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Are Food Choices Really Habitual? Integrating Habits, Variety-seeking, and Compensatory Choice in a Utility-maximizing Framework

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  • Wiktor L. Adamowicz
  • Joffre D. Swait

Abstract

Given the large number of food choices that consumers make each day it seems likely that they will adopt decision strategies that minimize cognitive effort. To examine this issue, we develop a conceptual and empirical model of habitual choice, and the factors that result in transitions to two strategies other than habitual selection: utility-maximizing choice and a variety-seeking strategy. Our approach provides an alternative to traditional state dependence methods used in this type of panel data. We apply this framework to the choice of two food products that illustrate the heterogeneity across types of products in decision strategies and routine choice patterns. Copyright 2013, Oxford University Press.

Suggested Citation

  • Wiktor L. Adamowicz & Joffre D. Swait, 2013. "Are Food Choices Really Habitual? Integrating Habits, Variety-seeking, and Compensatory Choice in a Utility-maximizing Framework," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 95(1), pages 17-41.
  • Handle: RePEc:oup:ajagec:v:95:y:2013:i:1:p:17-41
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1093/ajae/aas078
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    Cited by:

    1. Benedict G. C. Dellaert & Joffre Swait & Wiktor L. Vic Adamowicz & Theo A. Arentze & Elizabeth E. Bruch & Elisabetta Cherchi & Caspar Chorus & Bas Donkers & Fred M. Feinberg & A. A. J. Marley & Linda , 2018. "Individuals’ Decisions in the Presence of Multiple Goals," Customer Needs and Solutions, Springer;Institute for Sustainable Innovation and Growth (iSIG), vol. 5(1), pages 51-64, March.
      • Dellaert, B.G.C. & Swait, J. & Adamowicz, W.L. & Arentze, T.A. & Bruch, E.E. & Cherchi, E. & Chorus, C.G. & Donkers, A.C.D. & Feinberg, F.M. & Marley, A.A.J. & Salisbury, L.C., 2017. "Individuals' Decisions in the Presence of Multiple Goals," ERIM Report Series Research in Management ERS-2017-007-MKT, Erasmus Research Institute of Management (ERIM), ERIM is the joint research institute of the Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University and the Erasmus School of Economics (ESE) at Erasmus University Rotterdam.
    2. Balbontin, Camila & Hensher, David A. & Collins, Andrew T., 2017. "Integrating attribute non-attendance and value learning with risk attitudes and perceptual conditioning," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 97(C), pages 172-191.
    3. Ho, Shuay-Tsyr & Rickard, Bradley J., 2021. "Regulation and purchase diversity: Empirical evidence from the U.S. alcohol market," International Review of Law and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 68(C).
    4. Bélyácz, Iván & Kovács, Kármen, 2021. "Az egyén kognitív korlátaitól viselkedésének előrejelezhetőségéig [From the cognitive boundaries of individuals to the predictability of their behaviour]," Közgazdasági Szemle (Economic Review - monthly of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences), Közgazdasági Szemle Alapítvány (Economic Review Foundation), vol. 0(2), pages 132-149.
    5. Joffre Swait & Fred Feinberg, 2014. "Deciding how to decide: an agenda for multi-stage choice modelling research in marketing," Chapters, in: Stephane Hess & Andrew Daly (ed.), Handbook of Choice Modelling, chapter 26, pages 649-660, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    6. Gonzalez-Valdes, Felipe & Heydecker, Benjamin G. & Ortúzar, Juan de Dios, 2022. "Quantifying behavioural difference in latent class models to assess empirical identifiability: Analytical development and application to multiple heuristics," Journal of choice modelling, Elsevier, vol. 43(C).
    7. Saulais, Laure & Massey, Camille & Perez-Cueto, Federico J.A. & Appleton, Katherine M. & Dinnella, Caterina & Monteleone, Erminio & Depezay, Laurence & Hartwell, Heather & Giboreau, Agnès, 2019. "When are “Dish of the Day” nudges most effective to increase vegetable selection?," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 85(C), pages 15-27.
    8. Nguyen Tien Thong & Hans Stubbe Solgaard & Wolfgang Haider & Eva Roth & Lars Ravn†Jonsen, 2018. "Using labeled choice experiments to analyze demand structure and market position among seafood products," Agribusiness, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 34(2), pages 163-189, March.
    9. Gonzalez-Valdes, Felipe & Raveau, Sebastián, 2018. "Identifying the presence of heterogeneous discrete choice heuristics at an individual level," Journal of choice modelling, Elsevier, vol. 28(C), pages 28-40.
    10. Priscilla Cecilia Affram & Sarah Darkwa, 2015. "Consumers` knowledge, understanding and use of food label information, and how it affects purchasing decision in ho, Ghana," Asian Journal of Empirical Research, Asian Economic and Social Society, vol. 5(3), pages 24-39, March.
    11. Liu, Jing & Shively, Gerald E. & Binkley, James K., 2014. "Access to variety contributes to dietary diversity in China," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 49(P1), pages 323-331.
    12. Wiktor L. Adamowicz & Klaus Glenk & Jürgen Meyerhoff, 2014. "Choice modelling research in environmental and resource economics," Chapters, in: Stephane Hess & Andrew Daly (ed.), Handbook of Choice Modelling, chapter 27, pages 661-674, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    13. Arnar Buason & Dadi Kristofersson & Kyrre Rickertsen, 2021. "Habits in frequency of purchase models: the case of fish in France," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 53(31), pages 3577-3589, July.
    14. Olga Novikova & Dmitriy B. Potapov, 2015. "Empirical Analysis of Consumer Purchase Behavior: Interaction between State Dependence and Sensitivity to Marketing-Mix Variables," HSE Working papers WP BRP 48/MAN/2015, National Research University Higher School of Economics.
    15. Moser, Riccarda & Raffaelli, Roberta, 2014. "Does attribute cut-off elicitation affect choice consistency? Contrasting hypothetical and real-money choice experiments," Journal of choice modelling, Elsevier, vol. 11(C), pages 16-29.
    16. Liu, Jing & Shively, Gerald & Binkley, James K., 2013. "Dietary Diversity in Urban and Rural China: An Endogenous Variety Approach," 2013 Annual Meeting, August 4-6, 2013, Washington, D.C. 149624, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    17. Andrew T. Ching & Tülin Erdem & Michael P. Keane, 2020. "How much do consumers know about the quality of products? Evidence from the diaper market," The Japanese Economic Review, Springer, vol. 71(4), pages 541-569, October.
    18. Neuhofer, Zachary T. & Lusk, Jayson L., 2023. "Impacts of Variety-Seeking, Substitution, and Demographics on Demand for Plant-Based Meat Alternatives," 2023 Annual Meeting, July 23-25, Washington D.C. 335456, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.

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