Previous research finds that having a higher need for cognitive closure (NFC) leads to more stockpiling behaviors during uncertain periods such as COVID-19, consequently also creating more food...Show morePrevious research finds that having a higher need for cognitive closure (NFC) leads to more stockpiling behaviors during uncertain periods such as COVID-19, consequently also creating more food waste. This result aligns with the characteristics of individuals with a higher NFC who look for certainty and dislike ambiguity, preferring stable and clear information. This research builds on these findings, assessing how the NFC can moderate the relationship between informative campaigns, that provide clear information about food waste prevention and success, and food waste intentions. A survey was administered to 152 respondents and featured campaigns with low and high informational value that served as an intervention. Before and after the intervention, respondents’ food waste intentions were measured. It was hypothesized that food waste intention will decrease at Time 2 compared to Time 1 and that food waste campaigns regarded as more informative will significantly lower food waste intentions in people with high NFC. While the intervention itself was found to be significant (F (1, 150) = 16.19, p <.001), this could not be attributed to the effects of the campaign intervention. Furthermore, a negative significant effect was found for the NFC on food waste intentions, suggesting that the interventions had the opposite effect than hypothesized. Nonetheless, the present research provides insight into important factors for designing food waste campaigns or interventions with the goal of providing information to the public.Show less
Food waste phenomenon had continually been a serious economic, environmental, and social problem globally, and various organizations were trying to intervene, and fundamentally solving the problem...Show moreFood waste phenomenon had continually been a serious economic, environmental, and social problem globally, and various organizations were trying to intervene, and fundamentally solving the problem by letting more people to be aware and pay strong attention to this problem by generating informative intervention campaigns. These campaigns had been proven to be effective in reducing food waste intention and behavior (Soma et al., 2020). In addition, studies had shown that the population with a higher financial income tends to produce more food waste due to the food accessibility and the lack of awareness or urgency to reduce food waste. By conducting a survey via Qualtrics including 155 employed participants based in the Netherlands, the aim of this study was to understand if the informative intervention campaigns would reduce the food waste intentions and if this relationship is moderated by the income. After running a moderation test, no significant relationship was found for different incomes, however, the significant effect of informative intervention campaigns on the food waste intention was successfully replicated. We discussed the potential reasons for the non-significant effect, and we concluded some suggestions for future implications and how to improve the current study.Show less
In understanding behaviours, multiple facets that contribute to behaviour need to be assessed. In behaviour with regards to food waste, several motivational factors and intention play a role in not...Show moreIn understanding behaviours, multiple facets that contribute to behaviour need to be assessed. In behaviour with regards to food waste, several motivational factors and intention play a role in not wasting food. A survey spread among 210 participants from the USA and Belgium reported on their moral, monetary, and environmental motivations, intentions, and behaviours regarding food waste. With this data, food waste behaviours were analyzed not only by the intentions and motivations of the participants, but also on the healthiness of the portrayed food. A mediating role for intention was found in the relationship with varying motivations and behaviour. This shows, that apart from motivations, intention is also a key opponent in understanding why consumers tend to waste food.Show less