Predictors of food acceptance, consumption and satisfaction in specific eating situations

Three studies were conducted to examine the relationship of pre-test ratings of consumer food preferences (liking/disliking in response to a food name), expected liking/disliking, and situational appropriateness with post-test measures of liking/disliking, consumption and satisfaction in specific eating situations. A pre-test survey of 115 consumers assessed general preferences, expected liking/disliking, and appropriateness of 22 foods and beverages in 10 different use situations. The data showed a strong association between pre-test ratings of food appropriateness and expected liking/disliking. In the first experiment, subjects received an appropriate or inappropriate food at a lunch meal. In the second, subjects received a food item in either an appropriate or inappropriate social situation. Liking/disliking and consumption were poorly predicted from simple food preference measures. Better prediction was obtained by a combination of pre-test variables, but the variance accounted for was low. A likely factor influencing the results was the subjects' pre-test assumptions about the specific characteristics of the meal situation and how these matched or mismatched the actual meal conditions. In the third experiment, subjects received food items that varied in sensory quality at either an appropriate or inappropriate mealtime. In addition to the variables measured in Experiments 1 and 2, pre-test expected sensory attributes, post-test sensory attributes, judgments of whether the foods were "better or worse than expected" and "satisfaction" were collected. Results showed significant effects of both food quality and food appropriateness on all post-test variables, and confirmed the high degree of association between appropriateness and expected liking/disliking ratings found previously. Food preferences were again found to be poor predictors of post-test measures, while appropriateness and expected liking ratings were found to be good predictors of post-test appropriateness and food satisfaction ratings. Lastly, satisfaction was better predicted by both pre- and post-test variables than were either liking/disliking or consumption measures. Overall, the results show that the prediction of any aspect of consumer behavior toward foods in real life situations is extremely difficult. Although judicious use of multiple pre-test variables can improve prediction, much of the variability in liking, satisfaction, or consumption still remains unaccounted. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.