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Prior Knowledge, Long-Term Memory, and Retrieval (Remembering) - Prior knowledge

7 important questions on Prior Knowledge, Long-Term Memory, and Retrieval (Remembering) - Prior knowledge

Prior knowledge can be defined with different categories: knowledge content, knowledge structure and knowledge flexibility. Knowledge content reflects the information we have already learned and stored in memory. These memories are not stored as random facts, they are stored through schemas and scripts. What is a schema?

This is the set of associations, or 'associative network' linked to a concept in memory. Schemas contain subjective knowledge about "what" something is.

When one association in a schema is activated, this leads to spreading of activation: the process by which retrieving a concept or association spreads to the retrieval of related concepts or associations. The extent to which spreading of activation takes place depends on the strength of the internal links between associations.

If spreading of activation happens outside of conscious awareness, this is called priming.

Favorability, uniqueness and salience are the three dimensions of associations in schemas that are crucial to building strong brands. What do these dimensions mean?

1. Favorability: associations can vary in favorability.
2. Uniqueness: the extent to which an association is also related to another concept (brand).
3. Salience: the extent to how easily an association comes to mind.

Marketers aim to create favorable, unique and salient associations.

Brand image and brand personality are a specific type of schema. What do these capture?

Brand image:

Captures what a brand stands for and how favorable a consumer views it.
Does not represent all the associations linked to a schema --> only those that are most salient and unique.

Brand personality:

Captures the way a consumer would describe the brand if it were a person.
Consumers have more favorable attitudes toward brands whose personalities match their ideal self. Cocreation can really enhance this fit.
Consumers prefer brands that are high in warmth and competence.

Anthropomorphizing is when consumers imbue a product or brand with human-like features. What is the effect of this on consumers attachment to these brands?

People feel that anthropomorphized brands are similar to them and for this reasons tend to become more attached to such brands. But this can also backfire for brands have engaged in transgression (brand scandal).

These tendencies are greater when individuals want to have more personal control over their environment or when they are lonely.

Brand dilution can occur when brand extension is too extensive. What is this phenomenon and why is it not favorable for companies?

This happens when brand extensions make the brand schema less coherent and therefore dilute the parent brand's image. Consumers do not know anymore what the brand stands for.

Next to knowledge content, knowledge structure also plays a role in the way prior knowledge is stored in the long-term memory. What is this?

Consumers have a natural tendency to group schemas in categories that share certain characteristics. These are called 'taxonomic categories'.

Eg: beverages (superordinate level) --> teas, coffees, soft drinks (basic level) --> soft drinks: diet, non diet (subordinate level) --> diet: Diet Coke, Diet Pepsi (category members) --> Diet Coke: cola, sweet, refreshing, dark colour (associations).

Within a taxonomic category, some category members represent the category better than others. This is called a prototype. What factors affect whether a consumer regards something as a category prototype?

Shared associations: prototypes share most associations with other members of its own category and shares fewest with members from different categories.
Frequency of encountering as category member
Pioneers are often seen as prototype.

The question on the page originate from the summary of the following study material:

Consumer Behavior | 9780357721292 | Wayne D Hoyer, et al

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Prior Knowledge, Long-Term Memory, and Retrieval (Remembering) - Prior knowledge

7 important questions on Prior Knowledge, Long-Term Memory, and Retrieval (Remembering) - Prior knowledge

Favorability, uniqueness and salience are the three dimensions of associations in schemas that are crucial to building strong brands. What do these dimensions mean?

Brand image and brand personality are a specific type of schema. What do these capture?

Anthropomorphizing is when consumers imbue a product or brand with human-like features. What is the effect of this on consumers attachment to these brands?

Brand dilution can occur when brand extension is too extensive. What is this phenomenon and why is it not favorable for companies?

Next to knowledge content, knowledge structure also plays a role in the way prior knowledge is stored in the long-term memory. What is this?

Within a taxonomic category, some category members represent the category better than others. This is called a prototype. What factors affect whether a consumer regards something as a category prototype?

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