Consumer Involvement in Nutrition: The Effect of Regulatory Focus

Abstract

Little research has examined the determinants of consumer involvement in nutrition. This study seeks to address this gap by examining the effect of regulatory focus on consumer involvement in nutrition. The fundamental motivational differences that the regulatory focus theory discusses (Higgins 1997) can explain consumer behavior in the domain of health and nutrition. It is proposed that promotion focus is positively related to consumers’ involvement in nutrition and prevention focus is not related to consumers’ involvement in nutrition. In addition, it is proposed that gender moderates the effect of promotional focus on involvement in nutrition such that the effect is stronger among males, compared to females. The hypotheses were tested in a national level study conducted in Taiwan. Data were collected from 1,125 adults aged 20–64. Nutrition involvement was measured using the five item scale proposed by Chandon and Wansink (2007). Promotion and prevention focus were measured using the Regulatory Focus Questionnaire (RFQ) (Higgins et al. 2001). Hypotheses were tested by regressing promotion, prevention and the product of promotion and gender on nutrition involvement. The model supports the hypotheses (Adj. R squared = .03; Promotion − beta = .17; p = .00; Prevention − beta = −.03; p = .33; Gender × Promotion − beta = −.08; p = .01; Gender was coded as females = 2, males = 1). The study, thus, found that promotion focus leads to nutritional involvement and that prevention focus is not related to nutritional involvement. Gender moderates the effect of promotion focus on nutritional involvement. The results of this study points to the potential applicability of the regulatory focus theory to the study of a range of issues that impacts marketing and public policy.