Premium
Consumer Selection of Food‐Safety Information Sources
Author(s) -
Kornelis Marcel,
De Jonge Janneke,
Frewer Lynn,
Dagevos Hans
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
risk analysis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.972
H-Index - 130
eISSN - 1539-6924
pISSN - 0272-4332
DOI - 10.1111/j.1539-6924.2007.00885.x
Subject(s) - food safety , information source (mathematics) , empirical research , personality , selection (genetic algorithm) , marketing , consumer information , psychology , consumer behaviour , risk communication , business , environmental health , risk analysis (engineering) , social psychology , computer science , medicine , statistics , mathematics , pathology , artificial intelligence
The aim of this study is to examine the preferences of consumers for different information sources when they have a question about food safety. On the basis of a nationally representative survey conducted in the Netherlands, five distinct consumer groups are identified that not only differ on the reported use of information sources but also regarding several personality characteristics and sociodemographic variables. The empirical results show that two‐thirds of the consumers are selective in their use of information sources and prefer either institutional or social sources. So, multiple information‐acquisition patterns exist among the general public. The study illustrates how these findings can help to develop effective risk communication strategies.