Evaluating the influence of individual traits, emotions and information on consumer acceptance of entomophagy : a choice modelling experiment
While entomophagy (the practice of eating insects) has been proposed as a rejoinder to unsustainable meat production and the food crisis, knowledge surrounding consumer acceptance is hampered by sporadic and contradictory findings. Firstly, previous studies have investigated the role of food neophobia and disgust sensitivity in modelling the acceptance of entomophagy, but the models lack explicit focus on individual traits and emotions in explaining variance in choice behaviour. Secondly, the experimental studies used to probe the role of information priming in fostering the acceptance of entomophagy have compared the effect of only one or two categories of information. In order to address these two issues, this doctoral study explores the effect of individual traits, emotions and information on the acceptance of entomophagy, by using a novel inductive choice modelling method combined with a behavioural information priming experiment. 153 residents of the United Kingdom participated in the laboratory-based study which concluded by offering participants whole freeze-dried crickets and/or bars made from cricket flour for consumption. Data modelling revealed that individual traits of disgust sensitivity, food neophobia and the need for familiarity were significant predictors of the acceptance of entomophagy. Disgust as an emotion was more pronounced than fear in predicting acceptance. Demographically, women were found to exhibit more fear and disgust towards eating insects than men, but these emotions did not influence their willingness towards consuming, or their eventual decision to consume insects during the study. Older participants were more familiar with the concept of entomophagy and reported significantly lower levels of fear and disgust and higher levels of willingness towards eating insects. Additionally, participants who had previously eaten insects also showed significantly lower levels of fear and disgust and higher willingness towards eating insects. The model generated from data adhered to all contemporary fit indices and was successful in explaining 56% variance in willingness towards entomophagy and an unprecedented 40% variance in eating insects. While findings revealed no significant influence of the information primes on the overall acceptance of eating insects, prime-specific effects on some acceptance metrics were observed. The cooking related prime increased taste expectations of insects, the ethical prime resulted in a decrease in fear and increase in willingness and supplying nutritional information reduced disgust and increased the willingness to eat insects. Consumer insights and marketing implications of these findings are discussed with an emphasis on marketing communications and profiling potential entomotarians.
Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations