Why Red Makes You Hungry for Junk Food
Psych 🧠 - 364/500
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What is it?
This research examines how the color red, when used as an ambient color (like wall paint) in restaurants, influences food choices.
It challenges prior research showing that red directly linked to food (e.g., on plates, labels) can decrease unhealthy food consumption.
The study proposes that ambient red has a different effect because people associate it with unhealthy restaurants like fast-food chains, and therefore, they choose foods they perceive as appropriate for that setting (i.e., unhealthy options).
Major Findings:
Red ambient color increases unhealthy food choices: Across field, lab, and online studies, participants were more likely to choose unhealthy food (higher calorie, fat, indulgent) when presented with red (vs. blue, gray, white) ambient color.
Association with unhealthy restaurants mediates the effect: Consumers associate ambient red with unhealthy restaurants, and this association drives the preference for unhealthy food in red settings.
Arousal and craving for energy-boosting food, while potentially influential, did not mediate the effect.Strength of association moderates the effect: The effect of red ambient color was stronger for consumers who had a stronger pre-existing association between red and unhealthy restaurants.
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What do I need to know:
The context of color matters: The same color can have different meanings and effects depending on its placement and associated context. Product-related red may signal avoidance, but ambient red activates associations with unhealthy restaurants and consequently, increases unhealthy food choices.
Ambient factors influence food choices: Consumers use cues from the environment, like ambient color, to categorize restaurants and make inferences about what types of food are appropriate or expected in that setting.
Learned associations drive behavior: Our prior experiences and cultural exposure shape our associations with colors, influencing how we respond to them in different contexts.
Source:
https://myscp.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/jcpy.1445?campaign=wolearlyview