Moderating Effect of Experience on the Intention-Behavioral Relationship Towards Sustainable Food Consumption

Abstract

As public interest in sustainability consumption increases, consumers may develop a positive intention to change their consumption patterns. However, behavioral patterns are not consistent with intentions. The purpose of this study was to examine the moderating effect of experience within the Theory of Planned Behavior and how it influences the relationship between intentions and behavior towards functional food consumption, as well as developing a measurement for the construct of experience from the perspective of healthy food consumption. A survey was conducted using a self-administered questionnaire, collecting data from a sample of 452 adult consumers. The experience construct was examined through both intrinsic and extrinsic experience approaches. The results showed that only intrinsic experience moderates the relationship between intentions and behavior regarding functional food consumption. This indicates that the intrinsic experience (such as feeling happy, confident, and healthy) is important in motivating consumers to initiate the desired healthy eating behavior. Thus, healthy food producers and marketers must communicate these notions in their strategies. This study makes a methodological contribution to the literature by developing a modified scale for measuring experience, focusing on healthy food consumption, which could be a useful scale for future research in different contexts and settings.