A pilot study on the impact mechanism of internal and external leading variables on ...
journals.plos.org
What actually drives someone to choose a plant-based meal — their values and intentions, or the way the food looks and smells in the moment?
Theory of Planned BehaviorInformation Processing TheorySensory Marketing TheoryDual-Process Theory
Theory Briefing
- The study combines three frameworks to untangle whether internal attitudes or external sensory cues (sight, smell, texture) more strongly push people toward plant-based food.
- Theory of Planned Behavior predicts that personal intentions and social norms shape food choices, but sensory marketing suggests a well-presented dish can bypass deliberate reasoning entirely.
- Information Processing Theory adds a third layer: how people mentally encode product information may mediate between the sensory trigger and the final purchase decision.
- The pilot scale of the study means findings are exploratory — patterns are suggestive, not yet confirmed at population level.