Consumer Intentions to Buy Front-of-Pack Nutrition Labeled Food Products: The Moderating Effects of Personality Differences

Summary

Although the current literature suggests that consumers in general have a desire to eat healthy and also like to obtain nutrition information about food products, there still exists a gap in terms of understanding how consumers utilize nutrition information. Drawing on consumer psychology literature, we examine how self-efficacy, healthy eating intentions, and perceptions about a simple front-of-pack nutrition label affect purchase intentions, and how these effects may be moderated by two information-processing-related personality traits—need for cognition and propensity to self-reference. We find that consumers’ intention to purchase front-of-pack nutrition-labeled products is positively affected by self-efficacy and label perceptions but is not directly driven by a general interest in healthy eating. We also find significant moderating effects from both personality traits considered.