A theoretical description and experimental exploration of tri-reference point theory with respect to food choice |
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Affiliation: | 1. Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Economics, P.O. Box 7013, 750 07 Uppsala, Sweden;2. The Swedish Institute for Food and Biotechnology, P.O. Box 5401, 402 29 Gothenburg, Sweden;1. Materials and Electronic Systems Laboratory (LMSE), University of Bordj Bou Arreridj, 34000 Bordj Bou Arreridj, Algeria;2. CEA, LIST, F-91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, France;3. Université de Bordeaux, CNRS/IN2P3, Centre d’Etudes Nucléaires de Bordeaux-Gradignan (CENBG), France;4. Laboratory of Materials Physics and its Applications, University of M''sila, 28000 M’sila, Algeria;1. College of Economics and Management, Jilin Agricultural University, China;2. Food and Resource Economics Department, University of Florida, United States;3. Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Development, University of Göttingen, Germany;4. Agribusiness and Rural Development Section, School of Agriculture and Food Science, University College Dublin (UCD), Ireland |
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Abstract: | Recent findings within behavioural decision-making suggest that individuals make use of a tri-reference point set when making choices. This implies that choices and preference formation among competing products that are considered acceptable, but differ in desirability, are formed differently along the continuum from bottom line to target level. This study examined whether personal goals, as multiple reference points in relation to food product choice, inherit the properties of a value function. It was posited that goals as cognitive constructs are translated through the target object (the product) and through judgement and context into a representation of identified product preferences. The types of preferences that characterise the different goal levels were then analysed using data collected in an in-store, non-hypothetical consumer experiment with a random sample of 236 consumers. The existence of tri-reference point dependence was strongly supported, with the data indicating that product choices and preferences were moderated by transitions across reference states. Moreover, during transitions notable relative changes in evaluation of the product were identified. These results have normative implications for food product marketing in terms of targeting consumer needs. More importantly, they have strong methodological implications for studies on consumer preferences. |
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Keywords: | Multiple reference dependence Consumer behaviour Food choice Experiment CATA EsSense emotional profile |
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