The Effects of Stimulus and Consumer Characteristics on the Utilization of Nutrition Information

Abstract

JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact support@jstor.org. Although previous research is an aid in understanding the use of nutrition information, the role of both consumer and stimulus characteristics has not been studied systematically. Despite this deficiency, both public policy and marketing strategy decisions involving nutrition information continue to be made. The present research addresses existing gaps in knowledge by investigating the effects of two stimulus characteristics and a variety of consumer characteristics on nutrition information utilization. Specifically, this article presents results from an experiment designed to understand the effects of both types of characteristics on information processing and behavioral outcomes. In addition, theoretical and managerial implications are discussed, and future research needs are identified. THE NUTRITION INFORMATION UTILIZATION PROCESSFigure 1 depicts stimulus and consumer characteristics as two key antecedents of motivation and ability to process a message containing nutrition information.' Research concerning stimulus characteristics, which include information content and format, suggests that consumers utilize more nutrition information when it is presented in an easily processed form (Levy et al. 1985 (1970) found that individuals receiving highly arousing messages (a description and portrayal of the hazards of poor dental hygiene) and elaborated recommendations (they were told when and how to behave) experienced the greatest change in dental hygiene behavior.Given this logic, nutrition disclosures containing negative consequence information that is arousing and that offers remedies for overcoming this arousal should increase consumers' need for information about the relevant attribute, its negative consequences, and ways to avoid their occurrence (Burnkrant and Sawyer 1983). This increased need for information reflects 2The distinction between positive and negative nutrients contains some ambiguity. As Russo et al. (1986) note, many negative nutrients, such as sodium, are essential to good health. However, the necessary sodium level is very small for the majority of consumers and, therefore, its consumption should be moderated. There are small groups of people who need to consume more rather than less of these negative nutrients (e.g., those who work outside in hot climates). In general, however, the positive-negative distinction applies to the majority of consumers (Russo et al. 1986, p. 49 Hi: Nutrition disclosures containing highly arousing negative consequences and specific guidance on ways to minimize these consequences result in higher motivation to process, higher information acquisition, higher information elaboration, and higher decision quality than do disclosur...

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