How Label Format and Thinking Style Impact the Processing of Food Cues
(A2019-8324)

AUTHORS

Steffen Jahn, University of Goettingen; Daniel Guhl, HU Berlin; Setareh Sanjari, University of Goettingen; Yasemin Boztug, University of Goettingen

KEYWORDS

nutrition label; information processing; transformative consumer research

ABSTRACT

Despite numerous studies over the last decades, utilization of nutrition information is still poorly understood. Extant literature has focused on healthfulness assessments in relatively unambiguous comparative settings, such as comparing pasta and potato chips. We examine hard-to-judge situations (e.g., comparing two similar options) and the role of nutrition label format and thinking style therein. Recursive simultaneous bivariate probit modeling that considers the mediating role of extensive nutrition information consultation highlights a dialectic of numerical nutrition label presence as well as analytical thinking style in terms of information consultation and assessment quality.