ERIC Number: EJ971775
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2012
Pages: 5
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1499-4046
EISSN: N/A
The Effect of Food Label Cues on Perceptions of Quality and Purchase Intentions among High-Involvement Consumers with Varying Levels of Nutrition Knowledge
Walters, Amber; Long, Marilee
Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, v44 n4 p350-354 Jul-Aug 2012
Objective: To determine whether differences in nutrition knowledge affected how women (a high-involvement group) interpreted intrinsic cues (ingredient list) and extrinsic cues ("all natural" label) on food labels. Methods: A 2 (intrinsic cue) x 2 (extrinsic cue) x 2 (nutrition knowledge expert vs novice) within-subject factorial design was used. Participants were 106 female college students (61 experts, 45 novices). Dependent variables were perception of product quality and purchase intention. Results: As predicted by the elaboration likelihood model, experts used central route processing to scrutinize intrinsic cues and make judgments about food products. Novices used peripheral route processing to make simple inferences about the extrinsic cues in labels. Conclusions and Implications: Consumers' levels of nutrition knowledge influenced their ability to process food labels. The United States Food and Drug Administration should regulate the "all natural" food label, because this claim is likely to mislead most consumers. (Contains 1 figure.)
Descriptors: Expertise, Cues, Nutrition, Inferences, Nutrition Instruction, Females, Novices, College Students, Purchasing, Intention, Value Judgment, Federal Programs, Federal Regulation, Misconceptions, Evaluation Criteria, Student Attitudes, Decision Making, Food, Health Education, Public Health, Health Behavior, Statistical Analysis, Predictor Variables, Merchandise Information, Consumer Education
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A