Standard Learning Hierarchy

Last Updated on Tue, 17 Jan 2023 | Marketing Communications

consumer will do (e.g., actual trial or purchase). In this hierarchy, the consumer is viewed as an active participant in the communication process who gathers information through active learning.

Ray suggests the standard learning hierarchy is likely when the consumer is highly involved in the purchase process and there is much differentiation among competing brands. High-involvement purchase decisions such as those for industrial products and services and consumer durables like personal computers, printers, cameras, appliances, and cars are areas where a standard learning hierarchy response process is likely. Ads for products and services in these areas are usually very detailed and provide customers with information that can be used to evaluate brands and help them make a purchase decision (Exhibit 5-6).

The Dissonance/Attribution Hierarchy A second response hierarchy proposed by Ray involves situations where consumers first behave, then develop attitudes or feelings as a result of that behavior, and then learn or process information that supports the behavior. This dissonance/attribution model, or do ^ feel ^ learn, occurs in situations where consumers must choose between two alternatives that are similar in quality but are complex and may have hidden or unknown attributes. The consumer may purchase the product on the basis of a recommendation by some nonmedia source and then attempt to support the decision by developing a positive attitude toward the brand and perhaps even developing negative feelings toward the rejected alternative(s). This reduces any postpurchase dissonance or anxiety the consumer may experience resulting from doubt over the purchase (as discussed in Chapter 4). Dissonance reduction involves selective learning, whereby the consumer seeks information that supports the choice made and avoids information that would raise doubts about the decision.

According to this model, marketers need to recognize that in some situations, attitudes develop after purchase, as does learning from the mass media. Ray suggests that in these situations the main effect of the mass media is not the promotion of original choice behavior and attitude change but rather the reduction of dissonance by reinforcing the wisdom of the purchase or providing supportive information. For example, the ad shown in Exhibit 5-7 reinforces consumers' decisions to purchase Michelin tires by showing the number of awards the brand has received for customer satisfaction.

Post Purchase Dissonance Examples

Exhibit 5-6 Ads for high-involvement products provide consumers with information to help them evaluate brands

■ Exhibit 5-7 This ad reinforces the wisdom of the decision to purchase Michelin tires

Continue reading here: Implications of the Alternative Response Models

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Readers' Questions

  • august
    What is standard learning hierchy?
    1 year ago
    • Standard learning hierarchy is a model that explains how the human brain progresses from simple forms of learning to more complex ones. It suggests that the human mind is organized into several stages of learning. These include habituation, sensitization, classical conditioning, instrumental conditioning, and cognitive learning. Each level adds complexity to the learning process, as the learner requires increasingly complex information in order to learn.
    • Elfstan Puddifoot
      Which promotional strategy is good for standard learning hierarchy?
      1 year ago
      • A good promotional strategy for a standard learning hierarchy is using content marketing. Content marketing involves creating and sharing relevant, valuable, and high-quality content to a target audience. This can include video tutorials, informative blog posts, and engaging infographics. Content marketing can help promote your learning hierarchy by helping to educate, inform, and inspire your audience, while also demonstrating your expertise on the subject.
      • monika hahn
        What is standard attitude hierarchy?
        1 year ago
        • Standard attitude hierarchy is a concept that outlines a system of beliefs based upon the order of importance given to various ideas and opinions. This hierarchy of attitudes is generally viewed as a pyramid, with the most important attitudes at the top and the least important attitudes at the bottom. Generally, attitudes are arranged in the following order, from most important to least important: values, beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors.
        • taija liukko
          What is the consumer choices according to standard hierarchy?
          1 year ago
          • The consumer choices according to standard hierarchy are as follows:
          1. Need: Basic required products and services to survive.
          2. Wants: Products and services that are not essential but desired by the consumer.
          3. Demands: The consumer's desire or request for a product or service.
          4. Preference: The consumer's particular opinion or attitude about a specific product or service.
          5. Choice: The decision made by a consumer after examining multiple options.
          • Timba
            What is dissonance attribution hierarchy model?
            1 year ago
            • The Dissonance Attribution Hierarchy Model is a psychological model which claims that when people experience a feeling of psychological dissonance, or cognitive conflict, they will turn to external attributions first and then gradually move to internal attributions for the cause of the dissonance. This means that people first look for sources outside themselves to explain why they feel dissonance, such as blaming a task's complexity or someone else's behavior. If, however, the external sources cannot explain the dissonance, then people will more readily accept internal attributions, such as admitting that they lack certain skills required to complete the task. The model implies that people will usually turn to external attributions first, and move to internal attributions only when needed.
            • KAREN WALKER
              What is standard learning communications?
              1 year ago
              • Standard learning communications are a type of communication used in educational settings, such as classrooms, to help facilitate learning by allowing a form of standardized communication between teachers and students. It includes the use of face-to-face verbal communication, written instruction, visual aides, and technology-mediated communication. It is based on the premise that standardized learning communications can provide students with better access to information and improve learning outcomes.
              • laura
                What is standard learning hierarchy?
                1 year ago
                • The standard learning hierarchy is a pyramid-shaped structure that explains how people learn. It is divided into six levels, in order of increasing complexity: knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation. At each level, the student must demonstrate an increasingly higher level of cognitive processing.