Essay
Behavioural Learning
FT 542/3
Management & Marketing Degree
Consumer Behaviour
Lecturer: Adrienne Czerwin-Abbott
ASSIGNMENT
Dennis Rossberg
D04106359
Date submitted:
Words:
04.01.2005
1266
Page 2 of 5
Dennis Rossberg
Introduction
According to the American Marketing Association (http://www.marketingpower.com/),
consumer behaviour is defined as "the dynamic interaction of affect and cognition,
behaviour, and environmental events by which human beings conduct the exchange
aspects of their lives." That means consumer behaviour is the psychology behind
Marketing and the behaviour of consumers in the Maketing environment. Two major
psychological disciplines come into play when observing and trying to explain consumer
behaviour. The first is cognitive psychology. Cognitive Psychology is the study of all
knowledge related behaviours. The Attention, Perception, Memory/Comprehension, and
Decision Making are the various aspects of cognitive psychology that play an important
role in consumer behaviour. The second psychological discipline that has theories to
explain certain phenomenon of consumer behaviour is social psychology. Social
psychology is "the study ofthe manner in which the personality, attitudes, motivations,
and behaviors of the individual influence and are influences by social groups" (Britannica
Online).
Behavioural learning is a part of cognitive psychology. Learning is a change in behaviour
caused by information or experience. Learning about products can occur deliberately, as
when we set out to gather information about a certain product of different brands before
buying one certain product. We also learn even when we are not trying. Consumers
recognise many brand names and can hum many product jingles, for example, even for
products they themselves do not use. Psychologists who study learning have several
theories to explain the learning process. A major goal for marketers is to “teach”
consumers to prefer their products therefore these different points of view are important
for marketing managers.
The essay begins with the description of the three major approaches of behavioural
learning, which are classical conditioning, operant conditioning, and observational
learning based on the book Consumer Behavior of John C. Mowen and Michael Minor
(1998). At the end of the essay I demonstrate the usefulness and execution of behavioural
learning concepts for marketers.
Page 3 of 5
Dennis Rossberg
Classical Conditioning
Classical conditioning  also called "Pavlovian conditioning" or "respondent
conditioning"  involves learning about the association of two or more stimuli. Classical
conditioning is generally associated with the Russian Ivan Pavlov. He was an important
worker in the area in the 1920s.
In the most famous example of classical conditioning, Pavlov worked with dogs. He
discovered that dogs could be made to salivate at arbitrary stimuli. When the dogs were
fed they were also exposed to a certain stimulus such as a bell ringing. After a certain
number of times of this being performed, the dogs were exposed to the stimulus of the
bell alone. It was found that the dogs still salivated when no food was presented. Over
time, if the bell was presented without food a number of times, the response from the dog
grew weaker and weaker. This type of reflex is known as a conditioned reflex, which
came from the conditional stimulus (the bell).
The cognitive view of classical conditioning by Pavlov was that the essential feature was
the newly achieved ability of a stimulus to elicit a response that was originally invoked
by another. However, the original results that Pavlov obtained were that the saliva
obtained during exposure to the unconditional stimulus (that the dog responds to
unconditionally, in this case the food) as of a different composition to the saliva obtained
during exposure to the conditioned stimulus. It seems valid to conclude from this that the
dog had learned an association between the two stimuli, in other words the conditioned
stimulus was a sign that the unconditional stimulus was soon to follow.
In such experiments, the subject initially shows weak or no response to a conditioned
stimulus (CS), but a measurable unconditioned response (UCR) to an unconditioned
stimulus (UCS,). In the course of the training, the CS is repeatedly presented together
with the UCS; eventually the subject forms an association between the UCS and the CS.
In a subsequent test-phase, the subject will show the conditioned response (CR) to the CS
alone, if such an association has been established and memorized. Such "Pavlovian"
conditioning is opposed to instrumental or "operant conditioning", where producing a CR
controls the UCS presentations.
Page 4 of 5
Dennis Rossberg
Operant Conditioning
Observational Learning
The last major approach in the area of behavioural learning is called observational
learning. This descripts the phenomenon that people learn from the actions of others
around them. It starts with …
The observational learning includes three important ideas. The first one is that theorist
assume that people are aware about the consequences of their behaviour and that they can
change their behaviour regarding to different situations. Second, people observe others to
learn a new behaviour and the consequences of those actions. This needs a person also
called model from which the other person can learn. And third, the theorists are aware
that people are able to control their own behaviour and that they reward or punish
themselves by feeling either self-critical or self-satisfied.
The difference between cognitive learning and observational learning is the fact that in
observational learning the person do not have to do a certain action to learn but to
observe another person by doing this. It also differs in the controlling of the own
behaviour by creating a own reinforcement structure. People and especially consumers
often reward or punish themselves, for example, by buying something that pleases them
or by doing something they disapprove of. According to Mowen (1998) there exist five
factors, which are influencing the effectiveness of a model.
1. The model is physically attractive
2. The model is credible
3. The model is successful
4. The model is similar to the observer
5. The model is shown overcoming difficulties and then succeeding.
Thus it is very important to choose the proper person as a model for an advertisement if
marketers want to take advantage of the observational learning theory.
Page 5 of 5
Dennis Rossberg
In a consumer setting, word-of-mouth communication may have a modelling component.
For instance, if a member of the family or a good friend describes the positive
consequences of purchasing a certain product, you will emulate him or her by buying the
same product.
Managerial Applications of Behavioural Learning
Classical Conditioning
The most often use of classical conditioning concepts in Marketing is in promotional
activities. Marketers make use of sexy actresses or actors, patriotic music and beautiful
scenery as unconditioned stimuli to arouse a positive emotional response in consumers.
In this case the marketers try to elicit a emotional response in the consumer to the product
itself. A lot of brands of beer and colas in the 90’s produced commercials where the
beverage was shown in a combination with beautiful men and women. Furthermore, the
commercial included hard-driving background music to enhanced the overall emotional
impact of the advertisement. Nowadays, there are a lot of other different brands that are
trying to use the same effect to attract consumers.
According to Mowen, the question is whether the ads are really using classical
conditioning concepts. Some critics say that this is not classical conditioning because the
existing of an unconditioned stimuli, such as music or beautiful actresses puts people
only in a good mood also known as the mood effect. Due to these good moods the
consumer remembers positive thoughts and connect these thoughts to the brand.
However, this is not important for marketing managers, as this does not changed the main
thing that they can influence the behaviour of the consumers.
Operant Conditioning
Operant conditioning concepts are used in the areas of the Marketing Mix, Segmentation,
the Environmental, and the Market Research.
Concerning