Effect of tasting and flavour on chocolate-evoked emotions by consumers
ISSN: 0007-070X
Article publication date: 20 January 2022
Issue publication date: 3 November 2022
Abstract
Purpose
There is a growing interest in measuring emotions evoked by food products to gain additional insights in how consumers perceive and choose food products. The aim of this study was to investigate if consumers' emotions are influenced by flavour, gender, consumption habits, actual tasting or consumer attitude towards a product. Chocolate was chosen as the product under study as its consumption is associated with evoking several emotions.
Design/methodology/approach
During a between-subjects experiment at a local food fair, consumers (n = 910) evaluated either the name “chocolate”, plain dark chocolate or raspberry flavoured dark chocolate. Participants rated the intensity of 24 emotions and answered the 24 statements of the Attitude to Chocolate Questionnaire.
Findings
The results showed that sensory characteristics have a significant influence on the emotional profiles whereas no difference was found between tasting and not tasting. Gender and prior liking had little to no influence. Finally, the results suggested that consumption frequency and attitudes towards chocolate did have an influence on the emotional profiles.
Practical implications
The results show that producers should try to evoke positive emotions which could be emphasised through marketing. Gender differences for emotional profiling advocate that future research should not only analyse global results but also separately analyse by gender. Moreover, usage frequency and attitudes towards chocolate had an impact on the emotions meaning that future research should consider those when setting up research.
Originality/value
This study further contributes to the growing literature on emotions. It examines the added value of actual tasting chocolate while prior research focuses either just names or just sensory evaluation. Also, this paper further explores to which extent flavour, gender, consumption habits and attitude impact the emotional associations of chocolate.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
Conflict of interest: The authors declare no conflict of interest.
Citation
De Pelsmaeker, S., Gellynck, X., Dewettinck, K. and Schouteten, J.J. (2022), "Effect of tasting and flavour on chocolate-evoked emotions by consumers", British Food Journal, Vol. 124 No. 12, pp. 4354-4371. https://doi.org/10.1108/BFJ-07-2021-0834
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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