Nudging food into a healthy direction: The effects of front-of-pack implicit visual cues on food choice

Abstract

Abstract This study investigated the effects of implicit visual cues on food package design on visual attention and subsequent decision-making. Forty-two participants chose between two target or two filler products while their eye movements were measured with eye tracking. Target stimuli were identical soups with labels varying in shape, angularity and orientation inserted at the top right of the packages. Results showed that packages with upward-rounded labels were chosen most often, followed by downward-rounded, upward-angular and downward-angular labels. Participants looked at both packages for 85 per cent of the time, whereas the labels were only fixated on for 14.8 per cent of the time. Hence, people did not necessarily look at the labels in order to make a decision about which product to choose. This research showed that differently shaped labels affected subsequent decision-making when implemented in the peripheral parts of product packs. Interestingly, there was a general preference bias for upward-rounded labels on front of pack. Therefore, presenting upward-rounded labels peripheral on pack may serve as a useful nudge to actively guide people’s behaviour towards a healthier direction.