Sugar Crash: Effects of Health Warning Labels on Consumers’ Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Beliefs and Purchase Intentions
通过三项在线实验，研究发现含糖饮料的健康警告标签对果味饮料的效果强于碳酸饮料，厌恶情绪比恐惧更能影响购买意愿，且消费者的自我豁免信念会削弱警告效果。
Worldwide consumption of ultra-processed foods and beverages continues to rapidly increase, and many believe that this trend has significantly contributed to the rise in obesity rates. Excessive consumption of food and beverage products with added sugar is of particular concern. Drawing from expectation theory, the health belief model, and the protection motivation framework, this research examines consumer responses to warning labels that identify some of the negative health outcomes associated with the consumption of added sugar. Three between-subjects studies conducted on-line produced three key findings. First, results show that responses to a sugar health warning label are stronger when the warning applies to fruity drinks as opposed to soft drinks. Second, contrary to findings within the tobacco literature, these results show that disgust, rather than fear, is the emotion most associated with the effect of health warnings on purchase intention. Third, results show that the effect of a sugar health warning label is attenuated when consumers have self-exempting beliefs regarding the potential negative effects of sugar sweetened beverage consumption. Results offer insight for manufacturers, retailers, marketing researchers, and public policy makers about the potential effects of sugar health warning labels on consumers’ sugar-sweetened beverage beliefs, feelings, and purchase intentions.