Essay on Using Attitudes to Predict Consumer Behavior part 2
Essay on Using Attitudes to Predict Consumer Behavior part 1
In fact, marketers are interested in the major causes of attitude’s failure to predict consumer behavior. The TORA Model is used to determine the factors, which affect consumers in their decisions to purchase products (Hoyer, 2012). There are several factors that influence consumer behavior and can create certain barriers to predicting consumer behavior:
- Level of involvement. It is known that attitudes may predict consumer behavior if an individual’s cognitive involvement is rather high. In this case, consumers effectively use the information that “gives raise to their attitudes” (Hoyer, 2012, p. 146). If the level of involvement is low, attitudes are not strong enough and are less predictable. In other words, the attitude-behavior relationship is weak if consumers fail to “resolve the inconsistency through elaboration” (Hoyer, 2012, p. 146).
- Consumer knowledge and experience. Attitudes can predict behavior if consumers have enough knowledge and experience about the object of the attitude (Hoyer, 2012). On the other hand, low level of knowledge and experience can become an important barrier to predicting consumer behavior (Hoyer, 2012).
- Analysis of the key reasons. Hoyer (2012) suggests that “attitudes are more strongly related to behavior when they are accessible or top of mind” (p.147). This fact means that attitudes have little impact on behavior if accessibility of attitudes is rather low. For example, the reduced attitude accessibility for some attributed of a product.
- Emotional attachment. High level of emotional attachment can be viewed as a strong predictor of consumer behavior. The higher is the consumers’ emotional attachment to the brand, the more likely they will be involved in purchasing process (Hoyer, 2012).
- Normative factors. Normative factors affect attitude-behavior relationship. In some cases, normative beliefs create barriers to predicting consumer behavior. Some consumers are more motivated to follow the established norms, while others violate these norms (Hoyer, 2012).
- Situational factors. Situational factors create barriers to predicting behavior. In some cases, these factors may prevent a consumer behavior from being performed. In other cases, situational factors may change attitude. As a result, the attitude-behavior relationship becomes rather weak (Hoyer, 2012).
Besides, Geoffrey P. Lantos (2010) suggests that problems with predicting consumer behavior may be connected with personality traits. Attitudes are closely connected with personality traits, which can be found in observable behavior of an individual (Lantos, 2010). Both attitudes and personality traits can be used to give explanation to an individual’s behavior (Lantos, 2010).
Marketing practitioners argue that consumers use brands in order to develop and assess their unique and memorable experiences. As a result, marketers highlight the importance of the concept of brand experience in predicting consumer behavior. Lia Zarantonello and Bernd H Schmitt (2010) have conducted a research that helps to address the issue regarding the relationships between attitudes’ failure to predict consumer behavior. They assume thatdifferent consumers have different experiences and, as a result, different experiential appeals (Zarantonello &Schmitt, 2010). They explore experiential types moderate the relationships between brand attitude and consumer behavior and intention. Researchers have found that there are several types of consumers, who demonstrate different attitudes and behavior: “hedonistic, action-oriented, holistic, inner-directed, and utilitarian consumers” (Zarantonello &Schmitt, 2010, p. 532). Besides, the relationship between consumer attitudes, behaviors and intentions is the most powerful for holistic consumers, whilethe weakest relationship is for utilitarian consumers (Ajzen, 2005; Zarantonello & Schmitt, 2010).
The major causes of the attitude-behavior gap prevalence
The attitude-behavior gap might be prevalent due to a variety of factors, including market and environmental factors, as well as personal and informative factors (Devinney et al.,2010). Ethical issues play an important role in consumer purchasing decisions. Recent research point out to the fact that there is a gap between consumer attitudes (what consumers are planning to do) and consumer behaviors (what consumers actually do) (Zarantonello & Schmitt, 2010;Devinney et al., 2010). This phenomenon is defined as attitude-behavior gap. Researchers suggest that it is necessary to fill the gap through the proper understanding and analysis of the consumer rationalizations that can justify their behavior and decisions in order to develop effective strategies that will help to promote and enhance behavioral change (Devinney et al.,2010). Special attention should be paid not only to the relationship between attitudes and consumer beliefs, but also to purchase intention or consumer behavior.
The attitude-behavior gap can be assessed by the Attitude and Attitude Strength, Consideration and Choice (A2SC2) Model, which assumes the influence of attitudes on consideration and choice. Researchers state that “attitude strength moderates the influence of attitudes on consideration, such that attitudes guide consideration more for strongly held attitudes than for weakly held attitudes and consideration of a brand mediates the influence of attitudes and attitude strength on choice” (Priester et al., 2004, p.574). Researchers compare consumer behavior and attitudes of Health Enthusiasts and Organic Idealists and find the attitude-behavior gap. Organic Idealists and Health Enthusiasts demonstrate positive attitudes toward purchasing organic food (Priester et al., 2004).
The attitude-behavior gap stands for the discrepancy between consumer’s intentions and consumers’ actions. This gap poses a serious threat to sustainable development supported by consumer behaviors. According to Hans C.M. van Trijp and Arnout R. H. Fischer (2010), sustainable consumption depends of the gap between attitudes and behaviors, which can be explained by the application of social dilemma theory, consumers’ value orientations, and other theories. In order to bridge the attitude-behavior gap, it is recommended to use the proper techniques and strategies from commercial marketing with the major goal – to promote sustainable development. Researchers state that “social marketing of sustainability is based on the voluntary increase in consumer motivation, opportunity and ability towards behaving sustainably” (Trijp & Fischer, 2010, p. 73). In other words, the attitude-behavior gap involves consumers’ concern on sustainability of their choice and the lack of performance of their actual choice behaviors (Trijp & Fischer, 2010).
Conclusion
Thus, it is necessary to conclude that the use of consumer attitudes to predict consumer behavior is not always helpful. Consumer attitudes can be viewed as both an obstacle to a marketer and a benefit. Those marketers who ignore consumer attitudes of a product or service do not succeed in developing effective marketing strategies because of certain limitations. In contrast, those marketers, who have a deep understanding of consumer attitudes, may predict the behavior of consumers. They should be able to distinguish the existing differences between consumer beliefs, attitudes, intentions and behaviors, as well as to take into consideration the fact that attitudes may not always help to predict behavior.The Theory of Reasoned Action and the Theory of Planned Behavior help to give explanation to consumers’ intention of being involved in consumer behavior. In general, consumer attitudes reflect consumers’ evaluation of a product or service and personal motives, which affect consumer behavior and purchasing habits of consumers. The attitude-behavior gap might be prevalent because of a variety of factors, including market, environmental, personal and informative factors. Attitudes may not always be helpful in predicting consumer behavior.
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