Fishbein model

Fishbein model
See also
Howard Sheth model of consumer behaviour Consumer decision making process Consumer buying behaviour Consumer decision making Sales techniques Brand equity measure Perceived quality Attitudes and behaviour EBK model

Fishbein model of consumer behaviour (also called theory of planned behavior or theory of reasoned action) attempts to explain the rationality of choice of the product by the consumer by using measure of his overall attitude towards object. This model helps to understand consumer decision making process and suggest different ways to influence it.

Description of Fishbein Ajzen model variables

Fishbein model distinguishes three basic variables:

• customer attitude towards particular object ($A_{o}$),
• beliefs that this object has certain attributes (benefits, values, features), it is result of prior knowledge, advertising, etc. ($B_{i}$).
• subjective evaluation of this attributes and positive outcomes, benefits from acquiring this object ($E_{i}$).

Symbolically, above variables can be presented in following formula: $A_{o}=\sum _{i=1}^{n}B_{i}E_{i}$

Attitude of the customer leads to particular behavioural intentions towards object (products, people, companies, and other things about which people hold their beliefs and attitudes). This behavioural intentions usually proceeds particular action (most important for marketers is off course action of buying product from particular company).

Extended Fishbein Ajzen attitude model

Fig. 1. Extended Fishbein Ajzen model of consumer behaviour

This version of model is often called: Theory of Reasoned Action and includes following variables:

• overt behaviour (act of actual purchase) towards object (product, service, company),
• behavioural intentions resulting from attitudes and beliefs $B_{i}$,
• attitude about particular behaviour $A_{b}=b_{i}e_{i}$, where $b_{i}$ - beliefs about consequences of this particular behaviour, and evaluation of this consequences $e_{i}$.
• subjective norms professed by customer $SN=NB_{j}MC_{j}$, where $NB_{j}$ are normative beliefs, stemming from social learning, family, etc. (what other thinks about behaviour, object) and $MC_{j}$ represents customer motivation to comply to this social norms and pressures.
• subjective weights assigned by customer to above mentioned components of the model ($w_{1},w_{2}$)

Symbolically, extended Fishbein Ajzen model can be presented as on fig. 1. and using following formula:

$B\approx B_{i}=w_{1}A_{b}+w_{2}SN$

Building attitudes in Fishbein and Ajzen model

There are several methods of building attitudes toward specific objects (products, companies):

• conditioning,
• learning,
• marketing,
• public relations,
• social pressure,
• etc.

References

• Ajzen, I., & Fishbein, M. (1977). Attitude-behavior relations: A theoretical analysis and review of empirical research. Psychological bulletin, 84(5), 888.
• Ajzen, I., & Fishbein, M. (1973). Attitudinal and normative variables as predictors of specific behavior. Journal of personality and Social Psychology, 27(1), 41.
• Fishbein, M., & Ajzen, I. (1972). 23.020172.002415 Attitudes and opinions. Annual review of psychology, 23(1), 487-544.
• Theory of reasoned action on Wikipedia.

Author: Krzysztof Wozniak