Enhancing Stimulus Integration in a Consumer Information Processing System: A Theoretical Foundation

Abstract

Although much research has focused on how consumers process information, researchers and theorists in the field of marketing, more specifically consumer behavior, still have much to gain by expanding the existing assemblage of knowledge about information processing and the theories related to this topic. A deeper understanding of how consumers habitually process information may be extremely valuable to marketers when attempting to develop marketing plans, strategies, and messages that will effectively influence consumer attitudes and behavior. The most seemingly unified theory of information processing is the information integration theory. This theoretical approach concentrates on the ways individuals accumulate and organize information to form attitudes toward various concepts including individuals, objects, situations, or ideas. However, marketers must also consider the limitations of the human information processing system. Considering the research on information integration theory and information overload, a model for understanding consumer-oriented marketing messages is discussed. The model suggests that multiple, focused marketing messages should be more effective than relatively few, complex marketing messages. However, the complexity of messages should increase as the consumer becomes more involved with the product, moving from awareness to action