ASSIGNMENT

Gorn, Gerald J., The effects of Music in Advertising on Choice Behavior: A Classical Conditioning Approach, Journal of Marketing 46:1 (1982:Winter) p.94

Summary of Gorn, Gerald J., The effects of Music in Advertising on Choice Behavior: A Classical Conditioning Approach, Journal of Marketing 46:1 (1982:Winter) p.94

The research conducted by Gerald J. Gorn is connected with Consumer Behavior through the general topic of learning: how do consumers’ behavior can be influenced by experience. In this case experience can be assimilated with music during advertising or more generally sensory features, which leads us more in depth of the Behavioral Learning Theories that emphasizes the learning process that occurs as consumers are facing external events. Its is to say do these external factors such as music during advertising influence the attention and the process of information, or do they directly takes part of the forming attitude process. Then we can especially focus on the Classical conditioning approach and effects on attitude (if there is) as Gerald J. Gorn does in his research. But before explaining the theory, on which the research is based, let focus on its objectives.

As explained earlier, the purpose of the two experiments are to demonstrate if there is a scientific connection between the sensory features added to information in an advertisement and the attitude(s) and preference(s) shaped toward the attitude object (and attitude advertisement). Using the classical approach, to look for proofs of the influence of music (as colors…) on the preferences a consumer develops toward a product, Gerald J. Gorn emphasizes also the weaknesses of this approach both in marketing and psychology area. In deed, a lack of popularity of classical conditioning’s influence on attitude is set in this domain. We