Over-reliance on aesthetics? The appearance-reveals-character lay theory increases consumers’ devaluation of unattractive produce

Approximately 40% of all produce is rejected because it appears unattractive, contributing significantly to food waste. Whereas previous research attributes this devaluation to the ugly-is-bad effect, this research identifies an important moderator of consumers’ reliance on this heuristic: the lay theory that a person’s outer appearance reveals their inner character. Specifically, consumers who believe that people’s appearances reveal their character are less willing to accept unattractive (vs. attractive) produce because they generalize their lay theory to produce and are, thus, more likely to infer that unattractive produce is of lower quality. Consumers who do not hold the lay theory do not demonstrate this effect. An intervention emphasizing that produce’s outer appearance does not reflect its inner quality blocks this generalization of the lay theory to produce, thereby increasing acceptance among those who endorse the lay theory. Importantly, the intervention has no negative effect on those who do not hold the lay theory, making it broadly applicable in the field without the need to segment consumers based on their beliefs. Incentive-compatible studies conducted in-person and on Facebook™ show that this intervention is more effective at increasing consumers’ interest in unattractive produce than an intervention directly targeting the ugly-is-bad effect. This research contributes to the science of consumer lay theories and the beautiful-is-good effect and offers actionable solutions to reduce food waste.