The Impact of Cognitive Load on Food Choice when Facing Nutri-Score and Eco-Score.

Details

Supervisors

Tubeuf, Sandy ; Johnen, Johannes

Faculty

Faculté de santé publique

Degree label

Master [120] en sciences de la santé publique, à finalité spécialisée

Abstract

Within the domain of public health, individuals are faced with a growing number of health-related messages and recommendations, overwhelming them with cognitive demands and forcing them to make sense of a multitude of signals and to decide how to act. In this regard, this study investigates the role of cognitive load on food choice when consumers simultaneously face Nutri-Score and Eco-Score labels with conflicting information. The experiment involved 175 participants to whom six foods were successively displayed preceded by a memorization task (single-digit vs. 7-digit sequence) via Qualtrics®. Participants were recruited digitally via social media or email, or approached directly on university campuses. Results show that cognitive load significantly decreased decision time at the food basket level as well as at the food level for certain items. Moreover, cognitive load also significantly shifted food choice strategy with a greater reliance on Eco-Score in the case of steak. Further results revealed a stronger reliance on Eco-Score for avocado across both cognitive load groups, with younger participants significantly prioritizing Eco-Score, in this instance. Conversely, and more generally, older participants favored Nutri-Score, highlighting their focus on health-related attributes. Furthermore, rural participants showed a preference for Eco-Score in the case of blueberries. Finally, participants who rated the environment as "very important" were less likely to rely on Nutri-Score. This research underscores the influence of cognitive load, demographic, and attitudinal factors on decision-making, opening avenues for further research to explore these dynamics in real-world settings and other personal choices.