The Color Variety Effect: When Colorful Foods Enhance Consumer Perceptions
Open Access
- Author:
- Cho, Chloe Jin
- Graduate Program:
- Hospitality Management
- Degree:
- Doctor of Philosophy
- Document Type:
- Dissertation
- Date of Defense:
- September 16, 2019
- Committee Members:
- Anna S Mattila, Dissertation Advisor/Co-Advisor
Anna S Mattila, Committee Chair/Co-Chair
Peter Lawrence Bordi, Jr., Dissertation Advisor/Co-Advisor
Phillip Michael Jolly, Committee Member
Lisa Elizabeth Bolton, Outside Member
Peter Lawrence Bordi, Jr., Committee Chair/Co-Chair
Anna S Mattila, Program Head/Chair - Keywords:
- colorful food
consumer behavior
food consumption experience
hedonic escalation
food evaluation
food presentation
color variety - Abstract:
- Social media is bombarded with food images, and accordingly, visually appealing presentation of food is highly important for restaurant operators. This dissertation examines the color variety effect, the positive impact of colorful presentation of food on consumers’ food perceptions. Although previous studies have established the impact of variety cues (e.g., shape, kinds, and color) on consumers’ food perceptions and behaviors, it is not clear whether color variety influences consumers’ taste perceptions, food evaluations, and behavioral intentions. To fill this gap, this dissertation examines whether color variety enhances consumers’ taste perceptions in a repeated consumption experience. I argue that color variety leads to a positive consumption experience reflected in hedonic escalation (1) when consumers have previous knowledge about the food item (Study 1), and (2) when consumers believe that different colors have different flavors (Study 2). Then, I test the boundary condition of this color variety effect. In the context of healthy foods, focusing on different flavors in colorful pieces does not increase hedonic escalation (Study 3). Furthermore, I argue that emphasizing the utilitarian value of color variety (colorful food = nutritious) positively influences consumers’ perceptions of healthy foods (Study 4). Collectively, the findings of this dissertation suggest that colorful foods enhance consumers’ food perceptions when framed appropriately. Eating hedonic foods while focusing on their hedonic nature (e.g., flavor, enjoyment) or eating healthy foods while focusing on their utilitarian nature (e.g., nutrition, health benefit) has a positive influence on consumers’ food perceptions.