The influence of illuminance level on perception and willingness to buy during the tasting of sweetened natural yoghurt

Abstract

This paper analyses the influence of the illuminance level of a light source on how consumers evaluated certain attributes of sweetened natural yoghurt and on their willingness to buy during product tasting. It also seeks to identify whether or not gender differences played a role in these evaluations. To do this, we conducted an independent within-subjects experiment (N=69) where illuminance level (low versus high) was studied. Participants had to assess one sensory attribute (‘Sweet’), three non-sensory attributes (‘Healthy’, ‘Natural’ and ‘Quality’) and willingness to buy for sweetened natural yoghurt. The results show that illuminance level influences the evaluation of some attributes and that there are discernible gender differences. In general, the consumers perceived the yoghurt to be healthier under low illuminance conditions and women perceived the yoghurt to be sweeter under high illuminance. Although the effects identified were not numerous, these findings suggest that illuminance level can influence consumers’ tasting experiences as well as their willingness to buy. The limitations of this research are discussed as well as their possible practical implications.