Journal of Consumer Psychology

Available online 7 January 2015

In Press, Corrected Proof — Note to users

Research Report

Food categorization flexibility increases the preference for indulgent foods ^☆

• Adwait Khare^{a, ,} ,
• Tilottama G. Chowdhury^{b, 1,}

doi:10.1016/j.jcps.2014.12.007

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Abstract

Categorization flexibility, the extent of cross-categorization of objects into multiple categories, has been studied in prior research as an outcome variable. We study categorization flexibility as an independent variable and in the food domain show its influence on preference for hedonic or indulgent food items. Hedonic food items are attractive due to their tastiness but also unattractive due to their caloricity and thus consumers feel inhibited to choose them. We argue that food categorization flexibility exerts a disinhibitive influence which facilitates preference for hedonic food items. We show such a prohedonic effect (using real as well as hypothetical food items) by measuring as well as manipulating categorization flexibility and also that this effect occurs mainly for those with higher (vs. lower) inhibition for hedonic consumption: due to a prevention (vs. promotion) or due to a hyperopic (vs. myopic) psychological state. Our results suggest that while marketers of hedonic foods may improve sales by promoting more food-situation associations, consumers' health will be better served if consumers develop fewer, beneficial food-situation associations.

Keywords

• Categorization;
• Categorization flexibility;
• Functional food;
• Hedonic food;
• Indulgent food

☆

We are grateful to Jeff Inman and Ratti Ratneshwar for their helpful comments on our project. Colleagues and Friday seminar participants at the University of Texas at Arlington have also been generous with their feedback.

Corresponding author. Fax: + 1 817 272 2854.

1

Fax: + 1 203 582 8664.

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Note to users: Corrected proofs are Articles in Press that contain the authors' corrections. Final citatio