Extended Multi-attribute Attitude Model

An Example of the Extended Attitude Model (The-Theory-of-Reasoned-Action)

The Extended Model is:

Let’s assume we are interested in evaluating consumer’s attitudes about laptops.  We determine that the relevant factors that influence purchase are Provides Good Support, Screen Size, Weight, Battery Life, and Price.

Keeping in mind the rationale behind the Extended Model, we ask the consumer to think about purchasing a laptop. The attitude is calculated using following steps.

Step 1: Establishing the E_I scores:

Consumers are asked to evaluate each of the following consequences of buying a laptop on a scale of 1 to 10.

Step 2: Determining the B_O scores on a scale of 1 to 10.

Buying the _____________ laptop will:

Step 3: Calculating A_IO

Step 4: Determining Social Influence on Purchase

Next, we want to determine the social influences on the purchase.  We would need to know who the consumer would likely be influenced by in order to ask these questions. 

Use this scale to indicate how each person feels about you taking each Laptop:

Buying the following brand of laptop:

The above scores are the NBs (the Normative Beliefs)

Now, we see how “motivated to comply” they are with each person……

How much do you want to do what each person thinks you should do?

Step 5: Putting weights

Finally, we need to obtain an indication of how much weight to put on each factor.  In a research study, these would be “beta weights” from a regression analysis.  For this example, we ask the following question:

When people purchase laptop, there are two important influences on their decision about what laptop to buy.  What they personal think about each laptop, and what people who are important to them think.  Please divide 100 points between these two factors to indicate their importance in your decision about what trip to buy (e.g., 80-20, 35-65, 50-50, etc.)

    My own beliefs _____      Other peoples' beliefs _____

For this example, let’s assume that person responds .8 for their own beliefs and .2 for other people’s.

Step 6: Calculating Behavioural Intentions

Step 7: Calculating B.I. Scores