Comprehending product attributes and benefits: The role of product knowledge and means-end chain inferences

One hundred twenty consumers (classified as either higher or lower knowledge) read an advertisement for a camera described by either attributes or consequences, or both attributes and their related consequences. Thought listings coded for inferences at varying levels of abstraction corresponding to means-end chain theory revealed that most inferences were about self-relevant product consequences. Results also suggest that higher-knowledge consumers are more likely to infer cause-and-effect means-end associations during product comprehension. Further, compared to inferences about concrete attributes and features, inferences about self-relevant product consequences had stronger effects on consumers' brand attitudes, but not ad attitudes. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.