Models of Attitude

1. Tri-Component Model

According to tri-component attitude model, attitudes consist of three major components, a cognitive component, an affective component, and a behavioral component. These three components are illustrated in Figure and discussed as follows:

Initiator	Component	Component Manifestation	Attitude
Stimuli : Products situations, retail outlets, sales personnel, advertisement and other attitude objects	Affective	Emotions or feelings about specific attributes or overall object	Overall orientation towards object
	Cognitive	Belief about specific attributes or overall object
	Behavioral	Behavioral intentions with respect to specific attributes or overall
Source : Del I. Hawkins, Roger J Best and Kenneth A Coney, “Consumer Behavior, “Seventh Edition, McGraw Hill Company, 1998

• Affective Component: A consumers‟ emotions or feelings about a particular product or brand constitute the affective component of an attitude. These emotions and feelings are evaluative in nature, because of this nature, an individual rate an object either “favorable” or “unfavorable”. When a consumer „likes‟ or „dislikes‟ a product, it is an evaluation based on a vague, general feeling without cognitive information or beliefs about the product. Or, it may be the result of several evaluations of the product’s performance on each of several attributes. Affect laden experiences also manifest themselves as emotionally charged states (e.g., happiness, sadness, shame, disgust, anger, distress, and guilt). Such emotional states may enhance or amplify positive or negative experiences. A consumer’s affective reaction to a product may change as the situation changes. Due to unique motivations and personalities, past experiences, reference groups, and physical conditions, the individuals may evaluate the same belief differently.
• Cognitive Component: The cognitive component consists of a consumer’s beliefs about an object. It includes the knowledge and perceptions that are acquired by a combination of direct experience with the attitude object and related information from various sources. This knowledge and resulting perceptions commonly take the form of beliefs. The total configuration of beliefs about a brand represents the cognitive component of an attitude towards as product.
• Behavioral / Conations Component: This represents one’s tendency to respond in a certain manner toward an object or activity. According to some interpretations, the cognitive component may include the actual behavior itself. In pure marketing terms it relates to the consumer’s intention to buy. That is, behavioral intentions. A series of decisions to purchase or other brand to friends would reflect the behavioral component of an attitude.

 

2. Multi – Attribute Attitude Model:

Multi – attribute attitude model examines attitudes in terms of selected product attributes or beliefs. There are many variations of this model but Martin Fishbein and his associates has done great amount of research on it.

It is important for businesses to know whether consumers have favourable or unfavourable attitudes toward their products, it is also important to understand the reason for these attitudes. Traditionally, to understand this, the cognitive component of attitude is studied.

Now, more emphasis is aid upon the important beliefs a person holds about the attitude object. This is explained by Fishbein in the various models, we will study attitude toward – object model, the attitude – toward – behaviour model and the theory – of – reasoned – action model.

3. Attitude-Toward-the-Ad Models:

In today’s scenario, where half of the business is fetched alone through advertising, the need for understanding the impact of advertising on consumer attitudes toward particular products or brands has increased. Advertisers have paid a considerable attention in developing attitude – toward – the – ad models.

The consumer forms various judgments and feelings as and when exposed to an ad. These judgments and feelings in turn affect the consumer’s attitude toward the ad and beliefs about the brand acquired from exposure to the ad.

This model says that to assess consumers attitudes toward an ad it is important to distinguish between cognitive evaluations of the ad (i.e., whether it is informative or humorous) and affective responses toward the ad (feelings like sense of fear, or smile or laughter etc.) and also measures them separately.

According to this model, researcher suggests that the feelings conveyed by an ad not only influences the attitude toward the ad but also affect the consumers evaluations of the brand and also the attitude towards the brand.

However, if the gap appears after exposure of an ad (around one weak) the positive effect of a liked ad on the attitude towards a brand may change. This usually happens when the purchase action is postponed or delayed by the consumer after an exposure of ad.