The adaptive eater: Perceived healthiness moderates the effect of the color red on consumption

Leonie Reutner; Oliver Genschow; Michaela Wänke

doi:10.1016/j.foodqual.2015.04.016

The adaptive eater: Perceived healthiness moderates the effect of the color red on consumption

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The adaptive eater: Perceived healthiness moderates the effect of the color red on consumption. / Reutner, Leonie; Genschow, Oliver; Wänke, Michaela.
In: Food Quality and Preference, Vol. 44, 01.09.2015, p. 172-178.

Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review

Bibtex

@article{c0e930d58c8e4c1487d39cacf0fc1a12,

title = "The adaptive eater: Perceived healthiness moderates the effect of the color red on consumption",

abstract = "Previous studies suggest that the color red reduces food intake because it signals danger and hence acts as a consumption-stopping cue. We demonstrate that this effect cannot be generalized to just any kind of food. Consequently, we show that the color red-despite eliciting similar associations-affects behavior more strongly with regard to unhealthy (potentially harmful) food compared to healthy food. Specifically, the color red more strongly influenced the amount of unhealthy food intake (Study 1) and the choice of unhealthy food options (Study 2) compared to healthy food. Study 2 further demonstrated that the impact of color on behavior decreases gradually as food options become healthier. Moreover, the effect can be observed for subtle (Study 1) as well as salient (Study 2) color cues. These results suggest that consumers do not react in a generalized but in an adaptive way to the color red.",

keywords = "Color, Consumption, Food, Healthiness, Psychology, Business psychology",

author = "Leonie Reutner and Oliver Genschow and Michaela W{\"a}nke",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2015 Elsevier Ltd.",

year = "2015",

month = sep,

day = "1",

doi = "10.1016/j.foodqual.2015.04.016",

language = "English",

volume = "44",

pages = "172--178",

journal = "Food Quality and Preference",

issn = "0950-3293",

publisher = "Elsevier B.V.",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - The adaptive eater

T2 - Perceived healthiness moderates the effect of the color red on consumption

AU - Reutner, Leonie

AU - Genschow, Oliver

AU - Wänke, Michaela

PY - 2015/9/1

Y1 - 2015/9/1

N2 - Previous studies suggest that the color red reduces food intake because it signals danger and hence acts as a consumption-stopping cue. We demonstrate that this effect cannot be generalized to just any kind of food. Consequently, we show that the color red-despite eliciting similar associations-affects behavior more strongly with regard to unhealthy (potentially harmful) food compared to healthy food. Specifically, the color red more strongly influenced the amount of unhealthy food intake (Study 1) and the choice of unhealthy food options (Study 2) compared to healthy food. Study 2 further demonstrated that the impact of color on behavior decreases gradually as food options become healthier. Moreover, the effect can be observed for subtle (Study 1) as well as salient (Study 2) color cues. These results suggest that consumers do not react in a generalized but in an adaptive way to the color red.

AB - Previous studies suggest that the color red reduces food intake because it signals danger and hence acts as a consumption-stopping cue. We demonstrate that this effect cannot be generalized to just any kind of food. Consequently, we show that the color red-despite eliciting similar associations-affects behavior more strongly with regard to unhealthy (potentially harmful) food compared to healthy food. Specifically, the color red more strongly influenced the amount of unhealthy food intake (Study 1) and the choice of unhealthy food options (Study 2) compared to healthy food. Study 2 further demonstrated that the impact of color on behavior decreases gradually as food options become healthier. Moreover, the effect can be observed for subtle (Study 1) as well as salient (Study 2) color cues. These results suggest that consumers do not react in a generalized but in an adaptive way to the color red.

KW - Color

KW - Consumption

KW - Food

KW - Healthiness

KW - Psychology

KW - Business psychology

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84929454766&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.foodqual.2015.04.016

DO - 10.1016/j.foodqual.2015.04.016

M3 - Journal articles

AN - SCOPUS:84929454766

VL - 44

SP - 172

EP - 178

JO - Food Quality and Preference

JF - Food Quality and Preference

SN - 0950-3293

ER -

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https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodqual.2015.04.016
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The adaptive eater: Perceived healthiness moderates the effect of the color red on consumption

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