CHAPTER 6

Learning and consumer involvement

6.1 Definition and Elements of Consumer Learning
Marketers are concerned with how individuals learn because they want to teach them in their
roles as consumers about products; product attributes how to maintain products, what are
products’ potential benefits, where to buy them, how to buy them, how to maintain them and
how to dispose of them.
Marketers’ vital interest lies in teaching consumers effectively to prefer their brands and
differentiate their products from the competitive offerings.
Marketing strategies are based on communicating with consumers:
 Directly :through advertisements
 Indirectly: through product appearance and packaging, product distribution channels and,
pricing
Marketers want their communication to be noted, believed, remembered and recalled by the
target potential consumers segments.
Not all theorists agree on how learning takes place it is difficult to come up with a generally
accepted definition of learning, however, Consumer Learning can be thought of as: The process
by which individuals acquire the purchase and consumption knowledge and experience that they
apply to future related behavior.
Consumer learning is a process that continually evolves, and changes. The change is because of
the newly acquired knowledge (gained from reading, discussion, observation and thinking or
factual experience). Newly acquired knowledge and personal experience serve as feedback.
Feedback provides basis for the future behavior in similar situations.
Types of learning
Intentional and Incidental Learning
Intentional Learning is acquired as the result of careful search for information. Incidental
Learning is acquired by accident without much effort. For example some ads may induce
learning e.g. new products under familiar brand names, even the consumers attention may be on
a magazine article rather than advertisement on the facing page.
Other ads are sought out and carefully read by consumers contemplating a major purchase
decision.

Range of Learning
The term learning encompasses the total range of learning from simple almost reflexive
responses to learning abstract concepts and complex problem solving. All theorists agree that for
learning to occur certain basic elements must be present. These include:
1. Motivation
2. Cues
3. Response
4. Reinforcement
1. Motivation
Motivation is the drive that impels and individual to action. Motivation is based on needs and
goals. It acts as spur of learning.
2. Cues
If motives serve to stimulate learning, cues are the stimuli that give direction to these motives.
An exotic trip that includes bike riding may serve as a cue for bike riders who may suddenly
recognize that they need a vacation. The ad is the cue or stimulus that suggests a specific way to

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satisfy a salient motive. In the market styling, packaging and store display all serve as cues to
help consumers to fulfill their needs in product specific ways.
3. Responses
How individuals react to a drive or a cue – how they behave- constitute their response is
important. Equally important however, learning can occur even when responses are not overt.
Need or motive may evoke a whole variety of responses. Cues provide some direction but there
are so many cues competing for the consumer’s attention. Which response the consumer makes
depends heavily upon previous learning that in turn depends upon how the previous response has
been reinforced.
4. Reinforcement
Reinforcement increases the likelihood that a particular response will occur in the future as the
result of particular cues or stimuli. A product that fulfills the basic need will reinforce the
purchase behavior and the consumer will most likely purchase it again.
6.2. Learning Theories
6.2.1. Behavioral School
Behavior Learning Theories are sometimes referred to as “Stimulus Response Theories”. These
are based upon the premise that observable responses to specific external stimuli signal learning.
A child who relaxes at the image of his uncle has learnt the attachment with uncle. Behavior
theories are concerned with inputs and outputs of learning. There are two types of behavioral
learning theories popular with the marketers.
Types of Behavioral Learning Theories
Generally, there are two types of behavioral learning theories:
A. Classical Conditioning
B. Instrumental (Operant Conditioning)
Conditioning means response to a situation built up through repeated exposure.
A. Classical Conditioning
 Consider organisms as passive entities that could be taught certain behaviors through
repetition.
 Ivan Pavlov a Russian Psychologist was the first to describe conditioning and to propose it as
a general model of how learning occurs.
 The proponent, Ivan Pavlov, conclusion: stimulus paired with another stimulus that elicits
a known response serves to produce the same response when used alone

 Pavlov Model:

Three Strategic Applications of Classical Conditioning

Three strategic applications of Classical conditioning include:

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 1. Repetition
2. Stimulus Generalization
3. Stimulus Discrimination
1. Repetition
Repetition increases the strength of association between a conditioned stimulus and a
conditioned response. Researchers suggest there is a limit to repetition to aid retention. Some
scholars believe that just three exposures to an advertisement are needed. This is called, Three
Hit Theory
The three exposures to an advertisement pertain to:
I. Make consumer aware of the product
II. Show consumer the relevance of the products
III. Remind them of product benefits
Effectiveness of repetition may also be dependent upon the competitive advertising to which
consumer is exposed. The higher the level of competitive advertising, greater is the likelihood
that Interference will take place, causing consumers to forget previous information.
2. Stimulus Generalization
Classical conditioning theorists believe that learning also depends upon Stimulus Generalization
that means making the same response to somewhat similar stimuli as the conditioned stimulus
Dog could learn to salivate not only to the conditioned stimulus of bell but also to the jangling of
keys
3. Stimulus Discrimination
Stimulus Discrimination is the opposite of Stimulus Generalization and results in the selection of
specific stimulus from amongst the similar stimuli. The consumers’ ability to choose from
amongst the similar stimuli is the basis of positioning.
B. Instrumental (Operant) Conditioning
Instrumental Conditioning theorists hold that stimulus that is linked to the most satisfactory
response will be learnt. A behavioral theory of learning based on a trial-and-error process, with
habits forced as the result of positive experiences (reinforcement) resulting from certain
responses or behaviors.
They believe that learning occurs through a trial and error process with habits formed as a result
of rewards received for certain responses or behaviors. B.F.Skinner (a learning theorist) believed
that most learning takes place in a controlled environment in which individuals are “rewarded”
for choosing an appropriate behavior.

Behavior reinforcement
Two types of Behavior reinforcements are discriminated in Instrumental Conditioning:

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Positive Reinforcement- consists of the events that increase the likelihood of a specific
response. An individual may purchase cosmetics to achieve a desired impact in physical
appearance.
Negative Reinforcement- an unpleasant or negative outcome that serves to encourage a specific
behavior. An individual may purchase Life insurance policy to avoid mishaps in the future.

6.3.2. Cognitive Learning Theory

Holds that the kind of learning most characteristic of human beings is problem solving, which
enables individuals to gain some control over their environment. Which enables an individual’s
to gain some control over their environment. Learning involves complex mental processing of
information.
 Information Processing
Information processing relates to consumer’s cognitive ability and complexity of information.
Consumers process product information related in terms of a product’s attributes, brand,
comparisons between brands and a Combination of these factors. The more experience a
consumer has with a product category, the greater his/her ability to make use of product
information. Greater familiarity with product also increases cognitive ability and learning during
a new purchase decision, particularly with regards to technical information .A research study
found that people exert huge cognitive efforts in processing information about products. They
sometimes experience a process induced negative effect toward alternatives. So they are more
likely to choose a product that required less effort to evaluate. The negative effect, however, did
not influence product choice for a clearly superior product.
 Imagery
Imagery is ability to form mental images. Individual differences in imagery may measure with
the help of specific tests. Some of these tests are: Imagery Vividness, Processing Style and
Daydream (fantasy) content and frequency.
How Consumers Store, Retain, and Retrieve Information
It is important for Cognitive Psychologists to understand how people store, retain and retrieve
information.
Following concepts are used to understand the information processing:
I. Sensory Store
II. Short Term Store
III. Long Term Store
I. Sensory Store
All data comes to us through our five senses. Senses do not transmit whole images. Each sense
receives a fragmented piece of information and transmits it to the brain. In brain perceptions of a
single instant are synchronized and perceived as single image in a single moment of time. The
image of a sensory input just lasts for a second or two in the mind’s sensory store. If it is not
stored it is lost forever.
Implications for Marketers
We are constantly bombarded with stimuli from the environment and we subconsciously block a
lot of information that we don’t need or cannot use. For marketers it means that although it is
relatively easy to get information into the consumer’s sensory store it is difficult to make a
lasting impression. Brain automatically and subconsciously tags all perceptions with a value
either “positive” or “negative”. This evaluation added to the initial perception in the first micro
second of cognition tends to remain unless further information is processed. This would explain
why our first impressions tend to last and why it is hazardous for a marketer to introduce a
product prematurely into the market
II. Short term Store

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Short Term Store is known as working memory. The stage of real memory in which the
information is processed and held just for a brief period of time. Information in the short term
store undergoes the process of rehearsal. Rehearsal is the silent mental repetition of the
information. It is then referred to the long term store. The transfer from short term to long term
store takes about 2-10 seconds. If the information is not stored or rehearsed it is lost in about 30
seconds or less. The amount of information that can be held in short term storage is limited to
about 4 or 5 items.
III. Long Term Store
Long-term store retains information for relatively extended periods of time. It is possible to
forget something within a few minutes after the information has reached in the long term store. It
is more common for data in long term storage to last for days, weeks, months or even years.
Almost all of us can remember the name of our first grade teacher.
 Rehearsal:
The amount of information available from Short Term and Long Term Memory Storage depends
upon how much rehearsal it is given. Rehearsal is done by repeating the information or
associating it with something else. Information can also be lost because of competition for
attention. If the short term store receives a great number of inputs simultaneously from the
sensory store its capacity may be reduced to only 2 or 3 pieces of information.
 Encoding is the process by which we select a word or a visual image to present a
perceived object. Marketers help consumers encode brands by using brand symbols such
as role model cricketers or cartoons.
 Retention
Information does not just sit in the long term memory store waiting to be retrieved. Information
is constantly organized and reorganized as new links between chunks of information are forged.
 Information Overload
When the consumers are presented with too much information this is called Information
Overload. Consumers may encounter difficulty in encoding and storing it all. Consumers can
become cognitively overloaded when they are given too much information in a short span of
time.
 Activation
Information processing theorists believe that long term memory store is a network consisting of
nodes (concepts) with links between and among them. As individuals gain more knowledge
about a subject they expand their network of relationships and sometimes seek more information.
This process is known as activation. Consumers’ memory for the name of a product may also be
activated by relating it to the spokesperson used in its advertising.
 Retrieval
Retrieval is the process by which we recover information from the long term storage. When we
are unable to remember something with which we are familiar we are experiencing a failure of
retrieval system. Marketers maintain that consumers tend to remember the products benefits than
its attributes. Advertising messages are most effective when they link the product's attributes
with the benefits that consumers seek from the product.
 Interference Effect
The greater the number of competitive ads in a product category, the lower the recall of brand
claims in a specific advertisement. This is called interference effect. Interference effects are
caused by confusions by competing ads and make retrieval difficult. Ads can also act as retrieval
cues for competitive brands. Advertising that creates a distinct image can assist in retention and
retrieval of message contents

6.4 Understanding Consumer Involvement

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Consumer involvement refers to the degree of personal relevance and interest a consumer
perceives in a product, service, or decision.

 It determines the amount of effort and thought consumers invest in the decision-making
process.
 High involvement often leads to detailed evaluation, while low involvement may result in
quick, habitual choices.

Key Characteristics:

 Subjective: The level of involvement varies from one individual to another.

 Dynamic: It can change based on the situation or context.
 Product-Specific or Situational: Involvement may pertain to a particular category (e.g.,
cars) or a specific purchase instance.

6.4.1 . Levels of Consumer Involvement

1. High Involvement:
o Occurs when a purchase is significant, expensive, or emotionally impactful.
o Consumers engage in extensive research and evaluation.
o Example: Buying a house or selecting a university.
2. Low Involvement:
o Occurs with routine or inexpensive purchases with minimal perceived risk.
o Decisions are often made quickly or habitually.
o Example: Choosing a brand of toothpaste.
3. Moderate Involvement:
o Falls between high and low involvement.
o Consumers may seek some information but not extensively.
o Example: Purchasing a small household appliance.

6.4.2 Factors Influencing Consumer Involvement

1. Personal Relevance:
o How much the product or decision affects the consumer personally.
o Example: A person interested in fitness will have high involvement in choosing a
gym.
2. Perceived Risk:
o The higher the risk (financial, social, physical, etc.), the greater the involvement.
o Example: Selecting a safe car for a family.
3. Product Differentiation:
o Highly differentiated products require more evaluation and increase involvement.
o Example: Comparing smartphones with unique features.
4. Situational Factors:
o Temporary factors such as a limited-time discount can heighten involvement.
o Example: Purchasing a laptop during a sale.
5. Consumer Personality:
o Some individuals naturally seek more information and are more involved in
decision-making.

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6.4.3. Implications for Marketing

1. High-Involvement Products:
o Use detailed and informative advertisements.
o Offer comparisons and testimonials.
o Provide access to expert opinions or demonstrations.
2. Low-Involvement Products:
o Focus on branding and convenience.
o Use repetitive advertising to create familiarity.
o Offer incentives like discounts or free samples.
3. Segmentation and Targeting:
o Identify consumer segments with varying involvement levels to tailor messages.
4. Customer Education:
o High-involvement consumers appreciate information and education about
products.

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