Assessing Projection Bias in Consumers' Food Preferences

PLoS One. 2016 Feb 1;11(2):e0146308. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0146308. eCollection 2016.

Abstract

The aim of this study is to test whether projection bias exists in consumers' purchasing decisions for food products. To achieve our aim, we used a non-hypothetical experiment (i.e., experimental auction), where hungry and non-hungry participants were incentivized to reveal their willingness to pay (WTP). The results confirm the existence of projection bias when consumers made their decisions on food products. In particular, projection bias existed because currently hungry participants were willing to pay a higher price premium for cheeses than satiated ones, both in hungry and satiated future states. Moreover, participants overvalued the food product more when they were delivered in the future hungry condition than in the satiated one. Our study provides clear, quantitative and meaningful evidence of projection bias because our findings are based on economic valuation of food preferences. Indeed, the strength of this study is that findings are expressed in terms of willingness to pay which is an interpretable amount of money.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Analysis of Variance
  • Bias*
  • Cheese / economics
  • Consumer Behavior*
  • Demography
  • Female
  • Food Preferences*
  • Humans
  • Hunger
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Self Report

Grants and funding

This study has been funded by the EU Marie Curie Project, FOODLABELS_PIOF-GA-2009-253323, entitled “Do consumers value food labels? An assessment of the impact of information and personality traits on the demand for food labels.”