Effects of descriptions of food oral haptics on calorie estimations

• Main Authors: Yu-Chia Chiu, 邱育佳
• Other Authors: Hsuan-Yi Chou
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2016
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/64944756865341668869

碩士 === 國立中山大學 === 行銷傳播管理研究所 === 104 === Eating healthy has become the mainstream lifestyle today. Besides reading nutrition-related messages on food packages, consumers often make food consumption decisions on the basis of oral haptic (mouthfeel) experiences, images of food, and text descriptions in advertisements. Oral haptics are often the first impression in food evaluation. Additionally, oral haptics are the most direct and important sensory experience that affects whether the consumer continues to consume the food. However, there has not been much research that examines how the oral haptics (soft vs. hard) of foods affect consumers’ calorie estimations and consumption intentions. Considering the application limitations of food trials, this study converts the actually-experienced oral haptics into pure text descriptions and examines how textual descriptions of oral haptics affect consumers’ calorie estimations The study also analyzes the possible moderation of food health claims, consumers’ weight-loss intentions, and the camera angle of foods pictured in the advertisements. The direct impact of camera angles on food perception is also examined. This research conducted three experiments and found that: (1) through the mental association mechanism, textual descriptions of soft (vs. hard) oral haptics can make consumers have higher calorie estimations regardless of the food impression being soft, hard, or both hard and soft; this process is mediated by orosensory perception; (2) low-fat health claims (vs. unmarked) weakens the effect of oral-haptic descriptions on calorie estimations; (3) consumers’ high (vs. low) weight-loss intentions strengthens the effect of oral-haptic descriptions on calorie estimations; (4) among the three camera angles (upward, eye-level, and downward shots), the upward camera angle increases food’s perceived potency and weight, the downward camera angle triggers a perception of a food as more luxurious and improves purchase intentions, and the eye-level camera angle results in the lowest calorie estimations; (5) the upward camera angle (vs. eye-level and downward) strengthens the effect of oral-haptic despritions on calorie estimations; (6) when consumers have a hedonic goal of food consumption, soft (vs. hard) oral-haptic descriptions leads to higher calorie estimations and purchase intentions; however, when consumers have a health goal of food consumption, soft (vs. hard) oral-haptic descriptions increases calorie estimates, but does not affect purchase intentions. The research results provide theoretical implications on food consumption research, association theories, image schema theory, and construal level theory. Considering consumer welfare and corporate profitability, this study also provides suggestions for food manufacturers, marketers, and consumers.