The Relative Endurance of Attitudes, Confidence, and Attitude‐Behavior Consistency: The Role of Information Source and Delay

Abstract

This article integrates attitude and memory perspectives by examining how brand attitudes and attitude confidence decline over time. A review of the literature identifies 2 independent variables that may cause a decline in attitudes: (a) source of information (exposure to advertising or product trial) and (b) time of measurement (immediate or 1‐week delay). Hypotheses are developed that (a) attitude confidence will decline over time for participants exposed to advertising but not trial, (b) brand attitudes will decline over time for trial‐based attitudes but not those based on advertising, (c) a consequence of confidence decline is lowered attitude‐behavior consistency, and (d) reactivating attitudes will prevent declines in attitude and attitude confidence. Results generally confirm the hypotheses but also reveal some interesting and unexpected findings. Implications for current attitude and advertising models and future consumer research are discussed.