Taste of Moral – Influence of Moral Values on Taste Expectations
(A2023-114244)

AUTHORS

Regina Harms, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf; Stefan Diehbach, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf; Nadine Gier, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf

ABSTRACT

Drawing on expectancy theory models, this empirical study investigates the influence of moral values within the marketing placebo effect of labeling animal products. This effect refers to marketing measures that influence the perception of products without changing their physical characteristics. By applying the socio-psychological factor of moral values as a moderator on taste expectations, unexplained variance in the marketing placebo effect is clarified. The results of an online experiment show that labeling livestock farming conditions can operate as a quality indicator for the expected taste of meat products, creating a marketing placebo effect. However, this relationship is influenced by an individual's moral values, leading to an increased reduction of taste expectations for products that are considered to have lower livestock farming condition standards. Future research needs to test whether these hypothetical taste expectations also translate into real taste perceptions.