__ means that consumers are likely to remember good points made about a brand they favor and forget good points made about competing brands.
A) Selective attention
B) Selective retention
C) Cognitive dissonance
D) Selective distortion
E) Cognitive bias
The correct answer and explanation is :
The correct answer is B) Selective retention.
Selective retention refers to the tendency of consumers to remember information that supports their existing attitudes or beliefs while forgetting or disregarding information that contradicts them. In the context of marketing, it means that consumers are more likely to recall favorable aspects about a brand they already favor, while forgetting or ignoring positive points made about competing brands. This is a cognitive process where people filter the information they encounter, which influences their decision-making and brand loyalty.
Consumers are exposed to a wide variety of messages daily, and selective retention plays a role in shaping how they perceive and recall information about products and brands. When individuals have a strong preference or attachment to a specific brand, they will retain positive information that reinforces their preference. For example, if a person is loyal to a particular brand of smartphones, they are more likely to remember positive reviews or features that highlight the benefits of their chosen brand while dismissing or forgetting favorable aspects of competing brands.
This cognitive bias helps to maintain consumer loyalty and brand preference over time. It explains why marketing strategies that emphasize the strengths of a brand or provide positive reinforcement can be effective in influencing consumer attitudes. Companies may leverage selective retention by reinforcing key messages in advertising, social media, or product reviews to ensure that favorable points about their brand are more likely to be remembered by consumers.
Selective retention is part of a broader psychological phenomenon related to selective perception, where individuals tend to filter incoming information according to their attitudes, beliefs, or interests. Understanding this concept is crucial for marketers as it helps them craft communication strategies that align with consumer predispositions and ultimately shape purchasing decisions.