心理学报2025，Vol.57Issue(5)：883-895,中插11-中插12,15.DOI:10.3724/SP.J.1041.2025.0883
越美越健康?食物美感对消费者健康感知的影响
Too pretty to be healthy?The influence of food aesthetics on consumer perception of food healthiness
摘要
Abstract
In recent years,the impact of food aesthetics on consumer perceptions and preferences has garnered significant attention.Previous studies have largely demonstrated a"what is beautiful is good"effect,revealing that consumers favor foods with visually appealing features(e.g.,symmetry,uniformity)while devaluing those with aesthetic flaws(e.g.,deformities,blemishes).However,does beauty necessarily equate to healthiness?This research explores how high(versus normal)aesthetic appeal in food influences consumer perceptions,particularly regarding food healthiness.We propose that highly aesthetic foods evoke associations with hedonism and indulgence.Since indulgent foods are often perceived as unhealthy,consumers may view highly aesthetic foods as less healthy compared to those with standard appearances. Five studies were conducted to test these hypotheses.Studies 1A,1B,and 1C(each N=200)employed a one-way between-subjects design(food appearance:highly aesthetic vs.normal)across various food types(cupcake,steamed bun,banana toast).These studies examined the main effect of food appearance on healthiness perception,the mediating role of hedonism,and ruled out alternative explanations such as taste,price,freshness,and food processing.Study 2(N=220,cookie)utilized a moderation approach to further investigate the role of the hedonism-unhealthiness association.Study 3(N=100,Osmanthus Cake)examined the downstream consequences of healthiness perceptions induced by food appearance,with or without priming a health goal. The key findings are as follows:(1)Compared to foods with normal appearances,highly aesthetic foods evoke stronger associations with hedonism,which subsequently reduces perceived healthiness.(2)Disrupting the intuitive belief that"pleasure equals unhealthiness"mitigates the negative effect of high aesthetic appeal on healthiness perception.(3)When participants were primed with a health goal,their likelihood of choosing highly aesthetic(vs.normal-looking)food decreased,driven by reduced perceptions of healthiness. This research challenges the pervasive belief that"what is beautiful is good"by demonstrating that excessive aesthetic appeal in food can backfire,reducing its perceived healthiness.For food marketers,these insights underscore the importance of balancing aesthetic appeal with health-related messaging,especially when promoting products positioned as healthy options.关键词
食物健康感知/美感/享乐联想/直觉信念Key words
food aesthetics/healthiness perception/hedonism priming/intuitive belief分类
社会科学引用本文复制引用
郑晓莹,郑丽菁,刘春蕾,韩寒..越美越健康?食物美感对消费者健康感知的影响[J].心理学报,2025,57(5):883-895,中插11-中插12,15.基金项目
国家自然科学基金项目(72372166,71972108),深圳市哲学社会科学规划课题重点课题(SZ2023A011)资助. （72372166,71972108）
