Applying the evaluability principle to nutrition table information. How reference information changes people's perception of food products
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Authors
Siegrist, Michael
Author (Corporation)
Publication date
2009
Typ of student thesis
Course of study
Type
01A - Journal article
Editors
Editor (Corporation)
Supervisor
Parent work
Appetite
Special issue
DOI of the original publication
Link
Series
Series number
Volume
52
Issue / Number
2
Pages / Duration
505-512
Patent number
Publisher / Publishing institution
Elsevier
Place of publication / Event location
Edition
Version
Programming language
Assignee
Practice partner / Client
Abstract
Consumers often neglect or misinterpret nutrition table information. We argue in this paper that this can be explained by the evaluability principle, which posits that people's evaluation of a product corresponds to a greater degree with the product's actual value when people receive reference information about the product than when they do not get this information. We tested this assumption concerning nutrition table information in two studies. In Study 1, respondents received one of six nutrition tables that differed on reference and summary information about either yogurt or chocolate. In the second study, we compared three nutrition tables from the previous study, as applied to either a low nutritional value yogurt or a high nutritional value yogurt. Participants were asked to rate the attractiveness and perceived healthiness of the product in both studies. Results indicated that reference information can change people's product perception. This seems to depend, however, on the product's nutritional value and on people's primary connotation for the product. In sum, the evaluability principle can explain people's perception of a food product. A nutrition table that is adapted to this principle appears to influence people's product perception so that it becomes more in line with its nutritional value. Implications for practice and further research are given.
Keywords
Nutrition table information, Evaluability principle, Reference information, Food perception
Subject (DDC)
Event
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ISBN
ISSN
0195-6663
1095-8304
1095-8304
Language
English
Created during FHNW affiliation
No
Strategic action fields FHNW
Publication status
Published
Review
Peer review of the complete publication
Open access category
License
Citation
Visschers, V., & Siegrist, M. (2009). Applying the evaluability principle to nutrition table information. How reference information changes people’s perception of food products. Appetite, 52(2), 505–512. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2009.01.004