霍夫兰德态度改变理论视域下评论信息对消费者矛盾态度的影响研究

Research on the influence of comment information on consumers′ambivalent attitudes based on hovland′s theory of attitude change

研究发现已有关于在线购物情境下评论信息对消费者矛盾态度影响的研究存在多因素综合分析较少、系统性弱等问题。本文基于霍夫兰德态度改变理论,采用2×2×2×2四因素综合分析方式研究当面对不同说服情景时,不同说服者及不同说服信息对不同类型说服对象矛盾态度改变的影响。通过研究实验及逐步回归法构建了多因素作用下消费者矛盾态度改变模型,研究发现消费者矛盾态度的高低直接影响矛盾态度的改变;冲突模式通过与涉入度的交互对消费者矛盾态度的改变形成调节作用;关系强度也通过与涉入度的交互对矛盾态度的改变形成调节作用。研究结果既是对现有消费者矛盾态度研究的补充,也为企业制定差异化的营销策略提供了建议。

In the context of micro consumption,consumers usually have ambivalent attitudes rather than simple unitary attitudes.It is revealed in existing studies online shopping may form characteristics of more attitudinal ambivalence due to the existence of more uncertainties and risks,if compared with the offline shopping.At present,there are relatively many studies on the influence of comment information on consumers′attitudes in the context of online shopping,but there are relatively few specific studies focusing on the influence of comment information on consumers′ambivalent attitudes and there are still three shortcomings.First of all,there are many factors affecting the attitude changes,but there are relatively few factors that have been used to analyze the ambivalent attitudes.Secondly,there are relatively few multi-factor comprehensive analyses,and most studies only involve two dimensions,while a few studies involve three dimensions.Thirdly,these studies lack a systematic analysis of the pattern of changes in consumers′ambivalent attitudes.Based on Hovland′s theory of attitude change,this paper constructs a model of consumers′ambivalent attitude changes under the influence of multiple factors,and adopts 2×2×2×2 four-factor comprehensive analysis method to study the influence of different persuaders and different persuasion information on the ambivalent attitudes held by different types of objects of persuasion when faced with different persuasion scenarios.The eight hypotheses are tested experimentally,and the model of the changes in consumers′ambivalent attitudes is discussed through the application of regression analysis.The research findings are as follows.First of all,the degree of ambivalence directly affects the changes in consumers′ambivalent attitudes.That is to say,the ambivalent attitudes of consumers with high ambivalence decrease significantly,while the ambivalent attitudes of those with low ambivalence increase significantly.Secondly,conflict pattern,relationship intensity and product involvement degree have no direct moderating effect on the changes in consumers′ambivalent attitudes.Thirdly,the interaction between involvement degree and conflict pattern forms a moderating effect on the changes in consumers′ambivalent attitudes.To be specific,for those with high ambivalence,when faced with direct conflict,consumers′ambivalent attitudes decrease significantly regardless of the high/low product involvement degree,and there is no significant difference.In the face of indirect conflict,there are no significant changes in the consumers′ambivalent attitudes regardless of the high/low product involvement degree,and there is no significant difference.In the face of indirect conflict,there are no significant changes in the consumers′ambivalent attitudes regardless of the high/low product involvement degree,and there is no significant difference.Fourthly,the interaction between relationship intensity between involvement degree forms moderating effect on the changes in consumers′ambivalent attitudes.To be specific,for those with high ambivalence,when faced with the information about strong ties,consumers′ambivalent attitudes decrease significantly regardless of the high/low involvement degree,yet there is no significant difference.In the face of the information about weak ties,if the product involvement degree is high,the ambivalent attitudes decrease significantly.If the product involvement degree is low,the changes in ambivalent attitudes are insignificant.For those with low ambivalence,when faced with the information about strong ties,ambivalent attitudes increase significantly regardless of the high/low involvement degree,and the ascensional range of ambivalent attitudes held by high involvement group is significantly higher than that of low involvement group.In the face of the information about weak ties,ambivalent attitudes increase significantly regardless of the high/low involvement degree,and the ascensional range of ambivalent attitudes held by low involvement group is significantly higher than that of high involvement group.The theoretical contributions of this paper are mainly reflected in two aspects.First of all,two types of new indicators affecting consumers′ambivalent attitudes are newly added,namely,relationship intensity and conflict pattern.The introduction of these two types of indicators is a useful supplement and extension to the existing studies on consumers′ambivalent attitudes.Secondly,the model of changes in consumers′ambivalent attitudes under the influence of multiple factors is constructed.This model has organized the previously scattered analysis system for individual indicators,and put the complicated changes in ambivalent attitudes into the programmed information pattern,thus simplifying the issue of complicated changes in ambivalent attitudes,and providing a theoretical basis for the studies on multiple levels and dimensions.Based on the research findings,this paper provides four suggestions for enterprises to develop differentiated marketing strategies.The first is to reduce consumers′ambivalent attitudes by starting to clarify the degree of consumers′ambivalence,the second is respectively provide easy access to information for high/low involvement groups,the third is to define the focus of consumer attention and avoid the conflicts of product information,while achieving the targeted publicity,and the fourth is to preserve existing strengths and win over new alliances.