Multi Attribute Attitude Models

Multiattribute attitude models portray consumers’ attitudes with regard to an attitude “object” as a function of consumer’s perceptions and assessment of the key attributes or beliefs held with regard to the particular attitude “object”. The three models, which are very popular, are: the attitude-toward-object model, the attitude-toward-behavior model, and the theory of- reasoned-action model.

1. Attitude toward object model: The attitude-toward object model is suitable for measuring attitudes towards a product or service category or specific brands. This model says that the consumer’s attitude toward a product or specific brands of a product is a function of the presence or absence and evaluation of certain product-specific beliefs or attributes. In other words, consumers generally have favorable attitudes toward those brands that they believe have an adequate level of attributes that they evaluate as positive, and they have unfavorable attitudes towards those brands they feel do not have an adequate level of desired attributes or have too many negative or undesired attributes. For instance, you may like BMW cars.
2. Attitude toward behavior model: This model is the individual’s attitude toward the object itself. The crux of the attitude-towards-behavior model is that it seems to correspond somewhat more closely to actual behavior than does the attitude-toward-object model. So taking on from liking a BMW, we may say you are not ready to buy/drive one because you believe that you are too young/old to do so.
3. Theory of reasoned-action-model: This model represents a comprehensive integration of attitude components into a structure that is designed to lead to both better explanations and better predictions of behavior. Similar to the basic tricomponent attitude model, the theory-of-reasoned-action model incorporates a cognitive component, an affective component, and a conative component; however these are arranged in a pattern different from that of the tricomponent model.