4.2 Attention and Information Processing Models

Attention and memory shape how consumers process information about products and brands. From exposure to retention, consumers selectively focus on, interpret, and store information that aligns with their needs and beliefs.

The Elaboration Likelihood Model explains how consumers process information through central or peripheral routes. Factors like motivation, ability, and opportunity influence attention and processing depth, impacting consumer decision-making and brand attitudes.

Attention and Information Processing

Stages of information processing

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• Exposure occurs when a consumer comes into contact with a stimulus, which is necessary for further processing to take place
• Attention involves the consumer allocating mental resources to the stimulus, determining which information is processed further (advertisements, product packaging)
• Comprehension happens when the consumer interprets and assigns meaning to the attended information, influencing how the information is stored in memory (understanding product benefits, interpreting brand messages)
• Acceptance occurs when the consumer agrees with or believes the comprehended information, impacting attitudes and future behavior (trusting a brand's claims, adopting a new product)
• Retention involves the consumer storing the accepted information in long-term memory, affecting future decision-making and behavior (remembering a brand for future purchases, recalling product information)

Selective attention vs distortion vs retention

• Selective attention occurs when consumers focus on information that is relevant to their needs or interests while filtering out or ignoring irrelevant or competing stimuli (noticing a preferred brand on a crowded shelf, attending to personally relevant advertisements)
• Selective distortion happens when consumers interpret information in a way that is consistent with their existing beliefs or expectations, potentially misinterpreting or modifying information to fit their preconceptions (perceiving a preferred brand as superior despite contrary evidence, interpreting ambiguous information to support existing attitudes)
• Selective retention involves consumers remembering information that is consistent with their beliefs, attitudes, or goals while forgetting or failing to store information that is inconsistent or irrelevant (remembering positive experiences with a brand, forgetting information that contradicts brand loyalty)

Elaboration Likelihood Model application

• Central route processing occurs when consumers have high motivation and ability to process information, involving careful consideration of message arguments and quality, leading to more enduring attitude change (evaluating a high-involvement purchase, considering complex product information)
• Peripheral route processing occurs when consumers have low motivation or ability to process information, relying on simple cues or heuristics, such as source attractiveness or credibility, resulting in temporary or less stable attitude change (choosing a product based on packaging design, being swayed by celebrity endorsements)
• Factors influencing route selection include personal relevance of the message, prior knowledge or expertise, and distractions or time constraints (high-involvement products, expert consumers, time-pressured decisions)

Factors influencing consumer attention

• Motivation, including consumers' goals, needs, or desires, determines the level of effort and resources allocated to processing (searching for information to solve a problem, attending to personally relevant stimuli)
• Ability, encompassing consumers' cognitive capacity, knowledge, or skills, affects the depth and quality of information processing (expertise in a product category, cognitive load)
• Opportunity, involving situational factors such as time, distractions, or competing stimuli, influences the likelihood and extent of processing (limited time to make a decision, cluttered advertising environment)
• Message characteristics, such as clarity, complexity, or format of the information, impact the ease and effectiveness of processing (clear and concise product descriptions, visually appealing advertisements)
• Individual differences, including personality traits, learning styles, or processing preferences, affect how consumers approach and engage with information (need for cognition, visual vs. verbal learners)

Consumer Memory and Learning

Types of consumer memory

• Sensory memory provides brief storage of raw sensory information, lasting for a few seconds or less (iconic memory for visual stimuli, echoic memory for auditory stimuli)
• Short-term memory, also known as working memory, involves temporary storage and manipulation of information with a limited capacity of 7 ± 2 items (remembering a phone number, processing product information)
• Long-term memory offers permanent storage of information with virtually unlimited capacity (remembering past experiences, storing product knowledge)
• Roles in information processing:
  1. Sensory memory: Initial processing and filtering of stimuli
  2. Short-term memory: Active processing, interpretation, and rehearsal
  3. Long-term memory: Storage and retrieval of knowledge, experiences, and skills