The Effect of Nutritional Information on Attitude and Consumption: The Case of Yogurt

The purpose of this study was to establish an empirical link between information exposure, attitudes and behaviour. To do this, an after-only with control field experiment was undertaken using a print medium. The data resulting from the experiment was analysed using group comparison and regression analysis techniques.:] Both methods provided statistically significant results. From the group comparisons, it was found that the group exposed to the nutritionally positive advertisement when compared to the control group had a higher overall attitude toward the healthiness of yogurt consumption and a higher consumption level of yogurt. The group exposed to the article containing negative nutritional information had a lower overall attitude toward the healthiness of yogurt, fewer intentions of buying yogurt but had a higher consumption level when compared to the control group. From the regression analysis it was found that the advertisement affected consumption only by changing attitudes whereas the article affected consumption both indirectly through changes in attitude and directly by changing consumption. Surprisingly, the net affect of the negative nutritional information in the article was an increase in consumption. The implication is that information exposure in the form of articles appears to have a more direct impact on behaviour than does information exposure from advertisements. Unfortunately, exposure to an article does not necessarily imply recall of the content of the article, thus the intended impact on consumption, from exposure to the article, may be counter productive