ABSTRACT
Attitudes, which are positive or negative evaluations of marketplace phenomena, develop during the alternative evaluation stage of the consumer decision-making process. An attitude is based on a person’s perceptions of a stimulus and the consequent information learned regarding the stimulus. During alternative evaluation, buyers develop beliefs about (perceptions of) and preferences for (favorable predispositions toward) a marketplace option, i.e., the attitude object (AO), the entity toward which the attitude is held. These beliefs and preferences are based on the information a consumer has processed and learned about the AO and they form the foundation for a prepurchase attitude toward the AO. A postpurchase attitude toward this same AO might be altered during the postpurchase evaluation stage due to possible dissonance and changes in buyer satisfaction/dissatisfaction.
