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Online food advertisements and the role of emotions in adolescents’ food choices

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  • Martina Vecchi
  • Linlin Fan
  • Sarah Myruski
  • Wei Yang
  • Kathleen L. Keller
  • Rodolfo M. Nayga

Abstract

Adolescence is a critical period for future health outcomes. Food habits and cognitive development are underway, and it is a period of heightened sensitivity to external influences and emotional shifts. We experimentally test the individual and combined influence of food advertisements and emotional primes (i.e., positive, negative, neutral) on adolescent food choices. Participants completed a food choice task selecting five snacks out of twenty healthy and unhealthy options in an online experiment. Prior to the food choice, we randomized whether adolescents were exposed to unhealthy food or non‐food online advertisements. To induce experimental variation in adolescents’ emotions, they were assigned to watch two, two‐minute film clips validated to elicit the targeted emotion. The online food advertisement did not significantly impact food choices, except that Black and Hispanic groups selected a higher share of calories from unhealthy foods. Participants in a negative emotional state selected more unhealthy sweet snacks. Finally, we find only weak evidence that a positive emotional state amplified the impact of food advertisements on the nutritional quality of food selection. Together, results suggest that while a negative emotional state drives food choices, this pattern occurs independently from food advertisement exposure. L'adolescence est une période critique pour les futurs résultats en matière de santé. Les habitudes alimentaires et le développement cognitif sont en cours, et c'est une période de sensibilité accrue aux influences extérieures et aux changements émotionnels. Nous testons expérimentalement l'influence individuelle et combinée des publicités alimentaires et des amorces émotionnelles (c'est‐à‐dire positives, négatives, neutres) sur les choix alimentaires des adolescents. Les participants ont effectué une tâche de choix alimentaire en sélectionnant cinq collations parmi vingt options saines et malsaines dans le cadre d'une expérience en ligne. Avant le choix alimentaire, nous avons randomisé si les adolescents étaient exposés à des aliments malsains ou à des publicités en ligne non alimentaires. Pour induire une variation expérimentale des émotions des adolescents, il leur a été demandé de regarder deux extraits de films de deux minutes, validés pour susciter l’émotion ciblée. La publicité alimentaire en ligne n'a pas eu d'impact significatif sur les choix alimentaires, sauf que les groupes noirs et hispaniques ont sélectionné une part plus élevée de calories provenant d'aliments malsains. Les participants dans un état émotionnel négatif ont choisi des collations sucrées plus malsaines. Enfin, nous ne trouvons que de faibles évidences démontrant qu'un état émotionnel positif amplifie l'impact des publicités alimentaires sur la qualité nutritionnelle de la sélection alimentaire. Ensemble, les résultats suggèrent que même si un état émotionnel négatif détermine les choix alimentaires, ce modèle se produit indépendamment de l'exposition à la publicité alimentaire.

Suggested Citation

  • Martina Vecchi & Linlin Fan & Sarah Myruski & Wei Yang & Kathleen L. Keller & Rodolfo M. Nayga, 2024. "Online food advertisements and the role of emotions in adolescents’ food choices," Canadian Journal of Agricultural Economics/Revue canadienne d'agroeconomie, Canadian Agricultural Economics Society/Societe canadienne d'agroeconomie, vol. 72(1), pages 45-76, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:canjag:v:72:y:2024:i:1:p:45-76
    DOI: 10.1111/cjag.12353
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