Context effects on healthy food choice under situational modes of consumer thinking: A case study with poke bowls

Abstract

In the context of healthy food consumption, this research aims to explore the moderating role of situational modes of thinking for both 1) the attraction effect (individuals tend to choose options that are similar to others but dominate inferior alternatives) and 2) the compromise effect (individuals prefer intermediate options over those with high- and low-end extremes). With the experimental priming of thinking style (analytic vs. holistic), these context effects were investigated by measuring French participants' purchase intention and willingness to pay for poke bowls—a lower-calorie, nutrient-dense food. The results demonstrate that situational induction of thinking style has a differential impact on the relative increase in consumers' purchase preferences for options offering either a dominant value in a specific attribute or an intermediate value throughout the available attributes. The attraction (compromise) effect was amplified with analytic (holistic) thinking style, leading consumers to have a higher purchase intention and willingness to pay for the dominating (intermediate) option of poke bowls. This research highlights the shifts in purchase preferences depending on consumer thinking in either the analytic or holistic mode and suggests effective global strategies to facilitate target consumers' purchase orientation toward a specific option of lower-calorie packaged foods.