Campus food service users' support for nudge strategies for fruit and vegetable-rich items: findings from a large Canadian national sample.

Although customer support is critical to the wider uptake of nudging strategies to promote fruits and vegetables (FV) in institutional food service (FS) settings, empirical research is sparse and typically based on small convenience samples. An online survey was conducted to assess support, perceived effectiveness and intrusiveness of nine nudge types drawn from Münscher et al.'s Taxonomy of Choice Architecture. We focused on the setting of campus FSs across Canada. A national sample of post-secondary students regularly using campus FSs was used (N 1057). Support for changing the range of options (B3) was the highest, closely followed by changing option-related effort (B2) and changing option-related consequences (B4). Facilitating commitment (C2), changing default (B1) and providing a social reference point (A3) received lowest support. Furthermore, we extracted three clusters of respondents based on perceived effectiveness and intrusiveness of nudge types. Characterised by a relatively low level of perceived effectiveness and moderately high level of intrusiveness, Cluster 1 (61⋅7 % of the sample) reported the lowest support for nudges. Cluster 2 (26⋅6 %), characterised by intermediate effectiveness and low intrusiveness of nudging, reported a high level of support for nudges. Lastly, Cluster 3 (11⋅7 %), characterised by high perceived effectiveness of as well as high perceived intrusiveness, reported the highest level of support for nudges. Findings confirm overall support for FV nudging, with significant differences across nudge types. Differences in customers' acceptance and perception across nudge types offer campus FS operators initial priors in selecting nudges to promote FV.

Meat reduction among post-secondary students: Exploration of motives, barriers, diets and preferences for meals with partial and full meat substitution.

Before developing new meat reduction interventions to support increased sustainability, it is important to understand the motives, diets and preferences of consumers who have already made efforts to reduce meat consumption. While self-declaration has been typically used to identify meat reducers, food frequency data suggests some reducers still identify as omnivores, here termed transitional meat reducers. We compared these "transitional" meat reducers to self-declared meat reducers, unrestricted omnivores and vegetarians/vegans for differences in diet, motives for reducing meat, and perceived barriers to consuming more legumes (dried beans, peas or lentils) and plant-based meat alternative products (PBMAs). We also compared their intention to choose four specific entrees where legumes or PBMAs had partially or fully replaced meat. A convenience sample of Canadian university students completed an online survey (N = 438). 34% of participants were self-declared meat reducers, 16% transitional meat reducers, 33% unrestricted omnivores and 16% vegetarians/vegans. Frequency of eating red meat differed, with self-declared meat reducers eating red meat less often than either transitional meat reducers or unrestricted omnivores. Motives for meat reduction were similar in the two reducer groups. Transitional meat reducers reported significantly more frequent consumption of other protein foods and more barriers to legumes but not PBMA, than either unrestricted omnivores or self-declared meat reducers. Lastly, intention to consume all versions of entrees was very similar in both reducer groups, but with increased preference for full vs partial substitution among self-declared reducers. Transitional meat reducers may be a distinct group for meat reduction interventions compared to omnivores or self-declared reducers.

A daily diary investigation of self-regulation in gambling.

OBJECTIVE: Limit-setting strategies have the potential to assist in reducing problem gambling, but there is little research on self-imposed gambling limits and factors that restrain self-regulation once gambling has been initiated. Using daily diary approach, we investigated individual difference and proximal factors associated with gambling limit violations. METHOD: Participants were 103 individuals who gambled regularly and had set a goal to limit their gambling. Participants completed a baseline measure of trait self-control and questions about gambling and limit violations over 21 days. We examined factors associated with setting and maintaining limits across episodes of gambling as well as within-person factors associated with limit violations, including the moderating role of trait self-control. RESULTS: We found that episodes of gambling where limits were set and violated were associated with riskier gambling and more negative emotional responses. In addition, gambling limits were more likely to be violated on days when temptations to violate limits were high and by people with low trait self-control, whereas urges to gamble were associated with a reduced likelihood of limit violations. Trait self-control moderated the relationship between daily stress/tension and limit violations. Low stress/tension was associated with greater limit violations for those with lower trait self-control, but the likelihood of violating limits increased on high stress days for those with higher trait self-control. CONCLUSIONS: Individuals may benefit from greater awareness of temptations to violate gambling limits and the impact of daily stressors, particularly for those with high trait self-control who are most successful when stress/tension is low. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Emotion-focused coping mediates the relationship between COVID-related distress and compulsive buying.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: COVID-19 posits psychological challenges worldwide and has given rise to nonadaptive behavior, especially in the presence of maladaptive coping. In the current study, we assessed whether the relationship between COVID-related distress and compulsive buying is mediated by task-focused and emotion-focused coping. We also examined whether these associations were invariant over time as the pandemic unfolded. METHODS: Self-report surveys were administered online in the United States in the first six months of the pandemic (March-October 2020) in sampling batches of 25 participants every three days, resulting in a total sample of N = 1,418 (40% female, mean age = 36.6). We carried out structural equation modeling to assess whether the relationship between distress related to COVID-19 and compulsive buying is mediated by task-focused and emotion-focused coping. Time was used as a grouping variable based on events related to the pandemic in the U.S. to calculate model invariance across three time periods. RESULTS: The results indicated significant mediation between distress, emotion-focused coping, and compulsive buying, but not between task-focused coping and compulsive buying. The mediation model showed excellent fit to the data (χ² = 1119.377, df = 420, RMSEA = 0.059 [0.055-0.064], SRMR = 0.049, CFI = 0.951, TLI = 0.947). Models were not invariant across the three examined time periods. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that compulsive buying is more likely to occur in relation to emotion-focused coping as a response to COVID-related distress than in relation to task-focused coping, especially during periods of increasing distress. However, model paths varied during the course of the pandemic.

Customer support for nudge strategies to promote fruit and vegetable intake in a university food service.

BACKGROUND: Diverse nudges, also known as choice architectural techniques, have been found to increase fruit and vegetable (FV) selection in both lab and field studies. Such strategies are unlikely to be adopted in mass eating settings without clear evidence of customer support; confirmation in specific contexts is needed. Inspired by the Taxonomy of Choice Architecture, we assessed support for eight types of nudging to increase the choice of FV-rich foods in a university food service. We also explored whether and to what extent nudge support was associated with perceived effectiveness and intrusiveness. METHODS: An online survey was conducted with students who used on-campus cafeterias. Multiple recruitment methods were used. Participants were given 20 specific scenarios for increasing FV selection and asked about their personal support for each nudge, as well as perceived intrusiveness and effectiveness. General beliefs about healthy eating and nudging were also measured. Results were assessed by repeated measures ANOVA for the 8 nudge types. RESULTS: All nudge scenarios achieved overall favourable ratings, with significant differences among different types of nudging by the 298 respondents. Changing range of options (type B3) and changing option-related consequences (type B4) received the highest support, followed by changing option-related effort (type B2) and making information visible (type A2). Translating information (type A1), changing defaults (type B1) and providing reminders or facilitating commitment (type C) were less popular types of nudging. Providing social reference points (type A3) was least supported. Support for nudge types was positively associated with the belief that food services have a role in promoting healthy eating, perceived importance of FV intake, trustworthiness of the choice architect and female gender. Lastly, support for all types of nudges was positively predicted by perceived effectiveness of each nudge and negatively predicted by perceived intrusiveness above and beyond the contribution of general beliefs about healthy eating and nudging. CONCLUSIONS: Findings from the current study indicate significant differences in support for nudge techniques intended to increase FV selection among university cafeteria users. These findings offer practical implications for food service operators as well as public health researchers.

Compulsive buying gradually increased during the first six months of the Covid-19 outbreak.

Background and aims: The current Covid-19 situation offers a natural experiment to explore the effect of a chronic stressor on compulsive buying tendencies over an extended period of time. Design: Survey method of sampling every three days a new cohort during the first six months of the Covid-19 pandemic (March-October 2020) in the United States. Participants: Total (clean) sample of N = 1,430 (39.3% female, mean age = 36.4 years). Measurements: Online and offline compulsive buying separately, distress, economic position, income and age were assessed. Findings: Both online and offline compulsive buying increased during the data collection period ( τ = 0.24, τ = 0.22, respectively, both P < 0.001). Individuals with self-reported high economic position (EP) reported the highest tendency for compulsive buying throughout the entire time frame, although the increase in compulsive buying tendencies over time was the most pronounced among the economically less privileged. Online compulsive buying increased after the CARES Act (first stimulus package) by an effect size of d = 0.33. When entered into a regression model, EP had the strongest effect on compulsive buying after accounting for the effect of distress, income and age. The high-EP group reported the strongest correlation between distress and compulsive buying (r = 0.67, P < 0.001, 95% CI: 0.57-0.76). Conclusions: Compulsive buying tendency gradually increased during the first six months of the Covid-19 pandemic especially after the CARES Act.

Nudging food service users to choose fruit- and vegetable-rich items: Five field studies.

Although nudging has been found to promote the choice of healthy foods in lab studies and ad-hoc field studies, relatively little research is available regarding effectiveness in real food venues that operate for profit. The paucity of empirical studies providing "proof of implementation" reveals the difficulty of applying previous empirical findings on nudging to mass-eating food services contexts, which serve meals to a lot of individuals daily. Based on the typology of choice architecture in food choice contexts, we closely collaborated with the in-house food service operator to devise and implement five nudge interventions to promote fruits and vegetables (FV) in university cafeterias. Each study was conducted for one 12-week semester or more over a three-year period. In the first two studies, non-verbal point-of-purchase prompting increased the choice of kale/spinach supplemented smoothies and whole fruits from baskets. In Study 3, the combination of sizing and point-of-purchase non-verbal prompting increased the sale of large size vegetable-rich bowls from a stir-fry grill. In Study 4, the proximity type of nudging by altering the position of the healthier option in a sandwich bar in combination with non-verbal prompting increased the sale of sandwiches containing spinach. In Study 5, the combination of sizing and proximity of large vs. small sized plates and serving spoons had no effect on sale of self-serve items in a salad bar. All the interventions except for Study 5 produced a moderate effect in increasing the choice of FV-rich items. We recommend that hospitality and food service operators consider operational parameters and simultaneously adopt more than one nudging components to achieve a sizable effect. Future randomized controlled trials are needed to implement choice architecture techniques in collaboration with food service companies.

Potentially addictive behaviours increase during the first six months of the Covid-19 pandemic.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: In this study we aimed to assess multiple potentially addictive behaviours simultaneously for an extended period of time during the Covid-19 pandemic and their relation to distress. METHODS: Data were collected every three days from Amazon's MTurk between 26.03.2020 and 02.10.2020 in repeated cross-sectional samples of 25 participants resulting in a total sample of 1430 US adults (60% men, mean age 36.6 years, SD = 11). General distress and Covid-19 related fear were assessed as well as self-reported frequency of eight potentially addictive behaviours: shopping (compulsive buying), alcohol, smoking, legal substances, illegal substances, gambling, gaming and overeating. RESULTS: We found a positive relationship between time and the frequency of each self-reported potentially addictive behaviour ( τ = 0.15-0.23, all P < 0.001), and their frequency is linearly related to the intensity of (Covid-19-related and general) distress ( τ = 0.12-0.28, all P < 0.001). Most popular activities were gaming and compulsive buying, and the relative frequency of the behaviours remained about the same during the data collection period. DISCUSSION: It is possible that people seek other maladaptive substitutes when other coping mechanisms (e.g. social recreation) are hindered depending on their level of distress. CONCLUSION: Given the evidence for the increasing frequency of potentially addictive behaviours and their relevance to distress, special attention needs to be paid to reduce potential harmful effects of maladaptive coping during and after this demanding period.

Post-Secondary Food Service Manager Perspectives on Fruit and Vegetable Nudging Strategies: Qualitative Study.

BACKGROUND: Changing the choice architecture in post-secondary food service contexts to "nudge" customers to choose more fruits and vegetables (FV) shows promise in intervention studies to date. If such approaches are to become more widely adopted, they must be feasible and acceptable to food service managers. Among possible early adopters, managers of food services in post-secondary education institutions may have unique insights on implementation of such approaches, as they have dual mandates to support student health and maintain profitability. OBJECTIVE: The goal of this exploratory study was to examine current knowledge, practice, facilitators, and barriers to uptake of nudge strategies promoting FV in a sample of post-secondary food service managers. METHODS: A qualitative telephone interview study was undertaken with food service managers across Canada (n = 10 institutions), recruited from a national professional organization. One or more representatives from each institution completed the interview. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and underwent framework descriptive and interpretative content analysis in NVivo (QSR International). Münscher's Taxonomy of Choice Architecture and the Ottawa Model for Research Use guided development and analysis. RESULTS: Managers from 9 universities and 1 technical college participated. Local context, governance, and resources varied widely. Eight of 10 institutions used some form of FV nudging as part of their marketing and health promotion, most commonly to reduce the effort associated with choosing FV. Nudging strategies aimed at increasing the range and composition of FV offerings, providing a social reference (opinion leaders) for choosing FV, and changing consequences with loyalty cards were also common. Other nudging strategies were used infrequently. Cost, operational ease of implementation, and students' privacy and choices were critical issues in adoption. CONCLUSIONS: The results can inform development and testing of locally adapted nudge interventions. It is critical that managers be involved from the outset of any planned academic implementation study.

The case for moderate-risk buyers: An empirical investigation.

Despite recent increase in research on compulsive buying and excessive buying, the category of buyers whose buying patterns are approaching the clinical level but still somewhat below it has rarely been recognized in the literature. In this paper, we propose the case for the category of moderate-risk buyers. Following Ridgway et al.'s (2008) findings, moderate-risk buyers were operationalized as scoring 21-24 on Compulsive Buying Index. We hypothesized that moderate-risk buyers would hold significantly higher materialistic values than non-compulsive buyers, while exhibiting significantly less depressive symptoms and covert narcissism than full-fledged compulsive buyers. An online survey of individuals who frequently engaged in buying lapses was used (N=809). We found that moderate-risk buyers were significantly different from both compulsive buyers and non-compulsive buyers in the frequency of buying lapses, hiding purchases and frequency of experiencing negative feelings leading to buying lapses. Furthermore, consistent with our hypothesis, moderate-risk buyers held significantly lower covert narcissism and depression than full-fledged compulsive buyers, but their materialism was not significantly different from each other. Our findings support the case for moderate-risk buyers as a separate group from full-fledged compulsive buyers.

Assessment of heterogeneity in types of vegetables served by main household food preparers and food decision influencers.

OBJECTIVE: While vegetables are often studied as one food group, global measures may mask variation in the types and forms of vegetables preferred by different individuals. To explore preferences for and perceptions of vegetables, we assessed main food preparers based on their preparation of eight specific vegetables and mushrooms. DESIGN: An online self-report survey. SETTING: Ontario, Canada. Measures included perceived benefits and obstacles of vegetables, convenience orientation and variety seeking in meal preparation. SUBJECTS: Of the 4517 randomly selected consumers who received the invitation, 1013 responded to the survey (22·4 % response). Data from the main food preparers were analysed (n 756). RESULTS: Latent profile analysis indicated three segments of food preparers. More open to new recipes, the 'crucifer lover' segment (13 %) prepared and consumed substantially more Brussels sprouts, broccoli and asparagus than the other segments. Although similar to the 'average consumer' segment (54 %) in many ways, the 'frozen vegetable user' segment (33 %) used significantly more frozen vegetables than the other segments due to higher prioritization of time and convenience in meal preparation and stronger 'healthy=not tasty' perception. Perception of specific vegetables on taste, healthiness, ease of preparation and cost varied significantly across the three consumer segments. Crucifer lovers also differed with respect to shopping and cooking habits compared with the frozen vegetable users. CONCLUSIONS: The substantial heterogeneity in the types of vegetables consumed and perceptions across the three consumer segments has implications for the development of new approaches to promoting these foods.

The Activation of Reward Versus Relief Gambling Outcome Expectancies in Regular Gamblers: Relations to Gambling Motives.

Gambling outcome expectancies refer to the anticipated outcomes that gamblers expect will occur from gambling (i.e., learned memory associations between gambling cues, behavior, and outcomes). Unlike previous approaches to gambling outcome expectancies that have predominantly focused on the valence of outcome expectancies (positive vs. negative), the present study investigated two specific types of positive gambling outcome expectancies: reward and relief gambling outcome expectancies. Specifically, the primary purpose of the current research was to examine whether gambling prime exposure activates different types of positive gambling outcome expectancies in enhancement- versus coping-motivated gamblers. Fifty adult, community-recruited regular gamblers performed a reaction time (RT) task and completed a self-report expectancy scale, both designed to assess reward and relief gambling outcome expectancies. They also completed the Gambling Motives Questionnaire (Stewart and Zack in Addiction 103:1110-1117 2008) to assess their levels of coping and enhancement motives for gambling. As hypothesized, reward gambling outcome expectancies were more strongly activated by gambling prime exposure than relief outcome expectancies on the RT task for gamblers with high enhancement motives. On the self-report expectancy measure, high enhancement-motivated gamblers endorsed stronger reward gambling outcome expectancies than low enhancement-motivated gamblers, and high coping-motivated gamblers endorsed stronger relief gambling outcome expectancies than low coping-motivated gamblers. Results suggest that automatic activation of reward gambling outcome expectancies is particularly strong for high enhancement-motivated gamblers. Possible reasons for the failure to observe an association between coping gambling motives and automatic relief gambling outcome expectancies are discussed.

Effects of gambling-related cues on the activation of implicit and explicit gambling outcome expectancies in regular gamblers.

The current research examined whether the presentation of gambling-related cues facilitates the activation of gambling outcome expectancies using both reaction time (RT) and self-report modes of assessment. Gambling outcome expectancies were assessed by having regular casino or online gamblers (N = 58) complete an outcome expectancy RT task, as well as a self-report measure of gambling outcome expectancies, both before and after exposure to one of two randomly assigned cue conditions (i.e., casino or control video). Consistent with hypotheses, participants exposed to gambling-related cues (i.e., casino cue video condition) responded faster to positive outcome expectancy words preceded by gambling prime relative to non-gambling prime pictures on the post-cue RT task. Similarly, participants in the casino cue video condition self-reported significantly stronger positive gambling outcome expectancies than those in the control cue video condition following cue exposure. Activation of negative gambling outcome expectancies was not observed on either the RT task or self-report measure. The results indicate that exposure to gambling cues activates both implicit and explicit positive gambling outcome expectancies among regular gamblers.

Heterogeneity of compulsive buyers based on impulsivity and compulsivity dimensions: a latent profile analytic approach.

Despite the recognition that compulsive buyers are not one homogenous group, there is a dearth of theory-guided empirical investigation. Furthermore, although compulsivity and impulsivity are used as major psychiatric criteria for diagnosing compulsive buyers, these dimensions have rarely been considered in assessing the heterogeneity issue. We fill this gap by applying the motivation shift model of addiction to compulsive buying and empirically assessing the heterogeneity issue in the bi-dimensional space represented by the buying impulsivity and compulsivity dimensions. These hypotheses were tested with latent profile analysis based on survey data (N=445). Consistent with the hypothesis, we identified the cluster of buyers with high buying compulsivity and impulsivity ("compulsive-impulsive buyers"), the cluster of buyers with low buying compulsivity and high impulsivity ("impulsive excessive buyers"), and the cluster of ordinary buyers. Furthermore, it was found that disparate clusters of buyers exhibit unique dispositional tendencies. Theoretical contributions and policy implications of the findings are discussed as well.

Coping with guilt and shame after gambling loss.

In this study we examined the relations between guilt and shame and coping strategies in response to gambling loss. Based on H.B. Lewis's (Shame & guilt in neurosis. New York: International Universities Press, 1971) account of guilt and shame, we proposed that unlike guilt, the experience of shame involves the attribution of gambling loss to stable and global internal factors (i.e., self-devaluation). We hypothesized that problem gambling severity would be more strongly associated with the intensity of shame than with the intensity of guilt following gambling loss. Further, we hypothesized that the intensity of shame would be positively associated with the use of avoidant coping strategies following gambling loss. Finally, we hypothesized that the intensity of shame would mediate the association between problem gambling severity and the use of avoidant coping. These hypotheses were supported by a retrospective survey of recent gambling losses. Our finding suggests that the experience of shame and the use of avoidant coping strategies to deal with this emotion are central to problem gambling severity.