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Combining sensory evaluation and mental models in the assessment of consumer preferences for and choice of healthy products: experience from a field experiment in Kenya.

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Title Combining sensory evaluation and mental models in the assessment of consumer preferences for and choice of healthy products: experience from a field experiment in Kenya.
 
Creator Okello, J.J.
Lagerkvist, C.J.
Muoki, P.
Heck, S.
Prain, Gordon
 
Subject sweet potatoes
consumer behaviour
evaluation
 
Description This paper combines Just-About-Right (JAR) sensory evaluation and means-end chain (MEC) analysis to examine consumer evaluation of the sensory attributes of conventionally bred biofortified orange-fleshed sweetpotato (OFSP). It specifically examined the role of information on biofortification process on consumers’ expected and actual sensory evaluation of OFSP attributes and the mental models associated with the decision to consume OFSP. It is based on data collected via a field experiment with 501 rural consumers. Each consumer was randomly placed into one of the 3 treatment groups and received: i) general information about biofortification (Control), ii) general and positive information (Treatment 1) and iii) general and negative information (Treatment 2). The study finds, among others, that information on vitamin A (i.e., nutrition), taste and texture were, overall, discriminated by the kind of information provided (i.e., treatment), with texture being considered to be at an inappropriately lower level. Nutrition attribute was, however, considered to be at a higher than appropriate level. The results of the MEC were in line with those of sensory evaluation, with mental constructs (and models) being strongly discriminated by treatment type. It concludes that information consumers receive affect the expected and actual sensory evaluation OFSP attributes and mental models of OFSP consumption. We highlight some implications of these findings.
 
Date 2016-07
2017-06-23T19:48:45Z
2017-06-23T19:48:45Z
 
Type Conference Paper
 
Identifier Okello, J.J.; Lagerkvist, C.J.; Muoki, P.; Heck, S.; Prain, G. 2016. Combining sensory evaluation and mental models in the assessment of consumer preferences for and choice of healthy products: experience from a field experiment in Kenya. Agricultural & Applied Economics Association Annual Meeting. Massachusetts (USA). 31 Jul-02 Aug 2016. Massachusetts (USA). 24 p.
https://hdl.handle.net/10568/82582
http://purl.umn.edu/236244
 
Language en
 
Rights Open Access
 
Format 24 p.