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Unit 13: Consumer Decision-making Process

Notes
Figure 13.3: A Simple Model of Consumer Decision-making

13.3.3 Extended Decision-making Process

Consumer purchases involving extended decision making correspond most closely to the
traditional decision making perspective. Such decisions involve extensive internal (long-term
memory) and external (outside sources) information search followed by a rigorous evaluation
of several alternatives because consumers do not possess any meaningful information about the
product or service and need much of it. The evaluation often involves careful consideration of
attributes of one brand at a time and taking stock of how the attributes of each brand measure up
to a set of desired characteristics. All this happens in response to a high level of consumer’s
involvement in making a purchase decision. Such complex decisions are relatively few and may
relate to buying a computer, stereo system, washing machine, laser printer, or a new house etc.
Post purchase evaluation is more likely to be complex and dissonance causing.

Extended decision making may also be involved in certain emotional decisions such as choosing
a birthday gift for the girl friend, decision to buy jewellery for the wife, choosing a designer
dress, or buying a holiday abroad with family etc. Some of these decisions may appear to be
related to cognitive effort, however, the needs being met and the criteria being evaluated are
largely emotions or feelings rather than product or service attributes. Because of the involvement
of emotions or feelings, there is less external information to search for.

Task Consider a few products that you buy. Which products required a high
involvement and which required a low involvement? Divide them on the basis of nominal,
limited and extended decision making. Plot them on a graph as shown in Figure 13.2. Is
your graph similar?

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