Influences of sensory attribute intensity, emotional responses, and non-sensory factors on purchase intent toward mixed-vegetable juice products under informed tasting condition

Abstract

Product-related sensory and non-sensory cues have been studied in the past to understand purchase behavior among consumers. However, there has been little research related to integrating emotional responses with such cues to achieve better prediction of consumer purchase behavior. This study aimed to determine the impacts of sensory attribute intensities (SAI), non-sensory factors (NSF), and emotions on purchase intent and consumer choice. Emotional responses were measured using a self-reported emotion questionnaire (EQ), facial expression analysis (FE), and autonomic nervous system responses (ANS). Sixty-nine adults were asked to view product labels, and look at, smell, and drink five commercially-available vegetable juice samples. For each sample, SAI, NSF, EQ, FE, ANS, and purchase intent ratings were measured. Participants were also asked to select the one they would be most likely to buy. Results showed that the five samples differed significantly with respect to SAI, NSF, and emotional responses measured by EQ and FEs. SAI (bitterness intensity) and NSF (brand liking) played an extremely important role in purchase-related behavior of vegetable juice products. Correlation analysis and a PLSR prediction model further revealed that products with higher ratings of purchase intent elicited lower levels of negative emotions and higher levels of positive emotions, as measured by EQ as well as FE. In conclusion, this study shows that NSF in combination with SAI and emotions measured using EQ and FE can modulate consumer purchase intent toward vegetable juice products under informed tasting conditions.

Keywords: Autonomic nervous system response; Emotional response; Facial expression; Non-sensory factor; Purchase intent; Sensory attribute; Vegetable juice.