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Unit 8: Learning and Attitude

Self Assessment Notes

Fill in the blanks:
1. …………………. is anything that increases the strength of response and tends to induce
repetitions of the behaviour that preceded it.

2. ………………….. branding refers to the practice of marketing the entire product mix of a
company under the same family brand name.
3. ……………………. is the strategy of introducing variations of the same product.

4. ………………… learning theories are sometimes also referred to as connectionist or
stimulus–response theories.
5. ………………. learning theory is quite relevant in understanding the consumer decision
process in situations of high-involvement purchases.
6. ……………… is the driving force that impels individuals to action and is the result of
unfulfilled need(s).
7. ………………… are relatively weak stimuli, not strong enough to arouse consumers but
have the potential of providing direction to motivated activity.
8. When an attempt is made to mould individuals by gradually guiding their learning, it is
called ……………..

8.4 Attitude

Consumer attitudes are a composite of a consumer's (1) beliefs about, (2) feelings about, (3) and
behavioral intentions toward some object–within the context of marketing, usually a brand or
retail store. These components are viewed together since they are highly interdependent and
together represent forces that influence how the consumer will react to the object.

Figure 8.4: Consumer Attitudes

AFFECT
BELIEFS
(FEELING)

BEHAVIORAL
INTENTIONS

1. Beliefs: The first component is beliefs. A consumer may hold both positive beliefs toward
an object (e.g., coffee tastes good) as well as negative beliefs (e.g., coffee is easily spilled
and stains papers). In addition, some beliefs may be neutral (coffee is black), and some
may be differ in valance depending on the person or the situation (e.g., coffee is hot and
stimulates–good on a cold morning, but not good on a hot summer evening when one
wants to sleep). Note also that the beliefs that consumers hold need not be accurate (e.g.,
that pork contains little fat), and some beliefs may, upon closer examination, be
contradictory (e.g., that a historical figure was a good person but also owned slaves).

LOVELY PROFESSIONAL UNIVERSITY 153