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Published on: June 21, 2019
Revealing the values behind convenience food consumption
Anna Botonaki1, Konstadinos Mattas
1Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Dept. of Agricultural Economics, Greece.
Appetite
|September 30, 2010
Summary
Consumer food choices increasingly prioritize convenience. This study links convenience food preferences to personal values like novelty-seeking and independence, contrasting with conservation values. Findings aid food marketers and policymakers.
Area of Science:
- Consumer Behavior
- Food Psychology
- Personal Values Theory
Background:
- Growing consumer demand for convenience in food selection.
- Personal values are hypothesized to influence food-related attitudes and behaviors.
- Understanding the link between values and convenience food choices is crucial for the food industry.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between Schwartz's personal values and consumer behavior/attitudes towards convenience food.
- To analyze how individual values shape the adoption of convenience-oriented food practices.
- To explore the relationship between personal values and other food-related behaviors like cooking involvement and dietary variety.
Main Methods:
- Utilized Schwartz's (1992) personal values theory.
- Developed constructs for food-related attitudes and behaviors.
- Employed a questionnaire survey methodology (Brunsø, Scholderer, & Grunert, 2004) with a consumer sample in Thessaloniki, Greece.
Main Results:
- Convenience food consumption and orientation correlate positively with self-enhancement and openness-to-experience values.
- Convenience food choices conflict with conservation and self-transcendence values.
- Conversely, engagement in cooking and dietary variety align with conservation and self-transcendence values.
Conclusions:
- Personal values significantly predict convenience food consumption patterns.
- Findings offer insights for targeted marketing strategies and food policy development.
- The study highlights the complex interplay between individual values and food choices in modern society.
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