MKTG6007 · Consumer Behaviour
Motivation and Attitudes
Every purchase starts with a felt gap. Motivation is the inner drive that energises and directs behaviour toward closing that gap — the first of MAO's three engines. This chapter covers what drives a consumer (needs as an actual–ideal gap, Maslow's hierarchy as a targeting map, motivational conflicts, and the means–end chain that ladders an attribute up to a value), then turns to attitudes — the learned evaluations that guide behaviour. The core tool is the ABC / tricomponent model crossed with effort to give a 2×2 of persuasion levers, the cognitive-response model and match-up hypothesis for high-effort persuasion, low-effort heuristics (frequency, illusory-truth, mere-exposure, thin-slice), the Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM) that routes persuasion central or peripheral by MAO, and finally TORA / TOPB, which turn attitude plus norm (plus control) into intention, then behaviour — mind the gap.
What this chapter covers
- 011.1-1.2 A need is a gap; Maslow's hierarchy as a targeting map
- 021.3-1.4 Motivational conflict; the means-end chain (attribute → consequence → value)
- 032.1 The ABC / tricomponent model; the six characteristics of an attitude
- 042.2 The effort × basis 2×2 (cognitive vs affective, high vs low MAO)
- 052.3-2.4 Cognitive-response model & the match-up hypothesis
- 062.5 The Elaboration Likelihood Model (central vs peripheral)
- 072.6-2.7 Low-effort heuristics; TORA & TOPB (intention to behaviour)
Worked example: match the persuasion route to the audience (ELM)
- +1Place each audience on MAO. The researching adults are high-MAO (motivated, able, free to think) → central route; the glancing teenagers are low-MAO (uninvolved, distracted) → peripheral route. The route is set by the audience, not chosen freely.
- +1Design the central-route version. For the adults, process the message's true merits: the melanoma-risk data, a credible dermatologist source, a strong argument. This builds a strong, accessible, change-resistant attitude.
- +1Design the peripheral-route version. For the teenagers, use peripheral cues: an attractive/likeable source, a sunny mood, a catchy line, heavy repetition (mere exposure). This builds a weaker but reachable attitude.
- +1Close the intention–behaviour gap. Note that a liked attitude is not action — use TOPB: raise perceived behavioural control (make applying sunscreen easy and accessible) so intention converts to behaviour.
Key terms
- Need (actual–ideal gap)
- An internal state of tension from a gap between an actual (current) state and a desired (ideal) state. Marketers create a need by raising the ideal (aspirational appeals) or lowering the perceived actual (problem-led appeals) — both widen the gap and pull toward action.
- Maslow's hierarchy
- Five tiers of need (physiological, safety, belonging, esteem, self-actualisation) where lower-order needs dominate until reasonably met. For marketers it is a targeting map — pitch the appeal at the tier the consumer is currently living on; it is a guide, not a law.
- Means–end chain
- Consumers want an attribute only as a means to a consequence/benefit and ultimately a personal value (what it is → what it does → why it matters). Built by laddering (“why does that matter?”); great positioning sells the top of the ladder.
- Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM)
- Persuasion travels one of two routes set by the consumer's MAO: the central route (high MAO — processing argument quality → strong, change-resistant attitudes) or the peripheral route (low MAO — leaning on cues like source, music, repetition → weaker attitudes).
- TORA / TOPB
- The Theory of Reasoned Action and Theory of Planned Behaviour (Fishbein & Ajzen): attitude toward the behaviour + subjective norm (+ perceived behavioural control in TOPB) → intention → behaviour. They model the intention–behaviour gap — weak perceived control usually breaks the chain.
Motivation and Attitudes FAQ
How do marketers create a need they can't manufacture?
They cannot conjure a need from nothing, but they can widen an existing actual–ideal gap. Two moves: raise the ideal (“you could be safer / smarter / more admired” — aspirational appeals) or lower the perceived actual (“you're not as protected as you think” — problem-led appeals). Both increase the felt tension that motivates action.
What is the difference between the central and peripheral routes?
They are the ELM's two paths, set by the audience's MAO. The central route processes the message's true merits — argument quality, evidence, a credible expert — and builds strong, accessible, change-resistant attitudes; it fits high-MAO consumers. The peripheral route leans on cues — attractive source, music, length, mood, repetition — and builds weaker, less stable attitudes; it fits low-MAO consumers. You design for the route the audience forces, not the one you prefer.
Why doesn't a positive attitude guarantee the purchase?
Because intentions ≠ behaviour. TORA models intention as attitude toward the behaviour plus the subjective norm (what important others think); TOPB adds perceived behavioural control (how easy the act feels), which matters when behaviour isn't fully voluntary. The CCBC lives in this intention–behaviour gap — “I'd love to recycle” is an attitude, doing it is behaviour, and weak perceived control or an unsupportive situation usually breaks the chain.
When does the match-up hypothesis matter?
In the high-effort, affective quadrant. The match-up hypothesis says an endorser persuades best when they are both attractive AND relevant to the product, so the meaning transfers sensibly — a sprinter endorsing running shoes matches (expertise transfers); a glamour celebrity endorsing unrelated bottled water is attractive but mismatched, so high-MAO viewers generate counterarguments. In low-effort settings the rule relaxes: a merely likeable face can still work via mere exposure.
Exam move
Treat every model here as a diagnostic lens, not a list to memorise — the test is “can you read a campaign and say which need it targets, which route it uses, and why?” First place the consumer on MAO (high or low), then place the appeal on the 2×2 (cognitive vs affective basis): the matching quadrant tells you which levers the marketer is pulling and whether they matched the route to the audience. Ladder a brand up the means–end chain for the LookBook (attribute → consequence → value) and win by owning a higher value. For behaviour change, use TOPB to find the broken link — usually weak perceived control or an unsupportive situation, not a missing attitude.
