Multidimensional scaling with regional restrictions for facet theory: an application to Levy's political protest data

"Multidimensional scaling (MDS) is often used for the analysis of correlation matrices of items generated by a facet-theory design. The emphasis of the analysis is on regional hypotheses on the location of the items in the MDS solution. An important regional hypothesis is the axial constraint, where the items from different levels of a facet are assumed to be located in different parallel slices. The simplest approach is to do an MDS and draw the parallel lines separating the slices as good as possible by hand. Alternatively, Borg & Shye (1995) proposed to automate the second step. Borg & Groenen (1997, 2005) proposed a simultaneous approach for ordered facets, when the number of MDS dimensions equals the number of facets. In this paper, we propose a new algorithm that estimates an MDS solution subject to axial constraints without the restriction that the number of facets equals the number of dimensions. The algorithm is based on constrained iterative majorization of De Leeuw & Heiser (1980) with special constraints. This algorithm is applied to Levy's (1983) data on political protests." (author's abstract

Consumers' Perception of Milk Safety

Several times during the last decade consumers have been warned about different incidents concerning food safety, like, salmonella in eggs, cheese and poultry, and pesticides residues in tomatoes. The problem of food safety is still to be a largely latent concern for consumers. The main research goal of this paper is to investigate consumers' risk attitudes and risk perceptions concerning milk safety and to estimate their willingness to pay for extra-safe milk. The data was collected in the Netherlands using a mail survey. 211 usable questionnaires (26%) were returned. Results show that, in general, consumers are not concerned about the safety of milk. However, the results of consumers' perceptions of the "riskiness of milk contamination" for vulnerable groups of people show that babies are considered to be more sensitive to different sources of contamination than other groups. This study supports the results of previous food safety studies showed that consumers are willing to pay a price premium to the traditional purchase price to avoid some perceived risks. 58% of respondents are willing to pay an additional price for extra-safe milk. The conjoint experiment results indicate that the most important factors for consumers' preference are risk of contamination and presence of a label. Based on a conjoint analysis four segments of respondents were distinguished: "Balanced Shoppers"; "Safety-Seekers"; "Safety-Indifferent"; and "Extreme-Safety Seekers".food safety, questionnaire survey, risk attitudes, risk perceptions, willingness to pay, willingness to buy., Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety,

Farmers' Preferences For Bluetongue Vaccination Scheme Attributes : An Integrated Choice and Latent Variable Approach

Re-emergence of the bluetongue disease in Europe poses a continuous threat to European livestock production. Large-scale vaccination is the most effective intervention to control virus spread. Compared to command-and-control approaches, voluntary vaccination approaches can be effective at lower costs, provided that farmers are willing to participate. We use a discrete choice experiment to estimate the preferences for vaccination scheme attributes, accounting for preference heterogeneity via an integrated choice and latent variable approach. In designing livestock disease control schemes, it is often argued that governments should use financial, incentive-based policy instruments to compensate farmers for externalities, assuming they act in rational self-interest. Our results suggest that in addition to economic motives, farmers can have intrinsic or social motives to invest in livestock disease control. Implications for the effectiveness of providing subsidy or information to motivate voluntary participation are discussed

Food choice motives, attitudes toward and intention to adopt personalised nutrition

yesObjective: This study explored associations between food choice motives, attitudes towards, 5 and intention to adopt personalised nutrition in order to inform communication strategies 6 based on consumer priorities and concerns. Design and Setting: A survey was administered 7 online which included the food choice questionnaire (FCQ), and items assessing attitudes 8 towards and intention to adopt personalised nutrition. Participants: Nationally representative 9 samples were recruited in 9 EU countries (N=9381). Results: Structural equation modelling 10 indicated that the food choice motives, weight control, mood, health and ethical concern had 11 a positive association and price had a negative association with attitude towards, and 12 intention to adopt, personalised nutrition. Health was positively associated and familiarity 13 negatively associated with attitude toward personalised nutrition. The effects of weight 14 control, ethical concern, mood and price on intention to adopt personalised nutrition were 15 partially mediated by the attitude. The effects of health and familiarity were fully mediated 16 by attitude. Sensory appeal was negatively and directly associated with intention to adopt 17 personalised nutrition. Conclusion: Personalised nutrition providers may benefit from taking 18 into consideration the importance of underlying determinants of food choice, particularly 19 weight control, mood and price, in potential users when promoting services and in tailoring 20 communications that are motivationally relevant.Post peer-review accepted manuscript; changes are in red

Providing personalised nutrition: Consumers’ trust and preferences regarding sources of information, service providers and regulators, and communication channels

yesBackground/Aims: Personalised nutrition has potential to revolutionise dietary health promotion if accepted by the general public. We studied trust and preferences regarding personalised nutrition services, how they influence intention to adopt these services, and cultural and social differences therein. Methods: A total of 9381 participants were quota sampled to be representative for each of nine EU countries (Germany, Greece, Ireland, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Netherlands, UK, Norway) and surveyed by questionnaire assessing their intention to adopt personalised nutrition, trust in service regulators and information sources, and preferences for service providers and information channels. Results: Trust and preferences significantly predicted intention to adopt personalised nutrition. Higher trust in the local department of healthcare was associated with lower intention to adopt personalised nutrition. General practitioners were the most trusted of service regulators, except for in Portugal, where consumer organisations and universities were most trusted. In all countries, family doctors were the most trusted information providers. Trust in the National Health Service as service regulator and information source showed high variability across countries. Despite its highest variability across countries, personal meeting was the preferred communication channel except in Spain (where an automated internet service was preferred). General practitioners were the preferred service providers, except in Poland, where dietitians and nutritionists were preferred. The preference for dietitians and nutritionists as service providers highly varied across countries. Conclusion: These results may assist in informing local initiatives to encourage acceptance and adoption of country specific tailored personalised nutrition services therefore benefiting individual and public health

Psychological Determinants of Consumer Acceptance of Personalised Nutrition in 9 European Countries

YesObjective: To develop a model of the psychological factors which predict people’s intention to adopt personalised nutrition. Potential determinants of adoption included perceived risk and benefit, perceived self-efficacy, internal locus of control and health commitment. Methods: A questionnaire, developed from exploratory study data and the existing theoretical literature, and including validated psychological scales was administered to N = 9381 participants from 9 European countries (Germany, Greece, Ireland, Poland, Portugal, Spain, the Netherlands, the UK, and Norway). Results: Structural equation modelling indicated that the greater participants’ perceived benefits to be associated with personalised nutrition, the more positive their attitudes were towards personalised nutrition, and the greater their intention to adopt it. Higher levels of nutrition self-efficacy were related to more positive attitudes towards, and a greater expressed intention to adopt, personalised nutrition. Other constructs positively impacting attitudes towards personalised nutrition included more positive perceptions of the efficacy of regulatory control to protect consumers (e.g. in relation to personal data protection), higher self-reported internal health locus of control, and health commitment. Although higher perceived risk had a negative relationship with attitude and an inverse relationship with perceived benefit, its effects on attitude and intention to adopt personalised nutrition was less influential than perceived benefit. The model was stable across the different European countries, suggesting that psychological factors determining adoption of personalised nutrition have generic applicability across different European countries. Conclusion: The results suggest that transparent provision of information about potential benefits, and protection of consumers’ personal data is important for adoption, delivery of public health benefits, and commercialisation of personalised nutrition.This project has received funding from the European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme for research, technological development and demonstration under grant agreement n u 265494 (http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/home_en.html). Food4Me is the acronym of the project ‘‘Personalised nutrition: an integrated analysis of opportunities and challenges’’ (http://www.food4me.org/). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript

Regional products olive oil PGI PDO

Consumers’ quality perceptions and preferences for region-of-origin and EU certificates of origin. Consumers from different regions in Lazio were interviewed about extra-virgin olive oil

"Beef lovers" : um estudo cross-cultural sobre o comportamento de consumo de carne bovina

O objetivo principal desta tese foi testar um modelo teórico que pudesse relacionar os construtos atitude, norma subjetiva, hábito e intenção de comportamento no consumo de carne bovina. Também se propôs uma análise do impacto das emoções antecipadas (positivas e negativas), do grau de envolvimento e de diferenças culturais como variáveis moderadoras no modelo. Buscou-se ainda contribuir com a Teoria do Comportamento Planejado (Theory of Planned Bahviour – TPB, AJZEN, 1985, 1988, 1991) em estudos sobre o consumo de alimentos pela inclusão do construto hábito como um regressor independente no modelo (VERPLANKEN, 1998) e pela exclusão do construto controle percebido de comportamento (BREDAHL; GRUNERT, 1997; TOWLER; SHEPHERD, 1991/1992). Até recentemente os alimentos eram considerados simplesmente commodities, e seu estudo na área de marketing foi negligenciado por muitos anos. A abertura global dos mercados e o surgimento de novos padrões de consumo mudaram esta realidade, trazendo para a área do comportamento do consumidor tão importante discussão. No entanto, apesar da importância do agronegócio, estudos relacionando hábitos, emoções antecipadas, nível de envolvimento, cultura, atitudes, intenção e comportamento de consumo de produtos alimentares ainda são escassos no Brasil, e, portanto, totalmente abertos à exploração. Os construtos foram analisados como um modelo teórico quantitativo e a Modelagem em Equações Estruturais (MEE) foi utilizada para o cálculo dos parâmetros e teste das hipóteses (ARBUCKLE, 1999). O pré-teste foi realizado na Escócia e coleta de dados ocorreu no Brasil, na Holanda e na Austrália em 2005 e 2006. Foram obtidos 816 questionários válidos nas surveys realizadas, sendo que 400 casos foram usados para a análise cross-cultural multivariada dos dados. Os resultados obtidos confirmaram a relação existente, direta e estatisticamente significante entre os construtos atitude, hábito e norma subjetiva com o comportamento de consumo de carne bovina. No entanto, o papel mediador da intenção de comportamento entre a atitude e a norma subjetiva com o comportamento, postulado pela TPB, não foi confirmado. Uma relação direta, do hábito para atitude também foi um achado teórico relevante. A inclusão de hábito como uma extensão à TPB foi considerada apropriada, pois ajudou a explicar o comportamento de consumo de carne bovina. Os consumidores de Porto Alegre e da Austrália apresentaram a relação entre a atitude e comportamento mais positiva e níveis de envolvimento mais altos com carne bovina do que os consumidores de São Paulo e Holanda. As emoções antecipadas também foram consideradas variáveis moderadoras satisfatórias, tendo em vista que os grupos com expectativas emocionais (positivas e negativas) mais altas mostraram relações mais fortes e significativas no modelo. Os grupos que sofreram menor impacto das variáveis moderadoras emoções antecipadas (positivas e negativas) demonstraram um padrão de consumo menos cognitivo, mais habitual, e mais influenciável pelas normas subjetivas. Sob o ponto de vista gerencial, as cadeias produtivas de carne bovina no Brasil, Holanda e Austrália se beneficiarão dos resultados, pois campanhas e esforços de marketing poderão ser direcionados a grupos específicos de consumidores, com base no seu comportamento de consumo. Vantagens competitivas poderão ser alcançadas por todos os elos da cadeia pela orientação para o mercado e satisfação das demandas dos consumidores a partir do conhecimento gerado.The main objective of this thesis was to test a theoretical model relating attitude, subjective norm, habit and behaviour intention in beef consumption. We also proposed to analyze the impact of anticipated emotions (positive and negative), degree of involvement and cultural differences as moderator variables in the model. The author aimed to contribute to the Theory of Planned Behaviour - TPB (AJZEN, 1985, 1988, 1991) in food consumption through the inclusion of habit as an independent regressor in that model (Verplanken, 1998) and exclusion of perceived behaviour control (BREDAHL; GRUNERT, 1997; TOWLER;SHEPHERD, 1991/1992). Until recently food was regarded as a commodity and marketing scholars neglected its study for many years. Although, with the global opening of markets and new consumption patterns, this reality changed, bringing up to the study of consumer behaviour such important discussion. Amazingly, in spite of the importance of the agribusiness sector, studies relating food consumption, habits, anticipated emotions, involvement, culture, attitudes and behaviour intention are scarce in Brazil, and therefore, totally open to exploration. The constructs were presented as a theoretical quantitative model and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was used to estimate parameters and test the hypotheses (ARBUCKLE, 1999). A pre-test was held in Scotland and data collection took place in Brazil, in The Netherlands and in Australia during 2005 and 2006. 816 valid questionnaires were obtained from the surveys and 400 cases were used on the cross-cultural multivariate analysis. Results obtained from this study confirmed most of the hypothesized relations. The authors confirmed the direct, statiscally significant effect of attitude, habit and subjective norm on consumption behaviour. The mediating role of behavioral intention from attitude and subjective norm to consumption behaviour, by contrast, was not confirmed, as postulated by the TPB. A direct relation, from habit to attitude was also found significant. The inclusion of habit as a TPB extension was considered appropriated, helping to explain beef consumption behavior. Consumers from Porto Alegre and Australia confirmed to have stronger relation from attitude to behavior and to have higher degrees of involvement with beef than consumers from São Paulo and The Netherlands. Anticipated emotions were also considered satisfactory moderator variables based on the findings that groups with higher emotional expectations showed stronger relationships in the model. Groups presenting a lower moderating impact were found to show a less cognitive, more habitual consumption pattern, and yet more susceptible to subjective norms influence. From a managerial perspective, Brazilian, European and Australian beef sector will benefit from the results, since marketing campaigns and sales efforts can be addressed to specific groups of consumers, based on their behaviour trends. The entire beef productive chain can improve its competitive advantage via consumer-driven or market-oriented actions