Abstract:The food choices consumers make have considerable consequences for the environment. In the Western world, about one-third of all negative environmental impact is directly related to food consumption. Although many consumers are concerned about environmental issues, this frequently has little effect on actual nutritional behavior and new approaches are needed to convert good intentions into action. Gamification could be a possible way to encourage both self-efficacy on the part of the consumer as well as normalizing such behavior socially. In this paper, central elements of the behavioral change model HAPA (health action process approach) are introduced to a gamification concept. The underlying frameworks of both concepts are then analyzed in order to develop propositions for use in the design of an effective gamification setting to promote sustainable nutritional behavior (SNB).

Purpose Digital applications and thus new digital intervention possibilities such as gamification have made their way into our everyday lives. This paper aims to examine to what extent social norm information (SNI) in a game element feedback may increase eco-friendly food choices. Design/methodology/approach The effect of social norm-based feedback (SNBF), provided by a “GreenMeter”, was investigated experimentally. The SNI was integrated into the feedback by comparing the subject’s GreenMeter rating with either an injunctive, descriptive or combined SNI. Findings Injunctive SNBF was found to be effective in encouraging people to make an eco-friendly food purchasing decision. Combining injunctive with descriptive SNBF or simply providing descriptive SNBF was also found to be better than no intervention at all. Research limitations/implications To take further advantage of social norms to make gamification more effective, additional studies are needed in which long-term effects on behavior are investigated, as well as other game elements and target groups are taken into account. Practical implications Many people want to choose food that is more eco-friendly but often struggle because of deeply ingrained habits or strong social influences. Consequently, their intentions do not translate into changes in their behavior. Alternative motivational, gamification approaches, like SNBF, may be considered when designing Web-based applications. Originality/value The study provides insights into the effectiveness of SNI going beyond text-based interventions. Considering SNI in a specific design of gamification (“GreenMeter”) provided insights into how they could be integrated into dynamic, digital, behavioral change techniques to increase eco-friendly food choices.

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Encouraging people to consume sustainably is more important than ever to tackle climate change. In the area of nutrition, we focused on understanding how social norm inspired treatments can effectively be applied to promote sustainable purchasing without restricting choice. Many intervention studies in this area have applied 'one size fits all'-measures, ignoring the target group's context and psycho-social preconditions. To examine the effectiveness of tailored interventions, we tested the impact on purchasing decisions of four treatments. The treatments were developed based on the four stages of behavioural change that conceptualise behavioural change as a transition through a sequence of stages: predecision, preaction, action, and postaction. In an online experiment (N = 855), these treatments (shopping assistant, success story, commitment, and feedback) were integrated into a true-to-theoriginal online food shop and socio-psychological constructs were collected using a downstream questionnaire. The results of a regression analysis showed that there are differences in the effectiveness of the treatments on participants' purchasing decisions. The feedback treatment turned out to be a particularly effective measure for encouraging large numbers of people at different stages of behavioural change to select greener products. In line with theory, the impact of several socio-psychological variables designed to encourage more eco-friendly purchases increased from stage to stage. The results may motivate online food shop providers to create customer experiences that promote eco-friendly consumption. At the same time, it should also encourage other researchers working in this field to develop effective measures that support the achievement of sustainability goals.

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