Is simpler really better ? Influence of simplifying nutrition-related tasks on food evaluations and intentions to purchase and consume food products

Details

Supervisors

Corneille, Olivier

Faculty

Faculté de psychologie, logopédie, sexologie et des sciences de la famille

Degree label

Master [120] en sciences psychologiques

Abstract

Overweight and obesity, which have taken on alarming proportions worldwide, are associated with a wide range of negative consequences. As food choices and food consumption mainly determine weight gain and largely explain the rapid rise in obesity rates observed over the past few decades, interventions have been implemented in order to promote healthier food choices in the population. One of these strategies is to provide accurate and detailed nutritional information to consumers by means of food labels displayed on food products. In order to encourage and facilitate the use of these labels, which can be difficult to understand and process, simplified and clearer labelling formats have been developed. However, a few studies have suggested that simplifying nutritional information may produce unwanted and adverse effects on food evaluations and food intake. Based on these findings, this dissertation aimed at investigating whether the simplification of nutrition-related tasks may effectively result in such unexpected effects, such as more positive food evaluations and higher intentions to purchase and consume food products. Beyond testing this hypothesis, another aim of this dissertation was to explore and highlight the potential mechanisms underlying these effects. A broader goal was also to emphasize the importance of assessing the effectiveness of health promotion initiatives and interventions in order to avoid counterproductive outcomes.