Howard Sheth Model - Variables

The Howard-Sheth Model comprises input, process, and output components. Input variables include marketing messages and social influences. Process variables encompass perceptions, learning, memory, motivation, emotions, and attitudes that influence decision-making. Output represents the final customer choice and post-purchase behavior resulting from input and process variables.

Input variables include marketing messages, social influences, and perceptions shaped by friends, family, and culture. These external stimuli directly influence how consumers process information and form preferences. In Mike's grooming service example, online marketing and friend recommendations served as key input variables that guided his initial problem-solving and comparison stages.

Process variables—perceptions, learning, memory, motivation, emotions, and attitudes—are the cognitive and emotional mechanisms consumers use to process information. These internal factors collectively influence preferences and shape how consumers evaluate options. They determine whether a consumer moves from extensive problem-solving to limited problem-solving or habitual response behavior.

External variables, such as weather or environmental conditions, are not directly tied to the decision-making process but can still impact customer choices. These situational factors operate outside the consumer's control and may alter preferences or purchasing behavior. The model recognizes that consumer decisions are influenced by both internal mechanisms and external circumstances.

Mike's decision progressed through extensive problem-solving, where he sought information online and consulted friends; limited problem-solving, where he compared groomers' prices and quality; and habitual response behavior, where he selected a specific groomer and continued using that service. This progression illustrates how consumers move from active information-seeking to routine purchasing.

The Howard-Sheth Model is holistic because it acknowledges multidimensional aspects affecting consumer behavior, including psychological, social, and marketing stimuli alongside external environmental factors. It recognizes the dynamic and iterative nature of decision-making, showing how input and process variables interact to produce outputs. This comprehensive framework helps marketers understand and influence the entire decision-making journey.

Marketers use the Howard-Sheth Model to gain insights into diverse factors affecting consumers and tailor strategies accordingly. By understanding input variables like marketing messages and social influences, process variables like attitudes and emotions, and output decisions, marketers can design targeted campaigns that address specific stages of the consumer decision-making journey and influence brand selection.