
• The second part is the affective component. This consists of a
person’s feelings, sentiments, and emotions for a particular brand
or product.
• They treat them as the primary criteria for the purpose of
evaluation. The state of mind also plays a major role, like the
sadness, happiness, anger, or stress, which also affects the
attitude of a consumer.
• For example, if an individual believes that ‘Pepsodent’ toothpaste
whitens teeth (cognition), the affective component of his attitude
toward ‘Pepsodent’ may be expressed as: “I like Pepsodent.”

DND

24
 25-10-2024

3. Conative Component
• The last component is conative component, which consists of a
person’s intention or likelihood towards a particular product. It
usually means the actual behavior of the person or his intention.
• So, this is a tendency to behave in a particular way toward the
attitude object.
• For example, if an individual’s attitude toward ‘Pepsodent’ is
positive, he may be intending to buy or actually buy ‘Pepsodent’
toothpaste. This component of his attitude toward ‘Pepsodent’
may be expressed as: “I will buy Pepsodent” or “I regularly use
Pepsodent.”

DND

MULTI ATTRIBUTE ATTITUDE MODELS

• The Multi Attribute Model breaks down the consumer’s
overall attitude and behavior into smaller components.
These components could be perceived benefits, functions,
product features, etc., and are collectively known as Product
Attributes.
• Hence, it can be said that according to the Multi Attribute
Model, a consumer’s attitude towards a product is a function
of the consumer’s perception of the product features, and
their belief of the key attributes.

DND

The 3 types of Multi Attribute Models are as follows:

1. The Attitude-towards-Object Multi Attribute Model
2. The Attitude-towards-Behavior Multi Attribute Model
3. The Theory-of-Reasoned-Action Multi Attribute Model

DND

25
 25-10-2024

1) The Attitude-towards-Object Multi Attribute Model

• The Attitude-towards-Object Multi Attribute Model states that a
consumer’s attitude towards a product is a function of the
presence or absence of certain attributes, and the corresponding
evaluation of those attributes.
• For example, suppose a student has to make a decision of which
college he should join. The student starts listing all possible
attributes that can affect his decision and how important each of
these attributes are. The list of attributes may contain Academic
reputation, research, sports, location, fees etc.

DND

2. The Attitude-towards-Behavior Multi Attribute Model

• The Attitude-towards-Behavior Multi Attribute Model focuses
more on the consumer’s behavior towards the product rather
than the feeling or affect towards the attribute.
• The basic idea is that a consumer might have a positive
attitude towards various attributes that a product houses but
have a negative attitude towards subscribing to the product.
• For example, suppose an individual wants to buy a
smartphone for regular use. There are hundreds of options
available in today’s market.

DND

• The individual comes across Apple iPhone 16 Pro max which

costs around 1,85,000 INR.
• Upon going through all the available features, the individual
concludes that the iPhone is one of the best phones available
in the market with great features and quality support.
• This indicates that the individual formed an overall positive
attitude towards the product and had a high Attitude Score
for the Apple iPhone.

DND

26
 25-10-2024

3. The Theory-of-Reasoned-Action Multi Attribute Model

• This model helps you to know what and why of behaviour. It
gives better explanation and predictions of behaviour. The
theory-of-reasoned-action aims at analysing intentions vis-a-
vis motivations for a purchase behaviour.
• The individual's attitude is measured as a sum of objective
norm and subjective norm.
• Objective norms is measured as individual's belief for certain
outcomes after a purchase and the importance of those
outcomes.

DND

• Subjective norms are which influence an individual’s intention to act.

This can be assessed measuring a consumer’s feelings as to what means
to the others (family, relatives, friends, co-workers).
• For example, suppose there is a graduate student who wishes to
write the CAT exam to get admitted into a good institution for his
MBA. Then theory-of-Reasoned-Action Multi Attribute Model would
be as follows:

Behavior: Study hard for the CAT exam.

Intention: He wishes to get into a good institution so he wants to
ensure that his preparation is well enough to get a good score.

DND

Intention Impacted By:

• Consumer’s Attitude Towards Behavior: The student has a positive
attitude towards studying hard to get a good score.
• Subjective Norms: The student’s parents approve of his decision to go
abroad for higher education.

Consumer’s Attitude Impacted By:

• The Belief that Behavior Leads to Specific Outcomes: The student
believes that if he prepares well for the exam, he will get a good score.
• Evaluation of the Outcomes: A good CAT score will help him get
admission into a good institution.

DND

27
 25-10-2024

Subjective Norms Impacted By:

• Beliefs of Specific Referents: The student’s parents obviously want
him to do well in life and hence, want him to study hard and get
admission to a good institution.
• Motivation to Comply with Specific Referents: The student wants
to fulfill the wishes of his parents.

DND

All birds find shelter during a rain. But Eagle avoids rain by
flying above the clouds. Problems are common, but Attitude
makes the difference.
— Dr. A P J Abdul Kalam

THANK YOU
END OF
UNIT -4
Reference Books:
1. Schiffman Leon G. and Kanuk Leslie lazar- Consumer Behavoiur,
Pearson/ Prentice Hall.
2. Hawkins, Best and Coney- Consumer Behaviour, Tata Mc Graw Hill.
Dr. Nishant Dabhade

28