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Measuring emotions: A new approach to uncovering consumer meat product choices

Roxana Yglesias, University of Nebraska - Lincoln

Abstract

A method to measure emotional responses to food products using a wheel format was proposed. A reference wheel was developed consisting of 160 words that can be used to describe how consumers react to product names, imagery, packaging and sensory characteristics. From the reference wheel, a focused wheel with 33 words was generated to measure consumers’ reactions to meat products, named the Dominant Emotion Wheel (DEW) for Meats. Different scaling methods for emotion measurement have been proposed that consist of selecting words on a list by either a check-all-that-apply (CATA) format or by applying a 5-point rating method to each emotion. A hybrid approach, rate-all-that-apply (RATA) has recently been proposed. For the RATA tool, respondents select only the terms that apply to their experience and then they are asked to rate them. The scaling methods of CATA and 5-point rating on emotions’ lists with CATA and RATA on the DEW for Meats were compared. Five products were used to compare methodologies and scaling tools. Although different emotion terms were used to discriminate among products, emotion maps (RV = 0.96 for DEW RATA and List CATA) showed all products associated with comparable positive and negative words, validating the DEW as a method for emotion measurement. Product messaging through names and package labeling are key aspects in product development and marketing. The conceptualization of a product name and imagery sets an overall consumer expectation. The DEW for Meats was used to collect consumers’ emotional reactions to five unbranded turkey products’ imagery and names with different yearly sales volumes in three market locations and two test environments (Central Location Tests and On-line Surveys). The DEW for Meats was able to associate different emotions to products with comparable expected liking scores. Similar emotions were associated with products across locations and test environments, substantiating the methodology’s robustness at measuring emotions of consumers’ product experiences. Products associated with negative emotions had lower yearly sales, and products associated with positive emotions had higher yearly sales. Emotion measurement can deliver a clear advantage over using liking scores alone, and can contribute towards a better prediction of consumer choice.

Subject Area

Food Science|Behavioral Sciences

Recommended Citation

Yglesias, Roxana, "Measuring emotions: A new approach to uncovering consumer meat product choices" (2016). ETD collection for University of Nebraska-Lincoln. AAI10246448.
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/dissertations/AAI10246448

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