What are the four attitude functions?

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There are four functions of attitudes. The first function is utilitarian. This type of attitude is based on rewards and punishments, meaning we develop attitudes based on how much pleasure or pain a certain thing will bring us. For instance, when people buy products, they buy it because it is beneficial to them or they like it. Individuals tend to make decisions that will bring them the greatest amount of happiness. Another example is the clothes kids wear to school. People are more inclined to buy clothes they feel will help them fit in.

What are the four attitude functions?
“Mean Girls,” the movie

Another way to look at it is that our attitude will change based on the belief that by doing something we will either be punished or rewarded. An example of this is people praying for something believing that it will increase the chances of receiving whatever they prayed for.

Knowledge

Knowledge function of attitude helps with the decision making process. Knowledge helps customers make a buying decision based off of what they know about the products and brands they are buying. For example, as a consumer I am an exclusive apple product user. If apple comes out with a product, I trust their quality based off the other products I already own. Because I have the knowledge of my apple products, I can make a simple decision on any future apple products I would want.

What are the four attitude functions?
Apple Inc.

Value Expressive

The value function of attitude allows consumers to express their core values, self-concept, and their beliefs to others. The things in which consumers value, are important in the decision making for them when looking to purchase products. These products will serve as an outward expression of what the consumer values. For example, a customer who values the protection of the environment (member of the EPA), may not be so interested in purchasing a vehicle like a Hummer, or may not elect to choose plastic bags at the grocery store because these things contradict their core values and display of negative self-image of themselves to others based on what they personally  believe is valuable.

Ego-Defensive

An ego defensive function of attitude helps consumers justify what they know is threatening but choose to ignore. Another way is to help them boost their self esteem. So essentially it is exactly what it’s named [“ego”]. This defensive attitude defends the consumers from things they know are wrong, or from things they are insecure about. A couple examples are collegiate males, wear a lot of clothing that enhance certain body parts. the “premium” fit shits, are shorter sleeved, showing a little more muscle than the basic tee. Or another prime example are smokers, they know smoking is bad but continue to buy cigarettes anyway. I have actually spoken to someone who smokes and started telling me benefits of smoking and working out. According to her it helps you lose weight because it cuts cravings. Little does she know that working out and smoking is worse than not working out and smoking because when you work out and inhale the chemicals, all your organs are more likely to ingest all the bad chemicals because your lungs reach maximum capacity when you work out.

Attitudes serve four major functions for the individual: (1) the adjustments function, (2) the ego defensive function, (3) the value expressive function (4) the knowledge function. Ultimately these functions serve people’s need to protect and enhance the image they hold of themselves. In more general terms, these functions are the motivational bases which shape and reinforce positive attitudes toward goal objects perceived as need satisfying and / or negative attitudes toward other objects perceived as punishing or threatening. These situations are diagrammed in Figure below. The functions themselves can help us to understand why people hold the attitudes they do toward psychological objects.

Figure

Punishing threatening up rewarding objects — negative — Attitude — Positive need satisfying object

Adjustment Function

The adjustment function directs people toward pleasurable or rewarding objects and away from unpleasant, undesirable ones. It serves the utilitarian concept of maximizing reward and minimizing punishment. Thus, the attitudes of consumers depend to a large degree on their perceptions of what is needed satisfying and what is punishing. Because consumers perceive products, services and stores as providing need satisfying or unsatisfying experiences we should expect their attitudes toward these object to vary in relation to the experiences that have occurred.

Ego Defensive Function

Attitudes firmed to protect the ego or self image from threats help fulfill the ego defensive function. Actually many outward expressions of such attitudes reflect the opposite of what the person perceives him to be. For example a consumer who has made a poor purchase decision or a poor investment may staunchly defend the decision as being correct at the time or as being the result of poor advice from another person. Such ego defensive attitude helps us to protect out self image and often we are unaware of them.

Value expression function

Whereas ego defensive attitudes are formed to protect a person’s self image, value expressive attitudes enable the expression of the person’s centrally held values. Therefore consumers adopt certain attitudes in an effort to translate their values into something more tangible and easily expressed . Thus, a conservative person might develop an unfavorable attitude toward bright clothing and instead be attracted toward dark, pin striped suits.

Marketers should develop an understanding of what values consumers wish to express about themselves and they should design products and promotional campaigns to allow these self expressions. Not all products lend themselves to this form of market segmentation however. Those with the greatest potential for value expressive segmentation are ones with high social visibility. Cross pens, Saks Fifth Avenue clothes. Ferrari automobiles and Bang & Children stereo systems are examples.

Knowledge function

Humans have a need for a structured and orderly world, and therefore they seek consistency stability definition and understanding. Out of this need develops attitudes toward acquiring knowledge. In addition, the need to know tends to be specific. Therefore an individual who does not play golf, nor wish to learn the sport is unlikely to seek knowledge or an understanding of the game. This will influence the amount of information search devoted to this topic. Thus, out of our need to know come attitudes about what we believe we need or do not need to understand.

In addition attitudes enable consumers to simplify the complexity of the real world. That is, as was pointed out in the chapter information processing, the real world is too complex for us to cope with so we develop mechanisms to simplify situations. We saw that this involves sensory thresholds and selective attention and it also involves attitudes. Attitudes allow us to categorize or group objects as a way of knowing about them. Thus, when a new object is experienced we attempt to categorize it into a group which we know something about. In this way the object can share the reactions we have for other objects in the same category. This is efficient because we do not have to spend much effort reacting to each new object as a completely unique situation. Consequently we often find consumers reacting in similar ways to ads for going out of business sales limited time offers American made goods etc. Of course there is some risk of error in not looking at the unique aspects or new information about objects but for better or worse, our attitudes have influenced how we feel and react to new examples of these situations.

What is attitude and its functions?

Attitudes help perform a social role, helping in an individual's self-expression and social interaction. Subscribing to a given set of attitudes signals one's identification with important reference groups to express one's core values, and to establish one's identity.

What are the four characteristics of attitudes?

Attitude are a complex combination of things we tend to call personality, beliefs, values, behaviors, and motivations.

What are the three functions of attitude?

Functions of Attitude.
The adjustments / utilitarian / adaptive (or instrumental) function..
The ego defensive function..
The value expressive (or ego-expressive) function..
The knowledge function..

How many functions are included under attitude?

An attitude is made up of four interconnected components: cognitions, evaluative responses, behavioural intentions, and behaviors.