Anticipated guilt and pleasure in a healthy food consumption context

Recognizing the increasing importance of healthiness in food-related businesses, this study attempted to investigate the role of consumers’ affective responses in a healthy food consumption context. To achieve its objectives, this study incorporated anticipated emotional constructs in a decision-making model and investigated the relationships among perceived healthiness, anticipated guilt and pleasure, and behavioral intentions (e.g., purchase, spreading positive word-of-mouth, and recommending the food) in a quick service restaurant setting. The results of this study suggest that anticipated pleasure positively influenced behavioral intentions and mediated the relationship between perceived healthiness and behavioral intentions, whereas anticipated guilt did not influence behavioral intentions. Additionally, this study investigated the moderating role of dietary concerns in consumers’ decision-making processes and found that the low dietary concerns group was more susceptible to anticipated pleasure compared to the high dietary concerns group. Further findings and implications are provided in the main body of the paper.     

When dessert comes close: The effects of anticipating indulgent consumption and dietary restraint on healthy food preference at restaurants

When dining in restaurants, diners often anticipate indulgent consumption, such as enjoying a dessert. This study examined the effects of anticipating such indulgence on preferences for healthy food among restrained and unrestrained eaters. Two experiments revealed that anticipating indulgent consumption reduced restrained eaters’ preference for the immediate consumption of healthy food. Conversely, unrestrained eaters’ expectation of indulgent consumption increased or did not change their preference for a healthy option. The interactive effect of indulgence anticipation and dietary restraint on healthy food preference held regardless of availability of nutrition information. The findings suggest that, despite increasing concern for healthy eating, restrained consumers ironically show a preference for unhealthy food options when anticipating a dessert consumption opportunity. The present study provides theoretical implications for consumption anticipation, sequential consumption, and dietary restraint, and practical implications for restaurateurs as well as for consumers, health professionals, and policymakers regarding healthy eating.     

Feelings of uncertainty and powerlessness from Covid-19: Implications for advertising appeals in the restaurant industry

Are rational (emotional) advertising appeals more congruent with healthy (indulgent) products? Prior research shows inconsistent results on the congruency effect between appeal type and product category. This study sheds light on this topic by examining the moderating effect of two psychological states (i.e., feelings of uncertainty and powerlessness) caused by Covid-19 on the relative effectiveness of rational vs. emotional appeals in the context of food advertisements. The results suggest that people with low levels of uncertainty respond more favorably to rational (vs. emotional) appeals of a healthy food item, and this effect is attenuated among people with high levels of uncertainty. On the other hand, powerful people find emotional (vs. rational) appeals of an indulgent food item more attractive, and this effect is attenuated among powerless people. Theoretical and managerial implications are discussed.     

Effects of calorie information disclosure on consumers’ food choices at restaurants

Menu labeling is a provision in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, but mandatory calorie information disclosure by restaurants is currently under consideration as a potential regulatory initiative to help curb excess calorie intake and encourage healthier food choices. There is much debate about the effectiveness of such legislation. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of calorie information disclosure on consumers’ food choices at restaurants. Results of an online experimental study using real menu boards suggest that the effect of calorie information disclosure interplays with perceived healthfulness of restaurants to jointly affect consumers’ food choices and underlying psychological processes. Upon exposure to calorie information, divergent food choice patterns at restaurants of varying levels of perceived healthfulness were observed. Theoretical and practical implications of the findings are discussed.     

Enhancing ethnic food acceptance and reducing perceived risk: The effects of personality traits,cultural familiarity,and menu framing

This study examined whether innate food-related personality traits (food neophobia), as well as food external factors such as cultural familiarity and menu framing, influence U.S. customers’ reluctance to try ethnic foods. In order to achieve this aim, this study first investigated whether familiarity with cultural contents (e.g., music or movies) helps reduce the perceived risk of ethnic foods and, further, whether it increases acceptance of novel foods. Second, food related behaviors, willingness to try ethnic foods and perceived risk, were examined under various menu conditions with different visual and verbal information frames using a sample of U.S. consumers with varying levels of food neophobia. The results empirically suggest that increasing familiarity with Korean culture through exposure to Korean lifestyles, music, movies, and soap operas could alleviate food neophobia as a barrier to accepting novel ethnic foods. Moreover, the results of the scenario experiments indicate that the menu design format can serve as a tool not only to increase customers’ willingness to accept ethnic foods, but also to reduce the perceived risks of trying ethnic foods.     

Effects of ingredients,names and stories about food origins on perceived authenticity and purchase intentions

The current study examines the influence of unfamiliar food-related attributes (i.e., ingredients and food names) and stories about food origins on consumers’ perceptions of authenticity and their purchase intentions. The results show that unfamiliar ingredients, unique food names, and stories about food origins increase consumers’ perceptions of authenticity. In ethnic restaurants, authenticity has been emphasized as a critical factor for ensuring customer satisfaction and purchase intentions. The mediating role of customers’ perceptions of authenticity is confirmed in the current study. The findings of the current study suggest that the management of Chinese restaurants should develop unique food names and stories about a dish’s origin, as these are pivotal elements contributing to customers’ perceptions of authenticity and purchase intention.     

Does offering an organic food menu help restaurants excel in competition? An examination of diners’ decision-making

This study aims to examine whether the presence of an organic food menu can positively influence diners’ decision-making. A 3 (restaurant segment: quick service vs. casual dining vs. fine dining) by 2 (price discrepancy between competing restaurants: small vs. large) scenario-based experiment was conducted with 405 U.S. consumers. MANCOVA results indicate that using organic ingredients offers a greater advantage for the quick-service segment regarding perceived food quality, attitudes towards the restaurant, and willingness to select, compared to casual and fine dining segments. The magnitude of a premium price of organic ingredients negatively influences such advantage in the process of consumers’ decision-making. When a large (vs. small) premium price is charged for using organic ingredients, customers’ preferences for the restaurant (over its rival) significantly drops to such an extent that customers are more willing to choose the competitor (i.e., rival restaurant with a conventional menu). Discussions and implications are further elaborated.     

Stress and food choices: Examining gender differences and the time horizon framing effect

The number of people facing daily stress is on the rise in the United States. Further, there is increasing evidence of stress induced obesity and other food-related health risks. This study tested the effects of self-reported stress on choosing indulgent and healthy food options in the context of menu promotions at restaurants. The study proposed that time horizon message framing (expansive vs. limited) on restaurant menus influences the effectiveness of advertising messages aimed at preventing unhealthy food choices and promoting healthy choices. Further, this study examined gender differences in stress induced eating. The current findings shed new light on time horizon message framing, which encourages stressed consumers to make healthy choices. The results showed that food choices can be altered using time horizon messages. That is, stressed individuals tend to choose healthier options when the message is framed in terms of expansive time and more indulgent food than when the message is focused on a limited time frame. Restaurant managers are advised to establish creative marketing strategies to spur interest in healthy menu items and emphasize the benefits of healthy food items.     

Staying with the ingroup or outgroup? A cross-country examination of international travelers’ home-sharing preferences

This paper examines the joint effect of host’s cultural identity (i.e., ingroup vs. outgroup), presence of a travel companion, and consumer’s country of origin on international travelers’ evaluations of home-sharing services. A quasi-experimental design was implemented to collect data from U.S. and Chinese consumers. Results indicate a significant three-way interaction: In a culturally different destination, Chinese consumers prefer home-sharing services provided by ingroup hosts whether traveling alone or with a companion, whereas American consumers only show ingroup preference if they travel alone; when traveling internationally with a travel companion, American consumers prefer home-sharing services provided by an outgroup host. Further, psychological closeness and perceived experience authenticity are found to be the mediators underlying international travelers’ home-sharing preferences. Findings of this study offer new insights to the research and management of sharing economy.     

Restaurants’ healthy eating initiatives for children increase parents’ perceptions of CSR,empowerment, and visit intentions

In this study, we examine how healthy eating initiatives (i.e., providing healthful foods and nutrition information on children’s menus) affect parents’ intentions to visit restaurants. We test the mediating roles of perceived corporate social responsibility (CSR) and empowerment and examine whether mediating effects are contingent on the level of parents’ concerns about children’s eating. The results of a scenario-based experimental design show that both initiatives increase parents’ visit intentions through increased CSR perceptions. The indirect effect of nutrition information on visit intentions through perceived CSR is pronounced only among parents with moderate to high concerns about children’s eating. The provision of healthful foods has an indirect effect on parents’ visit intentions through perceived CSR, regardless of concern level. Our findings suggest that providing healthful items and nutrition information on children’s menus increases parents’ perceptions of CSR and visit intentions.     

The roles of attitude,subjective norm,and perceived behavioral control in the formation of consumers’ behavioral intentions to read menu labels in the restaurant industry

Increases in food-away-from-home purchases brought public awareness to policies for improving nutritional value of foods served at restaurants. As a result, offering choices to consumers that affect health and wellness has become a growing concern in the food industry and restaurants, as evidenced by provisions for nutritional labeling to guide consumers’ food purchasing decisions for healthy eating. This study pursues an empirical examination of the consumers’ behavior toward reading nutritional labeling at casual-dining restaurants. The study tests the conceptual framework of the proposed effects of constructs on consumers’ behavioral intentions. Findings indicate that the variable of attitude acts as a mediator in the relationship between subjective norm and behavioral intention. This study is meaningful to academia by offering insights into the relationship between consumers’ behavior and nutritional information in the context of restaurants and is beneficial to the restaurant industry by offering implications for establishing marketing strategies to improve consumers’ perceptions of menu items.     

The Influence of Reviewer Demographic Information Provision on Trust and Purchase Intent for Users of Online Websites

E-commerce websites are increasingly interested in how to effectively utilize online reviews to positively influence consumer decisions. One potential mechanism is providing socio-demographic information about reviewers along with the reviews. This study investigates how consumer decision outcome variables (e.g., perceived usefulness, trust and purchase intent) change when reviewers’ age and gender are provided and when a consumer’s and reviewer’s age/gender are same or similar. The hotel industry was utilized as the context. The results from the experiment showed that, regardless of the compatibility of the provided demographic information (reviewers’ vs. consumers’), providing reviewers’ age and gender positively impacted consumers’ perceived online trust, and about half of the participants processed and remembered the demographic information. It was additionally noted that people who could remember reviewers’ demographic information had not only more trust in the reviewer, the specific company’s website, and the specific hotel itself, but also higher intention to recommend and book the hotel.     

The effect of brand popularity statements on consumers’ purchase intentions: The role of instrumental attitudes toward the act

Marketers increasingly use brand popularity statements in attempts to influence consumers’ purchase decisions. Through the use of two experiments this research finds that a brand's popularity statement exerts a greater positive influence on the purchase intentions of consumers who possess less favorable instrumental attitudes toward the associated act (i.e. useless/foolish/harmful) than on purchase intentions of those consumers who have more favorable instrumental attitudes toward the act (i.e. useful/wise/beneficial). Further, this research also finds that a popularity statement for a brand of which society generally has a less favorable instrumental attitude toward the associated act (e.g. fast food consumption) has a larger positive influence on consumers’ purchase intent than does a popularity statement for a brand of which society generally has a more favorable instrumental attitude toward the associated act (e.g. dining at a casual theme restaurant). These findings suggest that brand popularity statements should be targeted at those consumers who might possess less favorable attitude toward the associated act or can be most effective in sectors in which consumer sentiment is generally low (e.g. the fast food sector).     

Exploring user-generated content related to dining experiences of consumers with food allergies

The purpose of this research was to explore and assess factors influencing perceptions of consumers with food allergies toward restaurants when accommodating allergen-free requests. Mixed approaches, including big data analytics (i.e., topic modeling), content analysis, and multiple regression analyses were performed to analyze user-generated reviews for restaurants listed on AllergyEats.com, an information-sharing platform for consumers with food allergies. Among the 40 topics identified, “knowledgeable staff” was the most prevalent topic. Results of topic correlation analyses revealed five groups of topics: customized orders, efforts of staff, menu options, fried foods and oil, and communication with shared latent features. Four topics in the group of “efforts of staff” had the highest positive impact on restaurant ratings, while two topics in the group of “communications” had the strongest negative impacts. Foodservice managers and educators may use the results of this study to better accommodate consumers with food allergies and develop appropriate training programs.     

Mr. Potato Head fights food waste: The effect of anthropomorphism in promoting ugly food

Ugly food refers to vegetables and fruits that are oddly shaped, colored, or sized. Ugly food is typically thrown out, which represents a significant amount of food waste. This study aimed to identify effective ways to promote ugly food consumption by analyzing the relative persuasiveness of advertisements in terms of three variables: anthropomorphism (anthropomorphic vs. non-anthropomorphic), temporal framing (near future vs. distant future), and message framing (loss vs. gain). The results showed that anthropomorphism and distant future messages have a significant positive influence on consumers’ purchase intentions toward ugly food. This finding confirms that there is a significant matching effect between temporal distance and loss-/gain-framed messages on consumers’ purchase intentions toward ugly food. Additionally, this matching effect between temporal distance and loss-/gain-framed messages varies depending on the level of anthropomorphism present in the messages. The study also provides implications for effective marketing communication in the context of ugly food promotion in the foodservice industry.     

An empathy lens into peer service providers: Personal versus commercial hosts

The focus of the peer-to-peer in tourism (Airbnb) has shifted recently from personal peer providers (i.e., individuals that rent a room) to commercial peer providers (i.e., companies that manage several Airbnb lodgings). While prior research encourages peer service providers (Airbnb hosts) to focus on social interactions, there is scant research on how consumers respond to the social dimension across the two peer provider types (personal vs. commercial provider). Two experimental studies (N = 600) reveal that consumers exhibit higher loyalty towards personal (vs. commercial) providers when they focus on communal norms, and this effect is driven via empathy. Study 2 examines the moderating effect of perceived warmth and demonstrates that low perceived warmth has a detrimental effect on loyalty among personal (vs. commercial) peer providers.     

The chain of effects from authenticity cues to purchase intention: The role of emotions and restaurant image

The current study aimed to address the lack of studies on consumers’ perceived authenticity of traditional restaurants. Specifically, this study examined the antecedents of perceived authenticity by focusing on three restaurant attributes (i.e., authenticator, ownership type, and history). Additionally, by utilizing cognitive appraisal theory, the current study developed an authenticity model to enhance our understanding of the effect of perceived authenticity on consumer behavior. The results show that authentication by local people and chain ownership significantly enhance consumers’ perceived authenticity. Moreover, consumers’ perceived authenticity influences their purchase intention both directly and indirectly through restaurant image and positive emotion. This study’s findings provide traditional restaurateurs with insights into how to enhance perceived authenticity and purchase intention.     

An examination of restaurant employees’ work-life outlook: The influence of support systems during COVID-19

The main objective of this research paper is to examine the influence of perceived support (i.e., organizational support and social support) on life satisfaction (i.e., current and anticipated life satisfaction), which is hypothesized to increase restaurant employees’ loyalty organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) and decrease their intentions to leave the restaurant industry during the COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, the moderating effects of employees’ resilience and employment status are also examined. Analyzing the responses of 609 restaurant employees using structural equation modeling (SEM), findings revealed that all direct effects were supported, except for the effect of anticipated life satisfaction on intention to leave the restaurant industry. Lastly, the moderating role of resilience in the relationships between current life satisfaction and restaurant employees’ loyalty OCB and intentions to leave the industry was confirmed. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed in detail.