The Snow White effect: how food colour saturation impacts food likeability and perceived weight

Detalhes bibliográficos
Autor(a) principal: Rocha, Maria Luís Leite
Data de Publicação: 2019
Tipo de documento: Dissertação
Idioma: eng
Título da fonte: Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos)
Texto Completo: http://hdl.handle.net/10071/19061
Resumo: We live surrounded by colours, either by the objects we see, or by what nature has been busy painting, such as food. Colours can influence consumers' perceptions and behaviours, particularly regarding food perception and selection, as evidenced by numerous studies described in the literature. However, there is a gap in the investigation of one specific colour attribute - colour saturation - and its impact on the psychological mechanisms that impact food preferences. In this experimental study we investigated how colour saturation of foods and objects influences their perceived weight and likeability and explore if there is a mediational effect of the perceived weight on the likeability. Participants (n = 48) were exposed to images of edible (natural and cooked) and inedible products, with two levels of colour saturation (high vs. low), and indicated, on a scale, the likeability and perceived weight of the products. Then, simulations of real consumer situations were introduced, as well as a task to assess the perceived healthiness of some edible products with both levels of colour saturation. Our results suggest that the colour saturation of food, but not of objects, significantly affects the likeability, playing a critical role in food preference, since participants like more highly saturated foods, whether they are natural or cooked. In contrast, colour saturation does not influence the perceived weight, making its mediating effect on likeability unfeasible. Also, there was no significant effect of colour saturation on the perceived healthiness. This research, besides ensuring experimental control and focusing on the colour attribute less explored in the literature, allows, through the results obtained, to inform initiatives that promote, by manipulating the colour saturation of foods, a positive and sustainable impact on our health and environment.
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spelling The Snow White effect: how food colour saturation impacts food likeability and perceived weightColour saturationFeedLikeability/preferencePerceived weightPerceived healthinessSaturação da corAlimentaçãoGostabilidade/preferênciaPeso percebidoSaudabilidade percebidaWe live surrounded by colours, either by the objects we see, or by what nature has been busy painting, such as food. Colours can influence consumers' perceptions and behaviours, particularly regarding food perception and selection, as evidenced by numerous studies described in the literature. However, there is a gap in the investigation of one specific colour attribute - colour saturation - and its impact on the psychological mechanisms that impact food preferences. In this experimental study we investigated how colour saturation of foods and objects influences their perceived weight and likeability and explore if there is a mediational effect of the perceived weight on the likeability. Participants (n = 48) were exposed to images of edible (natural and cooked) and inedible products, with two levels of colour saturation (high vs. low), and indicated, on a scale, the likeability and perceived weight of the products. Then, simulations of real consumer situations were introduced, as well as a task to assess the perceived healthiness of some edible products with both levels of colour saturation. Our results suggest that the colour saturation of food, but not of objects, significantly affects the likeability, playing a critical role in food preference, since participants like more highly saturated foods, whether they are natural or cooked. In contrast, colour saturation does not influence the perceived weight, making its mediating effect on likeability unfeasible. Also, there was no significant effect of colour saturation on the perceived healthiness. This research, besides ensuring experimental control and focusing on the colour attribute less explored in the literature, allows, through the results obtained, to inform initiatives that promote, by manipulating the colour saturation of foods, a positive and sustainable impact on our health and environment.Vivemos rodeados por cores, quer pelos objetos que vemos, quer pelo que a natureza teve função de pintar, como os alimentos. As cores influenciam as perceções e os comportamentos dos consumidores, incluindo as preferências e decisões alimentares, tal como evidenciado em inúmeros estudos descritos na literatura. Todavia, existe uma lacuna na investigação de um dos atributos específicos da cor - a saturação - e o seu impacto nos mecanismos psicológicos subjacentes às preferências alimentares. Neste estudo experimental investigámos de que forma a saturação da cor de alimentos e objetos, influencia a sua gostabilidade e peso percebido. Explorámos, também, o papel mediador do peso percebido nessa gostabilidade. Os participantes (n = 48) viram imagens de produtos comestíveis (naturais e confecionados) e não comestíveis, com dois níveis de saturação da cor (alto vs. baixo) e indicaram, numa escala, a gostabilidade e peso percebido dos produtos. Posteriormente, foram introduzidas duas simulações de situações reais de consumo e a avaliação da perceção de saudabilidade de produtos comestíveis nos dois graus de saturação. Os resultados sugerem que a saturação da cor dos alimentos, mas não dos objetos, afeta significativamente a perceção de gostabilidade, sendo que os participantes gostam mais de alimentos altamente saturados, independentemente de serem naturais ou confecionados. Em contrapartida, a saturação da cor não influencia o peso percebido, inviabilizando o seu efeito mediador na gostabilidade. Também, não foi verificado um efeito significativo da saturação da cor na saudabilidade percebida. Esta investigação, além de primar pelo controlo experimental e focar-se no atributo da cor menos estudado na literatura permite, através dos resultados obtidos, informar iniciativas que promovam, através da manipulação da saturação da cor, um impacto positivo e sustentável na nossa saúde e ambiente.2019-12-11T10:21:55Z2019-10-30T00:00:00Z2019-10-302019-09info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersioninfo:eu-repo/semantics/masterThesisapplication/pdfhttp://hdl.handle.net/10071/19061TID:202313646engRocha, Maria Luís Leiteinfo:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessreponame:Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos)instname:Agência para a Sociedade do Conhecimento (UMIC) - FCT - Sociedade da Informaçãoinstacron:RCAAP2024-07-07T03:27:35Zoai:repositorio.iscte-iul.pt:10071/19061Portal AgregadorONGhttps://www.rcaap.pt/oai/openairemluisa.alvim@gmail.comopendoar:71602024-07-07T03:27:35Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos) - Agência para a Sociedade do Conhecimento (UMIC) - FCT - Sociedade da Informaçãofalse
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv The Snow White effect: how food colour saturation impacts food likeability and perceived weight
title The Snow White effect: how food colour saturation impacts food likeability and perceived weight
spellingShingle The Snow White effect: how food colour saturation impacts food likeability and perceived weight
Rocha, Maria Luís Leite
Colour saturation
Feed
Likeability/preference
Perceived weight
Perceived healthiness
Saturação da cor
Alimentação
Gostabilidade/preferência
Peso percebido
Saudabilidade percebida
title_short The Snow White effect: how food colour saturation impacts food likeability and perceived weight
title_full The Snow White effect: how food colour saturation impacts food likeability and perceived weight
title_fullStr The Snow White effect: how food colour saturation impacts food likeability and perceived weight
title_full_unstemmed The Snow White effect: how food colour saturation impacts food likeability and perceived weight
title_sort The Snow White effect: how food colour saturation impacts food likeability and perceived weight
author Rocha, Maria Luís Leite
author_facet Rocha, Maria Luís Leite
author_role author
dc.contributor.author.fl_str_mv Rocha, Maria Luís Leite
dc.subject.por.fl_str_mv Colour saturation
Feed
Likeability/preference
Perceived weight
Perceived healthiness
Saturação da cor
Alimentação
Gostabilidade/preferência
Peso percebido
Saudabilidade percebida
topic Colour saturation
Feed
Likeability/preference
Perceived weight
Perceived healthiness
Saturação da cor
Alimentação
Gostabilidade/preferência
Peso percebido
Saudabilidade percebida
description We live surrounded by colours, either by the objects we see, or by what nature has been busy painting, such as food. Colours can influence consumers' perceptions and behaviours, particularly regarding food perception and selection, as evidenced by numerous studies described in the literature. However, there is a gap in the investigation of one specific colour attribute - colour saturation - and its impact on the psychological mechanisms that impact food preferences. In this experimental study we investigated how colour saturation of foods and objects influences their perceived weight and likeability and explore if there is a mediational effect of the perceived weight on the likeability. Participants (n = 48) were exposed to images of edible (natural and cooked) and inedible products, with two levels of colour saturation (high vs. low), and indicated, on a scale, the likeability and perceived weight of the products. Then, simulations of real consumer situations were introduced, as well as a task to assess the perceived healthiness of some edible products with both levels of colour saturation. Our results suggest that the colour saturation of food, but not of objects, significantly affects the likeability, playing a critical role in food preference, since participants like more highly saturated foods, whether they are natural or cooked. In contrast, colour saturation does not influence the perceived weight, making its mediating effect on likeability unfeasible. Also, there was no significant effect of colour saturation on the perceived healthiness. This research, besides ensuring experimental control and focusing on the colour attribute less explored in the literature, allows, through the results obtained, to inform initiatives that promote, by manipulating the colour saturation of foods, a positive and sustainable impact on our health and environment.
publishDate 2019
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2019-12-11T10:21:55Z
2019-10-30T00:00:00Z
2019-10-30
2019-09
dc.type.status.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
dc.type.driver.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/masterThesis
format masterThesis
status_str publishedVersion
dc.identifier.uri.fl_str_mv http://hdl.handle.net/10071/19061
TID:202313646
url http://hdl.handle.net/10071/19061
identifier_str_mv TID:202313646
dc.language.iso.fl_str_mv eng
language eng
dc.rights.driver.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
eu_rights_str_mv openAccess
dc.format.none.fl_str_mv application/pdf
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv reponame:Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos)
instname:Agência para a Sociedade do Conhecimento (UMIC) - FCT - Sociedade da Informação
instacron:RCAAP
instname_str Agência para a Sociedade do Conhecimento (UMIC) - FCT - Sociedade da Informação
instacron_str RCAAP
institution RCAAP
reponame_str Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos)
collection Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos)
repository.name.fl_str_mv Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos) - Agência para a Sociedade do Conhecimento (UMIC) - FCT - Sociedade da Informação
repository.mail.fl_str_mv mluisa.alvim@gmail.com
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