Cognitive Biases of Consumers’ Risk Perception of Foodborne Diseases in China: Examining Anchoring Effect

Abstract

Consumer cognitive biases arise from judgment and decision-making due to their limitations in information processing. As one of the important cognitive biases, the anchoring effect plays a significant role in interfering with consumers’ risk perception. With a stratified random approach, we collected survey data from 375 consumers in Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, China. Based on these data, this study attempted to analyze the anchoring effect in consumers’ risk perception of foodborne diseases (FBDs) and the differences in their perception before and after intervention in a contrast experiment using the anchoring index and the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. The results confirm the existence of the proposed anchoring effect. Moreover, the experimenter-provided anchor value, a history of FBD, and familiarity with FBD were found to be important factors influencing this anchoring effect. Therefore, improving consumers’ risk perception of FBD is critical to the long-term prevention of FBD risks by the government and consumers. The government should strengthen active monitoring, publicity, and education about FBD.

Food Safety Trust, Risk Perception, and Consumers’ Response to Company Trust Repair Actions in Food Recall Crises

“…Besides, a higher uncertainty and coping appraisal may facilitate their protective behavioral intention [8,19]. Moreover, risk perception and coping appraisal have a significant positive effect on information seeking, which conforms to previous studies [27,36]. However, coping appraisal positively influences information seeking, with the opposite direction of the coefficient compared to our hypothesis.…”

“…Changes in risk perception and CAE will evoke affection responses (usually fear), motivate information demand, and further induce actual information seeking behavior. Shan [36], Zhang [37]), and Terpstra [38] have confirmed that people in risky situations demonstrate more information seeking intentions and behavior. Hovick [11] and Wei [39] demonstrated the indirect and direct effect of risk perception on the information process.…”

“…At the same time, understanding additives requires knowledge of chemistry, biology, and food science which is beyond most of the consumers [55]. Consumers are incompetent at finding, judging, and getting rid of the additives in the food, leading to a low level of self-efficacy [36]. Therefore, people perceive the information gap and will seek more information concerning food additives to make decisions.…”

Korean Consumers’ Recognition of Risks Depending on the Provision of Safety Information for Chemical Products

“…Information and education should be provided particularly to young consumers in their 20s, who have low risk perception about chemical products. Providing consumer education should be considered because consumers' risk perception affects public health and personal risk management [30][31][32][33][34]; along with expert opinions, the public's risk perception is an essential element in improving public health and the policy-making process [35][36][37][38][39][40].…”

“…[30] conducted a comprehensive risk assessment analysis associated with establishing a prompt alarm system to prevent or restrict the sale and use of products (e.g., tainted or harmful toys, cosmetics, and chemicals) that pose a serious risk to consumer health and safety. In addition, many studies conducted surveys on consumers' risk perceptions and attitudes toward hazardous products [31][32][33][34]. Those studies found that consumers' risk perception of hazardous products affected their individual risk management in terms of the environment and health as well as their attitude.…”