The contagion effect on children's consumption decision

Abstract

The inclusion of a positive contagious source can increase consumers' attitudes and purchase intention to a product. However, few studies investigated this effect when consumers have prior preferences. To bridge the literature gap, a field experience was conducted to examine the influence of positive contagion on children's food decision-making in a real-life scenario. Fifty-eight children between ages 7 and 12 were invited to make consumption decisions under either the control condition or the treatment condition where items were surrounded by contagion sources. The treatment condition partially optimized children's selections. Moreover, eye movement results showed that less visual attention was distributed to the items surrounded by contagion sources. Finally, the moderating role of consumer socialization and family communication patterns was examined.