Last time I wrote about attitudes; what kind of attitudes exist, which component it consists of, why they are important, etc. We study attitudes so that they can influence behavior change. Are you interested in what kind of behavior change and what consumer behavior is? Read the following paragraphs and learn something new.
Consumer behavior is mostly explained by the theory of planned behavior, whereby it is understood that it is attitudes that overlook behavior. Marketing strategies should be designed to shape and influence consumer behavior, and it is very important to recognize that attitudes play a central role in predicting and driving consumer behavior. Why? Well, because the child’s attitude towards food can predict what the child will actually consume, and education as well as passive learning can shape these attitudes. We can conclude that it is important to understand children’s attitudes in order to be able to influence their food choices.
Furthermore, although we talk about the fact that understanding attitudes is crucial if we want to understand children as consumers, we should also keep in mind that there is increasing evidence that there is a gap between attitudes and consumer behavior. There is evidence in the literature that there is a gap between what consumers say they will do and what they actually do. This difference is called the attitude-behavior gap, which means that consumers have positive attitudes or even purchase intentions, but the actual purchase does not materialize. This phenomenon is known as the discrepancy between what consumers say about food and what they actually choose or consume. Nowadays, many researches are focused on explaining, understanding and overcoming this phenomenon in the field of food choice in adults. The gap phenomenon is closely related to the theory of planned behavior. Most models of consumer behavior assume a central cognitive process: (1) beliefs determine attitudes, (2) attitudes lead to intentions, and (3) intentions influence behavior. There are two circumstances that can contribute to the overall gap between attitudes and behavior – the gap between consumer attitude and intention and the gap between behavioral intention and actual behavior). The difference between attitudes and behavior describes a situation in which consumers express very positive attitudes toward a product or even positive purchase intentions, but their actual behavior does not follow these attitudes for a variety of reasons. The aforementioned difference is mentioned in research in the food sector, such as green shopping and organic food shopping. Although consumers express positive attitudes and intentions towards healthy (organic, functional, sustainable) food, their actual behavior is not consistent with the attitudes. This difference between attitude and behavior raises a number of fundamental psychological questions, such as whether people even have the right attitudes about healthy food choices and whether they really just need the right information to change their behavior.
Although children know what healthy food is and how important it is to consume it, the trend of increasing obesity in the world shows that children consume unhealthy food. Evidence of early acquisition of health knowledge and the relationship with positive attitudes towards healthy food is mixed. There is no consensus in the literature about what children really think about healthy food. However, it can be difficult to understand children’s attitudes towards certain foods and their willingness to consume healthily because children are more likely to report what they think their parents or researchers expect or prefer. An important factor in the process should be behavioral change, which can be achieved through the development of strategies to promote more positive attitudes of children and the choice of healthy food. Currently, scientists and marketers assume that children behave like adults, however, additional effort should be made to understand children’s attitudes and food choices, and to conclude whether the aforementioned gap exists in children as well. Food knowledge needs to be translated into actual behavior, so it is important to find appropriate methods that can bridge the gap between attitude and behavior.
Since consumer behavior towards food is characterized by habitual and repetitive activities, interventions are needed to change behavior. Interventions that interrupt relapse can change bad and encourage good habits and lead to behavior change. Within the field of food marketing, most authors conclude that it is necessary to develop interventions to change children’s attitudes and purchasing behavior towards healthy food choices. However, there is no consensus in the literature about the nature and change of children’s attitudes towards healthy food, and the answer to the question of which interventions would have a positive impact on children’s choice of healthy food. By bridging the gap between research and practice, marketers can develop interventions that effectively encourage more positive attitudes toward healthy food choices among children.
Numerous authors suggest testing interventions (eg diet modification, increased physical activity, reduced sedentary behavior, family involvement in dietary processes and behavioral changes) that could reduce the gap between attitudes and behavior and lead to a change in the final consumer choice. There is evidence that various interventions are effective when talking about the possibility of changing consumer behavior when choosing food. Therefore, it can be concluded that today interventions towards the acceptance of healthy types of food or the reduction of energy-saturated food are extremely necessary. Learn more about the types of interventions, methods of application and examples from practice by purchasing a module or poster.