Science of Consumer Behaviour Healthy Items

Question: Write about theScience of Consumer Behaviour for Healthy Items. Answer: According to the research article, Healthy-Left, Unhealthy-Right: Can Displaying Healthy Items to the Left (versus Right) of Unhealthy Items Nudge Healthier Choices? by Romero and Biswas (2016) aims to demonstrate that the healthier items on the left are highly preferable by the customers. The data was collected after conducting seven studies in which different variables such as display positions, lateral display, organization of items, left-side bias effects, gaze starting point and consumption volume are assessed. The results indicate that there is greater preference for healthy items than unhealthy items on the menu. Further, there is higher preference for healthy items when it was on the left side. Romero and Biswas (2016) found that healthy option is mentally represented to the left of unhealthy option. The study indicates that alphabetical order of the menu does not affect customer preferences. The customers have high preference for unhealthy items when they are placed on the left side. Further, it was found that customers prefer healthy item if the display image was placed on left side of the screen. However, the results indicate that customer preference was unaffected if unhealthy item was placed on left versus at the centre. The healthy beverages had higher consumption when placed on the left. The above results can be applied to McDonalds as it offers a range of healthy and unhealthy food choices. It is recommended that they must redesign the menu and have a combination of healthy and neutral food choices. Graphic images of food items that have low calorie can be used on the left side. The fried items such as French fries and other food offering with higher calorie such as Cheesy Grilled Chicken can be put to the centre or on the right side of the healthy food range. The healthy beverage like smoothies, fruit juice on the left rather than the right. Instead, the sweetened beverages and dessert must be put on the right side of the menu. McDonalds offers a range of desserts in which the low calorie dessert such as fruit n yogurt parfait on the left side of the dessert section. Lastly, the food items can be named using phrases like Fresh, Healthy, and Nutritional as it would impact sales. References Johns, N., Edwards, J., Hartwell, H. (2013). Menu Choice: Satisfaction or Overload?.Journal Of Culinary Science Technology,11(3), 275-285. https://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15428052.2013.798564 Liu, P., Wisdom, J., Roberto, C., Liu, L., Ubel, P. (2013). Using Behavioral Economics to Design More Effective Food Policies to Address Obesity.Applied Economic Perspectives And Policy,36(1), 6-24. https://dx.doi.org/10.1093/aepp/ppt027 Romero, M., Biswas, D. (2016). Healthy-Left, Unhealthy-Right: Can Displaying Healthy Items to the Left (versus Right) of Unhealthy Items Nudge Healthier Choices?.Journal Of Consumer Research,43(1), 103-112. https://dx.doi.org/10.1093/jcr/ucw008 Thomas, E. (2015). Food for thought: obstacles to menu labelling in restaurants and cafeterias.Public Health Nutrition,19(12), 2185-2189. https://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s1368980015002256