This study show preference strength, arguments strength and consumer’s prior knowledge affects consumer’s cognitive response and preference change to prior preference inconsistent information. The strength of prior preference was manipulated experimentally and exposed subjects to a message that was inconsistent with their manipulated preference. The preference inconsistent message was manipulated experimentally and contained either strong or weak arguments.
In an experiment, it is found that there is difference on consumer’s cognitive response to preference-inconsistent information based on consumer’s preference strength. In other words, strong preferences induce the respondents to process preference-inconsistent information selectively with a view to maintaining their strong preferences more than weak preferences. It is also found that high-knowledge subjects generated more negative thoughts about counter-attitudinal messages and were less persuaded by them than low-knowledge subjects. In addition prior knowledge biases processing negatively for counter attitudinal messages and that strong preferences enhance this bias. Finally, strong arguments was more persuasive than weak arguments in both strong and weak preference conditions.
Therefore, these findings have implications for segmentation, advertising and establish marketing strategies on the bases of understanding the impact of competitor’s strategies to our consumer.
본 연구의 목적은 사전선호가 강하게 형성된 경우와 약한 경우를 나누어서, 선호와 불일치한 정보를 보았을 때, 소비자들이 불일치 정보에 대해 어떤 인지적반응을 할 것이며 결과적으로 기존 선호에 어떤 변화가 생길 것인지를 비교해서 살펴보고, 또 이 과정에서 메시지 강약과 소비자 사전지식수준이 어떤 작용을 하는지에 대해서 연구하는 것이다.
