The Interplay of Product Class Knowledge and Trial Experience in Attitude Formation

This paper suggests that when ad exposure is accompanied by direct experience, participants' prior product class knowledge will moderate the degree of likelihood that they will experience expectation disconfirmation. Findings indicate that high-knowledge participants' responses toward the product that generates positive experiences vary from their responses toward the product that generates negative experiences in terms of degree of expectation disconfirmation, level of valenced attributional thoughts, ad attitudes, brand attitudes, and purchase intentions. In clear contrast, low-knowledge participants generate similar responses to the two products, suggesting a confirmation bias resulting from ad exposure.