Perceived food value depends on display format, preference strength, and physical accessibility.

Area of Science:

• Decision science
• Consumer behavior
• Food psychology

Background:

• Laboratory studies often use 2D food images, assuming they substitute for real food stimuli.
• Evidence suggests a "real object advantage" where willingness-to-pay (WTP) is higher for real foods versus images.
• The modulation of this advantage by stimulus accessibility and preference is not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate if the "real object advantage" in food valuation is influenced by stimulus accessibility and subjective food preference.
• To determine the interaction between display format (real object vs. image), accessibility (occluded vs. unoccluded), and preference strength on WTP.
• To assess if perceived barriers affect valuation differently for real objects and images.

Main Methods:

• Participants placed monetary bids (WTP) on snack foods presented as real objects or computer images.
• A transparent barrier was introduced on half the trials to manipulate stimulus accessibility.
• Linear mixed-effects modeling was used to analyze the WTP data.

Main Results:

• Overall WTP was approximately 7% higher for real food objects compared to images.
• The "real object advantage" was significant only for foods of moderate preference strength, not strong preference.
• WTP was higher for unoccluded stimuli, but this effect was consistent across both real objects and images.

Conclusions:

• The "real object advantage" in food valuation is moderated by subjective preference, appearing for moderately preferred foods.
• Removing perceived barriers increases valuation irrespective of whether the food is real or an image.
• Presenting real foods, particularly those with moderate appeal, can enhance valuation and potentially promote healthier eating habits.