Effects of product information and consumer attitudes on responses to milk and soybean vanilla beverages

Abstract

BACKGROUND: A study was made into how the type of information (picture of real package or card with beverage type and nutritional facts) and consumer attitudes (interest in eating healthily and food neophobia) affect hedonic ratings and purchase intention with respect to milk and soybean vanilla beverages and to what extent the expectations created by information influence the hedonic ratings of these products. RESULTS: A significant effect of the interaction between samples and information type was detected for both expected acceptability and purchase intention when only information about the samples was provided. The effect of this interaction was significant for acceptability ratings when the samples were evaluated together with corresponding information. The acceptability and purchase intention for two soymilk samples were significantly higher for consumers interested in eating healthily. Both types of information generated an assimilation effect for four samples; however, only for milk beverages was this effect complete. CONCLUSION: Information affected purchase intention to a greater extent than it did hedonic ratings. Type of information significantly affected hedonic ratings in most samples, although sensory quality seemed more decisive for two of the soymilk samples. The extent to which information influenced consumer behaviour was also dependent on some consumer attitudes, such as interest in eating healthily.