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Studying Food Reward and Motivation in Humans
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Cue-based decision making. A new framework for understanding the uninvolved food consumer
1Department of Marketing, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand. robert.hamlin@otago.ac.nz <robert.hamlin@otago.ac.nz>
Appetite
|April 28, 2010
Summary
The Theory of Planned Behaviour poorly predicts food consumer choices in low-involvement situations. A new Cue-Based Decision Making model offers better insights into understanding and influencing uninvolved consumer behavior.
Area of Science:
- Consumer Psychology
- Behavioral Economics
- Food Marketing
Background:
- The dominant Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) has limited predictive power for food consumer choices, particularly in low-involvement scenarios.
- TPB's widespread use in food industry research may stem from historical prevalence rather than empirical validation.
- Existing research highlights the need for alternative frameworks to understand consumer decision-making in low-involvement contexts.
Purpose of the Study:
- To critically evaluate the applicability of the Theory of Planned Behaviour to low-involvement food purchasing decisions.
- To identify the specific limitations of TPB in explaining consumer evaluations and purchase patterns for food products.
- To propose and develop an alternative theoretical framework, Cue-Based Decision Making, for understanding uninvolved food consumers.
Main Methods:
- Literature review and critical analysis of existing research on consumer behavior models.
- Examination of studies investigating the predictive validity of the Theory of Planned Behaviour in food consumption.
- Development of a new theoretical model based on existing academic literature.
Main Results:
- Empirical evidence suggests TPB has restricted validity in predicting food consumer evaluations and purchase patterns under low involvement.
- The study identifies specific shortcomings in TPB that limit its explanatory power for uninvolved food consumers.
- A new paradigm, Cue-Based Decision Making, is proposed as a more effective approach.
Conclusions:
- The Theory of Planned Behaviour is not a universally applicable model for understanding food consumer behavior, especially in low-involvement situations.
- Cue-Based Decision Making offers a promising alternative for enhancing the understanding and prediction of low-involvement food consumer choices.
- Further research and application of the Cue-Based Decision Making model are recommended to influence and predict consumer behavior effectively.
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