Association between visual attention to nutrition priming and subsequent beverage choice

Abstract

This study used eye-tracking data to determine if attention to nutrition information before making purchasing decisions between beverages was associated with selecting a sugar-sweetened beverage and whether the updated Nutrition Facts Label (NFL) garnered more attention than the previous NFL. Participants were randomly assigned to view either the previous or updated NFL, and time to first fixation (TFF) and total visit duration (TVD) were collected while participants viewed NFLs for beverages without additional product details. TFF and TVD were collected for three areas of interest – sugar content, calorie content, and the entire NFL. After viewing nutrition information without product details, participants made non-hypothetical choices between beverages that varied by sugar and calorie content. Results show that without additional product information, the sugar content presented by the updated NFL was more salient and garnered more attention. Although, results about the influence of information salience and the attention given to information on subsequent beverage choices were mixed. Attention to nutrition information may outweigh salience when forming decisions. The updated NFL was more effective at priming individuals with a higher body mass index by influencing subsequent beverage choices.