Behavioral reasoning perspectives on organic food purchase

Area of Science:

• Consumer Behavior
• Marketing Science
• Behavioral Economics

Background:

• Growing consumer interest in organic food necessitates deeper understanding beyond simple acceptance or rejection.
• Existing literature often overlooks the intricate reasoning processes and the influence of values on organic food choices.
• Marketing scholars emphasize the need for research into context-specific reasons driving consumer decisions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the associations among consumer values, reasoning, attitudes, and purchase intentions for organic food.
• To examine the moderating roles of food safety concerns and buying involvement in the organic food market.
• To analyze the mediating effects of reasoning and attitudes on the relationship between values and purchase intentions using the Behavioral Reasoning Theory (BRT) framework.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional data collected from 307 consumers and non-consumers in India.
• Application of the Behavioral Reasoning Theory (BRT) framework to analyze consumer decision-making.
• Statistical analysis to examine direct, mediating, and moderating effects.

Main Results:

• Personal values positively correlate with reasons for and against purchasing organic food.
• Positive attitudes and reasons for purchase directly lead to favorable purchase intentions.
• Reasons fully mediate the link between values and attitudes; attitudes partially mediate the link between reasons and purchase intentions.
• Food safety concerns did not significantly moderate the associations, while buying involvement showed a limited moderating effect.

Conclusions:

• Consumer values significantly shape organic food purchase intentions through their attitudes and reasoning processes.
• Understanding the mediating role of attitudes and reasons is key for effective marketing strategies.
• Findings offer valuable insights for marketers and policymakers aiming to promote organic food consumption.