Effects of emotional responses to certain foods on the prediction of consumer acceptance

Abstract

This research was focussed on the development of a methodology for the recognition of consumer preferences based on a combination of emotional, behavioural, and sensory trait information. A model of the impact of customers' sensory experiences on their attitudes towards food products and their behavioural intentions was analysed. Sensory and emotional analyses were used to describe five kinds of bread (wheat, rye, corn, wholemeal, and multigrain) and two types of chocolate (dark and milk). Acceptability and emotional response were rated by a consumer panel (n = 109) drawn from 21 to 24 age segments using the hedonic scores and a FaceReader software which detects six basic emotions (happy, sad, angry, disgusted, scared, surprised) and a neutral state were applied. For the products tested, expressions of happiness, anger, and sadness for each product were relatively high compared to the others, with the neutral state being the main expression. The chocolate products elicited the highest intensity of happiness, reducing the level of the neutral state. A different tendency was obtained during the testing of bakery goods: higher expression of the neutral state and sadness and low expression of happiness. The emotional/sensory experience model and consumer behavioural patterns comprise the method for the differentiation of products, which could be useful in the food industry as well as for the development of new methodologies for the prediction of changes in human emotional response to food related to psychological disorders.

Keywords: Acceptability; Attitude; Behaviour; Emotional response; Empathic food; Face-reading.