CONSUMER PURCHASE PROBABILITY AFFECTED BY ATTITUDE TOWARDS LOW-FAT FOODS, LIKING, PRIVATE BODY CONSCIOUSNESS AND INFORMATION ON FAT AND PRICE

Rated purchase probability of regular fat and reduced fat Cheddar chee se was examined as a function of information on price level and fat co ntent, liking of the cheeses, attitude towards low-fat foods and Priva te Body Consciousness (PBC). The purchase Probability data mere collec ted by conjoint measurements. Liking was measured by hedonic ratings a nd attitude and PBC by agreement to statements. Purchase probability i ncreased when price and fat content decreased when evaluations were ba sed only on information on price level and fat content. Fat content an d price level affected females' purchase Probabilities when they taste d the cheeses as they were informed about fat content and price level. Consumers who were positive toward low-fat foods usually purchased re duced fat Cheddar. PBC scores were related to the relative influence o f verbal vs. sensory information. Sensory appeal, as shown by liking s cores after tasting, influenced purchase probability. Attitudes toward s low-fat foods and purchase frequencies were correlates of liking. Co pyright (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd.