Consumer Attitude: Nature, Formation, and Tri-Component Model

Why does a consumer say, “I will never buy a car from that manufacturer,” while another swears that Apple iPhones are the only phones worth owning?

These enduring mental evaluations are Consumer Attitudes. An attitude serves as an internal compass, steering consumers toward brands they like and away from brands they dislike.

1. What is a Consumer Attitude?

According to Leon G. Schiffman: “An attitude is a learned predisposition to behave in a consistently favorable or unfavorable way with respect to a given object.”

Key Characteristics of Attitudes:

1. Attitudes are Learned: Consumers are not born with a preference for Nike or Coca-Cola; attitudes are formed through personal experience, family, peer advice, and advertising exposure.
2. Attitudes have Consistency: They are relatively stable over time. A consumer who loves Starbucks coffee will consistently choose it unless a significant negative event alters their view.
3. Attitudes Occur Within a Situation: Specific contexts trigger different attitude responses (e.g., a person may dislike sweet carbonated soda on winter mornings, but crave ice-cold soda after playing cricket in summer).

2. The Tri-Component Attitude Model

The most famous model in consumer attitude research portrays an attitude as consisting of three interrelated parts:

   ┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
   │ 1. COGNITIVE COMPONENT (Knowledge & Beliefs)           │
   │    "This electric scooter gives 140 km range per charge│
   │     and saves Rs. 4,000 monthly on petrol."            │
   └───────────────────────────┬────────────────────────────┘
                               │ leads to
                               ▼
   ┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
   │ 2. AFFECTIVE COMPONENT (Emotions & Feelings)           │
   │    "I feel excited, stylish, and proud riding it."     │
   └───────────────────────────┬────────────────────────────┘
                               │ leads to
                               ▼
   ┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
   │ 3. CONATIVE / BEHAVIORAL COMPONENT (Action Intent)     │
   │    "I will book a test ride today and pay the deposit."│
   └────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

1. Cognitive Component: The consumer’s factual beliefs, perceptions, and knowledge about the brand derived from personal experience and credible information sources.
2. Affective Component: The emotional or feeling dimension of an attitude (likes, dislikes, feelings of joy, trust, or disgust toward the brand).
3. Conative (Behavioral) Component: The likelihood or tendency that an individual will undertake a specific behavioral action or intent to purchase the brand.

3. Multi-Attribute Attitude Models (Fishbein Model)

Developed by Martin Fishbein, these models examine consumer attitudes toward a product as a mathematical function of their evaluation of multiple attributes:

   A_o = Σ (b_i * e_i)
   Where:
   A_o = Attitude toward object
   b_i = Strength of belief that the brand possesses attribute i
   e_i = Evaluation of the goodness or badness of attribute i

• Example: When buying a sedan, a consumer evaluates mileage, cabin space, safety, and air conditioning. The brand that accumulates the highest combined score across all attributes earns the most favorable attitude.

4. How Consumer Attitudes are Formed

1. Direct Personal Experience: Trying a free food sample in a supermarket or using a trial software plan directly shapes an authentic attitude.
2. Influence of Family and Friends: In India, family elders heavily influence attitudes toward financial investments, marriage expenses, and traditional brands.
3. Direct Marketing and Social Media: Engaging brand content, educational blogs, and customer reviews shape positive attitudes before purchase.
4. Personality Factors: Consumers with a high need for cognition develop attitudes through detailed technical reading, while visual, aesthetic consumers form attitudes based on packaging and celebrity ambassadors.

5. Review & Exam Preparation Questions

1. Define Consumer Attitude. Explain its core characteristics. (5 Marks)
2. Detail the Tri-Component Attitude Model with an example of an Indian consumer buying an electric two-wheeler. (10 Marks)
3. Explain how consumer attitudes are formed through personal experience, family, and social media. (5 Marks)