Consumer Attitudes Revisited: A Review of Attitude Theory in Marketing Research

Abstract

Few concepts in the marketing literature have proliferated like the concept of attitude. However, a closer look at studies investigating attitudes as consumers' responses to marketing efforts reveals a considerable diversity in perspectives about the concept of attitude and its formation. Attitudes are considered either relatively stable objectassociations, or temporarily constructed evaluations, which are formed through memory (cognitive)-based information processing or contextual and affect-based information processing. The current paper discusses and organizes these different theoretical viewpoints on what attitudes are and how they are formed. By approaching the topic through an integrative lens, the paper provides a solid conceptual foundation and roadmap for marketing researchers.

Consumer ethnocentrism in developing countries: Application of a model in Zimbabwe

“…This implies that participating consumers with positive attitudes towards imported poultry meat products were likely to buy the products. This finding concurs with other scholars that favourable consumer attitudes lead to favourable purchase intentions, which in turn lead to purchase behaviour (Akar & Topçu 2011;Argyriou & Melewar 2011).…”

“…It is generally agreed that consumer attitude influences what consumers do (Argyriou & Melewar 2011;Blackwell, Miniard & Engel 2006). Similarly, Akar and Topçu (2011) submit that a positive attitude towards a product or brand is most likely to influence an individual to use it.…”

“…Many studies in both developed and developing countries have reported that consumer ethnocentrism negatively influences consumer attitude towards foreign products ( The consensus among scholars is that a favourable consumer attitude towards a product supports the intention to purchase the product (Argyriou & Melewar 2011;Blackwell et al 2006;Savitha & Dhivya 2017;Schiffman et al 2010). Consumer attitudes manifest through what consumers say or do (Schiffman et al 2010).…”

“…Similarly, Akar and Topçu (2011) found that an individual with a positive attitude towards a product or brand is more likely to use the product or brand. In the same vein, Argyriou and Melewar (2011) posit that positive consumer attitude drives consumers to buy a particular product or brand. Therefore, it was hypothesised that:…”

Why consumers do (not) like global brands: The role of globalization attitude, GCO and global brand origin

“…This hierarchy is based on the functional theory of consumer attitude formation, which assumes that cognitive processing of product attributes precedes attitude formation. In particular, Ajzen and Fishbein's (1980) deliberate attitude model implies that attitudes are formed from cognitive beliefs that are stored in explicit memory (Argyriou & Melewar, 2011). Cognitive beliefs refer to the evaluation of salient brand attributes, while attitudes as a construct represent "a summary evaluation of a psychological object captured in such attribute dimensions as good-bad, harmful-beneficial, pleasant-unpleasant, and likeable-dislikeable" (Ajzen, 2001, p. 29).…”