Case studies
Consumer psychology and behaviour
The psychology of food choice
There is a pandemic of obesity in the UK and it is widely reported that ill-health is often linked to poor diet. Yet, with such a large variety of foods available people habitually choose to eat the same things, often with little regard for the consequences of these choices to their health.
Our researchers set out to understand ways of intervening in peoples' food choices via the psychology of 'behaviour change' to shift the choices consumers make towards healthier eating.
Part of the research was to identify a likely mechanism through which food choice decisions could be modified. Much of a person's food choice is habitual. A review of existing research into attitudes and beliefs around food shows that a person's formative years, and the influence of society, are powerful determinants of that person's food choices. Today, people do not take much time thinking about their choices. In fact, the key features of habitual behaviour are convenience, opportunity and environmental cues, such as the pleasant small of food cooking which leads to an almost 'unconscious' selection of a particular food.
The study found strong evidence for the potential of a technique known as 'implementation intentions' to bring about a change in peoples' behaviour. Habits and implementation intentions are in some ways very alike, in that they could give rise to a particular food choice. Whereas habits can take years to develop to the stage where an environment cue triggers certain behaviours, implementation intentions require only a small amount of deliberate planning in advice of making a choice, offering the potential to change consumers' behaviour.
Despite the relatively small amount of effort required to make implementation intentions, it is possible to generate target behaviours spontaneously on identification of particular environment stimulus - consciously or otherwise. In conducting the study, a potential gap in the market has been identified in respect to consumer behaviour and a way to allow those outside of the research environment to form appropriate implementation intentions.
From a commercial perspective, when consumer behaviour changes, in turn this affects the decision to buy or not to buy particular food products. We are well placed to work with the food industry and retailers to develop this area of research.
Much of a person's food choice is habitual
