Discuss the Role of Attitude in Consumer Behavior

In terms of cognitive model, customers would take a deliberate decision-making process, and use stock of personal knowledge and opportunities before buying. Under the cognitive model, the entire process of customer behavior is that from the customer learns about the product/service to the customer buy it. There are four components involve in the buying process, they are beliefs, attitudes, intentions and action. Attitude comes from beliefs, and it would influences intention. Thus, attitude plays a role as an intermediate component in the buying process under consumer behavior.

In my opinion, attitude is not effective in predicting consumer behavior. Firstly, attitude represents what the customers like and dislike. It can tell us about the customers who favor fat- free milk are likely to drink it, or it can tell us about the customers who like Landrover are likely to drive it. However, in reality, the customer who having a good attitude to Landrover does not mean that he/she will buy it.

Moreover, in the cognitive model, attitude means attitude towards the product/service, instead of attitude towards action or purchase behavior. They are totally two different conceptions. Thus, the customers having a positive attitude to a specific good/service does not mean that they having a good attitude towards purchasing it. Therefore, attitude is not helpful in predicting consumer behavior.

Further, according to Ajzen, attitude is a summary evaluation of a psychological object. That means, attitude has knowledge of evaluate of customer`s expectations/beliefs. They are not stabling, but changeable. It influences intention which a behavior component as well. Behavioral intention is closely linked to actual purchase than attitude. Thus, intention is a far better predictor of behavior than either beliefs or attitude.

Overall, in my opinion, to some extent, attitude could be as a predictor of customer behavior. However, it still cannot say that attitude is effective...