Attitudes can be defi ned as the way people think, feel, and act toward some aspect of their environment. A result of all the factors discussed so far in the text, attitudes infl uence, as well as refl ect, the lifestyle individuals pursue. Attitudes have three components: cognitive, affective, and behavioral. The cognitive component consists of the individual’s beliefs or knowledge about the object. It is generally assessed by using a version of the multiattribute attitude model. Feelings or emotional reactions to an object represent the affective component of the attitude and can be assessed in various ways including AdSAM®. The behavioral component refl ects overt actions and statements of behavioral intentions with respect to specifi c attributes of the object or the overall object. In general, all three components tend to be consistent with each other. Attitude change strategies can focus on affect, behavior, cognition, or some combination. Attempts to change affect generally rely on classical conditioning. Change strategies focusing on behavior rely more on operant conditioning. Changing cognitions usually involves information processing and cognitive learning. The infl uence of affect and emotion on attitudes under high involvement depends on their decision relevance. And, consumers with strongly held attitudes can resist brand attacks (attitude change attempts) by discrediting, discounting, or containing the attack. Source credibility is composed of two dimensions: trustworthiness and expertise. Persuasion is much easier when the message source is viewed as highly credible. Celebrities are widely used as product or company spokespersons. They are most effective when their KEY TERMS Aesthetic appeal 396 Affective component 395 Ambivalent attitude 399 Attitude 392 Attribute framing 415 Behavioral component 397 image matches the personality of the product and the actual or desired self-concept of the target market. The appeals used to change attitudes are important and are varied. Fear appeals use threat of negative consequences if attitudes or behaviors are not altered. Humorous appeals can also be effective in infl uencing attitudes. However, the humorous message must remain focused on the brand or main selling point to be maximally effective. Comparative ads produce mixed results. They are most effective for unknown brands having a strong functional advantage. The decision to use a value-expressive or utilitarian appeal depends on whether the brand fi lls value-expressive or utilitarian needs. However, this is complicated when the brand fi lls both types of needs. Emotional appeals have been found to have a strong effect on attitudes toward both the ad and the product. Three aspects of the structure of the message affect its effectiveness. Two-sided (versus one-sided ) messages can increase trust and message acceptance, but effects depend on characteristics of the individual and situation. Message framing effects—presenting equivalent value outcomes either in positive (positive framing) or negative (negative framing) terms—depend on type of frame. Positive attribute framing tends to work best whereas negative goal framing tends to work best. Nonverbal aspects of the ad, such as pictures, surrealism, and music, also affect attitudes. Consumer evaluations, feelings, and beliefs about specifi c product features form the basis for market segmentation strategies, such as benefi t segmentation, and for new-product development strategies.