Consumer preference and willingness-to-pay for formal recycling of electric vehicle batteries: A discrete choice experiment in China.

The burgeoning electric vehicle (EV) market poses a substantial challenge to battery recycling systems, yet understanding EV battery recycling behavior from the demand side remains limited. Previous studies have analyzed perceptual or attitudinal factors, neglecting the observable attributes of EV battery recycling. To this end, we proposed a discrete choice model to investigate the differences between formal and informal recycling behaviors, identifying consumer preferences and willingness to pay. By analyzing 1190 sample data collected from Chongqing, China, we find that: (1) The formal recycling market exhibits greater sensitivity to prices compared to the informal recycling market. (2) The formal recycling market favors recycling by EV battery producers, whereas the informal recycling market shows the least preference for recycling by automobile producers. (3) Door-to-door recycling services are the most effective in facilitating the transition from informal to formal recycling markets for EV batteries. (4) Capacity subsidy policies outperform one-time fixed subsidy policies in incentivizing formal recycling. (5) The formal recycling market for EV batteries necessitates "traceability to the recycling outlet", as opposed to being untraceable. (6) The high-awareness group exhibits greater sensitivity to government policies compared to those with lower environmental concerns and less knowledge of EV battery recycling.

A Systematic Literature Review and Future Research Agenda to Study Consumer Acceptance of Novel Foods and Beverages.

In response to the rising global demand for healthier and more sustainable food resources, novel and unconventional food and beverages are being developed and incorporated into our diets. However, existing literature provides a limited understanding of consumers' acceptance of these innovations. This study undertakes a systematic literature review to examine the dynamics between consumers and novel foods and beverages. The objectives are to uncover the factors that influence consumer choices of these products, identify future research needs, and contribute to the development of effective marketing strategies for novel food and beverage adoption. This systematic review analyses 99 research papers, selected from an initial pool of 4,280, sourced from Scopus and Web of Science databases. The papers were published between 2011 and 2023 in journals listed by Australian Business Deans Council and classified as Q1 in the SJR journal ranking. The articles have been reviewed using PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis) protocol and TCCM (Theory, Context, Characteristics and Methodology) framework. The findings highlight a reliance on data-driven methods and suggest that integrating relevant theories could enhance future research outcomes. Most studies focused on the acceptance of technology-based innovations in developed countries, indicating a need to explore novel foods and beverages in developing regions. Consumer-related factors, especially psychological aspects, were the primary focus, suggesting opportunities to investigate additional variables, such as product-related and situational factors, that influence acceptance. Finally, the predominance of quantitative research indicates a potential benefit in incorporating qualitative and multi-method approaches to gain deeper insights into consumer attitudes and motivations.

Forging green Horizons: Revealing Catalysts of pro-environmental behavior in emerging market.

In recent years, environmental pollution has started to threaten global economies. The understanding of consumer behavior within the context of sustainable development has become increasingly important to deal with this growing ecological complexity. Urbanization has accelerated in Pakistan, resulting in urban consumers raising more environmental concerns and promoting eco-friendly products. These concerns have demonstrated their commitment to sustainability and pro-environmental behaviors, such as reducing waste materials (e.g., plastics) and pollutants (i.e., smoke, dust, etc.), thus supporting eco-friendly behaviors. Today, Pakistan's urban consumers are well-aware of environmental complexities. As such, environmental knowledge is the driver of consumers' pro-environmental behavior, affective commitment and social capital also compel individuals to acquire ecological knowledge to enhance consumer behavior. This research considers customers' environmental knowledge and affective commitment, both of which actively contribute to pro-environmental activity. It explores the relationship between environmental knowledge, affection commitment, social capital, and environmental behavior in Pakistan. Data was gathered from Pakistan's urban customers and analyzed using Covariance-based Structural Equation Modeling (CB-SEM). The results indicate that affective commitment and social capital have a positive and significant effect on environmental knowledge and behavior. Notably, the relationship between social capital, affective commitment, and environmental behavior is mediated by knowledge of environmental issues. Through its findings, this study fosters an understanding of environmental behavior and explains the sense of responsibility and greater commitment in individuals, which thus leads them toward sustainability.

Exploring the influence of Chinese online patient trust on telemedicine behavior: insights into perceived risk and behavior intention.

As a supplement to medical services, telemedicine is of great significance to alleviate the shortage of health resources in China. Based on the traditional consumer behavior measurement model the Technology Acceptance Mode/Theory of Planned Behavior (TAM/TPB), this paper divides online patient trust into six dimensions: perceived risk, personal trust tendency, doctors' credibility, hospitals' credibility, websites' credibility, and system guarantee. On this basis, a structural equation model (SEM) was used to explore the influence of each dimension of online patient trust on online patient intention, behavior choice, and pre-factors. A total of 582 valid questionnaires were distributed to selected patients with experience in using mobile healthcare services in the vicinity of hospitals and communities, as well as to users who shared their experiences in the discussion forums of mobile healthcare websites. The results show that online patient trust has a significant positive impact on telemedicine behavior intention selection, with a standardized path coefficient being as high as 0.866. Doctors' credibility, system guarantee, and website credibility have significant positive effects on online patient trust, with standardized path coefficients of 0.401, 0.260, and 0.226, respectively. Hospital trustworthiness and personal trust propensity have no significant effect on online patient trust. Perceived risk has a significant negative effect on online patient trust, with a standardized path coefficient of -0.118. The research findings suggest that health departments and mobile healthcare providers can enhance mobile healthcare services by considering the patients' perspectives, elevate their online trust levels, and foster a deeper understanding, safety consciousness, and confidence in telehealth services. On this basis, it can be concluded that only the participation of government, medical subjects, and online patients can effectively reduce perceived risks, improve perceived characteristics of online patients, enhance online patient trust, and promote the real willingness and behavior choice for online medical services, effectively improving the positive role of telemedicine in increasing health benefits to people.

The role of culture in the representation of probiotic foods.

Functional foods, and specifically probiotics, are important products present in retail worldwide. Probiotics comprise "live microorganisms that, when administered in adequate amounts, can confer a health benefit on the host". This study aimed to investigate the effect of culture on probiotic foods social representation. A total of 818 consumers from seven countries (Argentina, Brazil, Honduras, Mauritius, Mexico, Peru, and Slovenia) participated in the study. A free word association task was performed with the inductor term "probiotic food," followed by lemmatization, categorization, and prototypical analysis of the social representation. The results indicated that the term health was common in all countries studied, as well as other positive aspects such as benefits, well-being, and functional foods. This study helped to shed light and better understand the role of culture in the social representation of probiotics.

Temporal dominance of Sensations: Do different concepts of "dominance" affect the results?

The purpose of this study was to understand the role of "dominance" definitions in the results of TDS applied to consumers. This study compared two temporal dominance of sensations (TDS) approaches - TDS-I - that attracts the most attention and TDS-II - most intense/strongest sensation - in the context of evaluating artisanal Minas cheeses from the Serra da Canastra and chocolate with different cocoa concentrations samples. TDS curves were constructed and a trajectory-based principal component analysis (PCA) was performed dominance rates at ten equally spaced time points. Additionally, difference curves, multiple factor analysis (MFA) and regression vector coefficient (RV coefficient) were performed to compare the two approaches. The findings showed that the two approaches produced similar results, suggesting that consumers interpret the terms dominant and intense in a similar way during TDS evaluations, the results were even closer at the chocolate study than at the cheese study. However, in both approaches were observed low dominance rates and differences between the sensation perception time, mainly in the evaluation of cheese flavor. This variability may be attributed to the complexity of the cheese's flavor and the varied interpretations of dominance among evaluators. Despite these differences, the approaches showed similar characterizations across the same samples, demonstrating high reproducibility and a strong ability to differentiate between samples. This study demonstrates that the choice between the terms dominant (which captures more attention) or intense (stronger) to guide consumers in performing the sensory test does not significantly influence the results. Consequently, it is possible to adopt greater freedom and flexibility in the terminology used to instruct participants in conducting the test.

A study on the consumer behavior and attitude toward low-sodium convenience store foods.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: This study aims to explore the potential of convenience stores as platforms for healthy food consumption, including low-sodium options, in response to the increasing trend of meal behaviors at convenience stores and the growing demand for healthy eating. SUBJECTS/METHODS: In the study, 627 Korean participants aged 10 to 39 were involved. A self-reported questionnaire survey was used and questions were regarding purchase patterns, consumption behaviors, perceptions and selection attributes of convenience store foods, and consumer perception factors for low-sodium options. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS 26.0 (SPSS, Version 26.0 for Windows, SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA). RESULTS: The study uncovered significant disparities in the consumption behavior and perception of convenience store foods, as well as variations in the importance and satisfaction levels with convenience store food attributes, including consumer perception factors for low-sodium options, based on sex and age. Furthermore, it was observed that awareness of the need for low-sodium options significantly influenced purchase intentions. CONCLUSION: This study analyzed consumer attitude toward low-sodium convenience store foods to assess the potentiality for promoting healthy eating in convenience stores. These findings indicate the important role that convenience stores can play as platforms for healthy food sales.

The impact of differential pricing subject on consumer behavior.

The escalating use of artificial intelligence in marketing significantly impacts all aspects of consumer life. This research, grounded in attribution theory and S-O-R theory, employs scenario-based experimental methods to simulate two distinct purchasing contexts. The aim is to investigate consumers' psychological and behavioral responses to AI-initiated pricing. Through SPSS analysis of variance and Bootstrap analysis, the mechanisms of influence of AI-initiated pricing on consumer behavior are tested, revealing the mediating variables of mind perception and consumer perceived ethicality, as well as the mediating variables of perceived enterprise control. Data were collected from Chinese customers to test the model of this study. A total of 841 valid questionnaires were analyzed using ANOVA and Bootstrap analysis with SPSS. The results show that: (1) Consumers exhibit higher repurchase and word-of-mouth recommendation behaviors and lower complaint and switching behaviors for AI-initiated pricing compared to marketers; (2) AI-initiated pricing leads to diminished mind perceptions and augmented ethical perceptions among consumers. Ethical perceptions serve as a complete mediator, while mind perceptions play a less significant mediating role; (3) Perceived enterprise control plays a moderating role in the impact of AI-initiated pricing on consumer behavior. That is, when consumers know that the enterprise can control pricing agents, AI-initiated pricing leads to lower repurchase and word-of-mouth recommendation behaviors, and higher instances of complaining and switching behaviors than humans.

Consumers' Psychology Regarding Attachment to Social Media and Usage Frequency: A Mediated-Moderated Model.

Although there are studies in the literature investigating the effect of social media marketing activities (SMMAs) on brand equity and purchase intentions, scant information is available regarding consumers' attachment to social media (ASM) and usage frequency considering the abovementioned variables. Accordingly, one of the main purposes of this study is to investigate the effect of consumers' ASM on their perceptions of SMMAs. The second main purpose of this study is to test whether social media usage frequency has a moderating effect regarding the impact of perceived SMMAs on brand equity and purchase intentions. Questionnaires were collected face-to-face and a data set of 907 Turkish youth consumers were evaluated. Two major international technology brands were selected for the purposes of this study. Hypotheses were tested using structural equation modeling and the bootstrapping method for mediation analysis. The results showed that ASM and social media usage frequency are distinctive factors in the context of perceived SMMAs. Consumers' ASM creates a psychological difference that positively affects their perceptions of brands' SMMAs. Moreover, social media usage frequency negatively moderates the effect of perceived SMMAs on brand equity and purchase intentions. Another important finding is that brand equity partially mediates the impact of perceived SMMAs on purchase intentions. The present article describes the first study to test the effect of consumers' ASM on perceived SMMAs and to investigate the moderating effect of social media usage frequency regarding the effect of perceived SMMAs on brand equity and purchase intentions. The conceptual framework contains both a mediator and moderator that generated additional insights into the literature regarding the context of this study.

Do Psychological Ownership and Communicative Presence Matter? Examining How User-Generated Content in E-Commerce Live Streaming Influences Consumers' Purchase Intention.

E-commerce live streaming has become a lucrative global industry. As the main carrier to convey information in live broadcasting, user-generated content (UGC)-and especially bullet screens-are crucial in influencing users' purchase intentions. However, the influence of bullet screens' multidimensional information characteristics on consumers' decision-making processes requires further exploration. Additionally, most existing studies start with the short-term effects of live product realization, and must address how to enhance customers' psychological ownership using new means of live streaming marketing to obtain long-term sustainable brand-building effects. This study introduces psychological ownership and the communicative presence as mediating variables based on the theory of elaboration likelihood modeling to explore the mechanism of the influence of UGC's multidimensional features on viewers' purchase intentions in live e-commerce broadcasting rooms. We collected 404 valid online questionnaires and tested our hypotheses using structural equation modeling. These findings indicate that UGC emotions, quality, and their interaction significantly and positively affect purchase intentions. Moreover, psychological ownership and the communicative presence mediate UGC's effect on purchase intentions. These results provide a new perspective for understanding consumer behavior in live e-commerce to improve marketing effectiveness of e-commerce live streaming platforms.

Virtual Reality and Higher Education Sporting Events: Social Anxiety Perception as an Outcome of VR Simulation.

BACKGROUND: This study investigates the relationship between Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy (VRET) and social anxiety in sport environments. Social anxiety is a mental health condition that manifests people's intense fear of being watched and judged by others and worrying about humiliation It is important to research potential tools like VRET that could help to mitigate the impact of social anxiety as people with social anxiety often avoid attending live events due to the venue's sensory stimuli and the social encounters they anticipate. VR simulation could allow socially anxious individuals to fully experience a sporting event simulation minus the anxiety induced by potential social encounters. VR's therapeutic effects on social anxiety should be explored when considering several findings of VR intervention to mental health. AIM: The study aims to assess the impact of exposing socially anxious people to a virtual sporting game by measuring their levels of social anxiety, team identification, and intentions to attend a live sporting event before and after the VR exposure. Due to VR's positive experience, social anxiety is expected to decrease. However, team identification and intentions to attend live sporting events are expected to increase because of VR's ability to develop sport fanship. METHOD: Fourteen students with symptoms of social anxiety participated in the study. To create the VR simulation stimuli, the researchers used six 360° cameras to record an NCAA Division-I women's volleyball game. Participants experienced the sporting event via VR simulation. Data were analyzed via one-group pre- and post-comparison. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Significant results were found for behavioral intentions of participants after experiencing the simulation. Social anxiety's difference was negative 0.22, t(13) = 3.47, p < 0.01. After watching the game in VR, the respondents' social anxiety decreased significantly. Team identification's difference was 0.53, t(13) = -3.56, p < 0.01. Lastly, event visit intentions' difference was 0.24, t(13) = -2.35, p < 0.05. Team identification and intentions to visit a sporting event rose significantly after viewing the game in VR.

Unpacking the Influence of Visual Density on Pizza Packaging: Sensory Expectations and Purchase Intentions.

Visual density, defined as the number of identifiable elements per unit area within a visual design, significantly influences consumer perceptions. This study investigates the effects of varying visual densities in pizza packaging, encompassing both food-related and decorative elements, on consumers' expectations regarding taste and texture, ultimately influencing their purchase decisions. We conducted a controlled experiment where participants were presented with pizza boxes of differing visual densities. Participants rated their expectations regarding the taste and texture of the pizza, as well as their purchase intentions. Additionally, we measured consumption frequency to evaluate its moderating influence on the observed effects. Results indicate that high-visual-density packaging significantly heightened expectations of taste and texture, independent of the element's nature-whether food-related or decorative. Enhanced sensory expectations fully mediated the relationship between visual density and purchase intentions. Additionally, high consumption frequency amplified the effect of high visual density on sensory expectations and purchase intentions. These findings contribute to sensory marketing theory by highlighting the importance of visual density in packaging design and the role of consumption frequency. They provide practical implications for food packaging strategies aimed at enhancing consumer experience and satisfaction.

Feasibility and acceptability of a personalized, pre-filled online grocery cart to improve benefit redemption and diet quality of grocery purchases among participants of the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC).

Most participants in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) do not fully redeem their benefits due to barriers like transportation, confusing product eligibility, and unclear labeling. Online food shopping enables choice architecture to promote benefit redemption and maximize diet quality. We conducted a mixed-methods pilot randomized-controlled trial to assess the feasibility and acceptability of a pre-filled online grocery shopping cart to improve WIC benefit redemption and diet quality of grocery purchases. Rhode Island WIC participants (n = 24, mean age 29.4 ± 1.1 years, 75% Hispanic, 54% had never grocery shopped online) completed a baseline questionnaire and a simulated shopping episode (SSE), buying WIC and non-WIC items. After a week, we randomized participants into the intervention (personalized, modifiable carts pre-filled with 100% of the 2022 proposed WIC packages) or control (selected their items individually) groups before the second SSE. Both groups had WIC labels. We assessed feasibility using process data and percent agreement to feasibility questions, and acceptability via percent agreement to acceptability questions and post-intervention qualitative interviews. We conducted exploratory analyses to examine differences within and between groups at each timepoint for percent WIC benefit redemption and diet quality of grocery purchases, evaluated using the Grocery Purchase Quality Index-2016 (GPQI-2016) scores. Quantitative study measures suggest that the intervention was feasible and that the personalized, modifiable pre-filled cart was acceptable. These findings were supported during qualitative interviews, where participants highlighted time-savings, flexibility, and WIC labels as facilitators of WIC online shopping. Exploratory results showed significant increases in mean percent redemption of most WIC food categories and non-significant moderate increases in most GPQI-2016 scores. These measures are vital for the future adaptation of a full-scale efficacy trial in real-life settings.

SNAP Online Food Shopping: Nutrition Education Needs Perceived by Practitioners.

The change in policy that allowed Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program recipients to redeem their benefits online during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic highlighted the potential role of nutrition education programs in facilitating the purchase of healthy, economical food online. The objective of this exploratory qualitative study was to understand the education provided by nutrition educators on online grocery shopping and educators' perspectives on education needs and ways that healthy purchases can be encouraged online. Interviews revealed topics that can be included in in-person education on online shopping, insights for online nutrition education, and promotion strategies for encouraging healthy purchases by low-income shoppers online.

An Assessment of the Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice of Probiotics and Prebiotics among the Population of the United Arab Emirates.

Probiotics and prebiotics offer a range of advantageous effects on human health. The knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of individuals can impact their inclination to consume probiotics and prebiotics. The main objective of this study was to examine the KAP of the people in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) about probiotics and prebiotics consumption. Additionally, the study aimed to assess the impact of KAP and sociodemographic factors on the use of probiotics and prebiotics. In order to accomplish this objective, a verified online questionnaire was used with a five-point Likert scale and distributed using an online platform (Google Forms). A cross-sectional research, non-probability sampling was implemented, and G*Power statistical power analysis was used to estimate a sample size of 385 participants. A total of 408 replies were gathered. The population under study consisted of residents in the UAE between the ages of 18 to 64 years old, excluding populations under the age of 18 and those living outside the UAE. A total of 392 participants met the criteria for inclusion in this study. The research ethics committees of UAE University granted the study approval (ERSC_2024_4359), and the validity of the findings was confirmed through face-to-face interviews with around 50 individuals and a Cronbach's alpha test with result of 0.84. The statistical software SPSS version 29.0 for Mac OS was utilized to examine the relationships between KAP variables, including Chi-square tests and Pearson's correlation coefficients. The tests were selected based on their capacity to handle categorical and continuous data, respectively. The female population was 85.2% of the total, while the male population accounts for 14.8%. The age distribution of participants shows that the largest proportion, 68.4%, falls within the 18-24 age range. Out of the participants, 61.5% held a bachelor's degree. Most of the participants, 56.4%, were students, while 29.1% were employees. The average results indicate a significant inclination towards probiotics and prebiotics, as demonstrated by the scores above the midpoint for the six knowledge questions (M = 2.70), six attitude questions (M = 3.10), and six practice questions (M = 3.04). Several studies have examined this phenomenon; however, additional research comparing individuals in the UAE is necessary to fully comprehend the influence of KAP on the consumption of probiotics and prebiotics in the UAE.

Milking the Alternatives: Understanding Coffee Consumers' Preferences for Non-Dairy Milk.

Consumer interest in plant-based milk alternatives is growing, despite extra charges in coffeehouses. While much research exists on non-dairy alternatives, plant-based milks in coffee drinks remain understudied. This study examines consumer preferences and behaviors regarding milk alternatives in coffee, using the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF) and the Behavior Change Wheel (BCW). A survey of 200 participants from 19 countries explored demographics, coffee habits, attitudes towards non-dairy milk charges, and marketing awareness. Market insights showed taste as the main reason for coffee choice, with a preference for cow's milk and local cafes for quality. Many opposed the extra charges for non-dairy options, citing lactose intolerance or allergies, especially among Gen Z and Millennials. Regional variations included stronger opposition in the UK and Germany compared to the UAE and USA. The marketing for non-dairy milk was less memorable than general coffee advertisements. Regression analysis confirmed that viewing non-dairy milk as a dietary staple increased consumption, aligning with the TDF's "Beliefs about Consequences" domain. Finally, within the BCW framework, the intervention strategies centered on training and coercion were discussed. Implementing these approaches could encourage the wider adoption of non-dairy milk options in coffee shops, fostering inclusivity, health awareness, and supporting environmental sustainability efforts.

From E-Commerce to the Metaverse: A Neuroscientific Analysis of Digital Consumer Behavior.

The growing interest in consumer behavior in the digital environment is leading scholars and companies to focus on consumer behavior and choices on digital platforms, such as the metaverse. On this immersive digital shopping platform, consumer neuroscience provides an optimal opportunity to explore consumers' emotions and cognitions. In this study, neuroscience techniques (EEG, SC, BVP) were used to compare emotional and cognitive aspects of shopping between metaverse and traditional e-commerce platforms. Participants were asked to purchase the same product once on a metaverse platform (Second Life, SL) and once via an e-commerce website (EC). After each task, questionnaires were administered to measure perceived enjoyment, informativeness, ease of use, cognitive effort, and flow. Statistical analyses were conducted to examine differences between SL and EC at the neurophysiological and self-report levels, as well as between different stages of the purchase process. The results show that SL elicits greater cognitive engagement than EC, but it is also more mentally demanding, with a higher workload and more memorization, and fails to elicit a strong positive emotional response, leading to a poorer shopping experience. These findings provide insights not only for digital-related consumer research but also for companies to improve their metaverse shopping experience. Before investing in the platform or creating a digital retail space, companies should thoroughly analyze it, focusing on how to enhance users' cognition and emotions, ultimately promoting a better consumer experience. Despite its limitations, this pilot study sheds light on the emotional and cognitive aspects of metaverse shopping and suggests potential for further research with a consumer neuroscience approach in the metaverse field.

From Origins to Trends: A Bibliometric Examination of Ethical Food Consumption.

Ethical food consumption has gained significant attention in the past years, reflecting a societal shift towards ethical behavior. Our study examines the evolution of ethical food consumption research over the past three decades, aiming to map its transformation. We identified key trends, influential contributors, and major thematic clusters through a bibliometric analysis, employing VOSviewer (v.1.6.18) for bibliometric visualization, focusing on citation networks and keyword o-occurrences to reveal the field's structure and dynamics. We made extensive use of the Web of Science database, where we selected 1096 relevant articles and review papers. Our analysis shows a notable rise in publications starting in 2005, with a peak in 2022, indicating increased scholarly interest in the topic. The findings underscore the importance of integrating empathy and human values into ethical food consumption, highlighting the critical roles of animal welfare, sustainability, and social justice. Despite a strong pro-ethical attitude among consumers, a significant "attitude-behavior gap" persists, emphasizing the need for strategies that bridge this divide. Our results emphasize the importance of interdisciplinary efforts to align ethical practices with broader societal goals, offering valuable insights for future research and policy-making to promote sustainable and ethical food consumption worldwide.