This study explores how anthropomorphic factors influence the acceptance of AI-generated singing. By building upon classical acceptance models like TAM and UTAUT2, we incorporate concepts such as animacy, humanlike fit, and perceived sociability. Utilizing a quantitative survey with 310 participants and analyzing the data through PLS-SEM, the study finds that animacy and humanlike fit are significant predictors of likeability, which then positively influences the intention to use AI-generated singing. Word of mouth (WoM) and curiosity also emerge as critical drivers of acceptance.
The study suggests that listeners primarily respond to the expressive qualities of AI singing (animacy and humanlike fit), while perceived sociability remains largely irrelevant. This highlights a limitation of classical acceptance models, which do not account for the anthropomorphic appeal of AI-generated creative content. Future research should address these factors, especially as AI continues to advance in creative domains.
Full citation:
Bagratuni, M., Müller, P., & Planing, P. (2025). Innovation in tune: An empirical investigation of user acceptance of artificial intelligence-generated music. Computers in Human Behavior Reports, 18, Article 100660. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chbr.2025.100660
Our latest research on the impact of Immersion on technology acceptance is published in the renowed journal Transportation Research Interdisciplinary Perspectives and can be accessed free of charge here.
Key Findings
1. VR Dominates Immersion Quality
Among the three media conditions, VR emerged as the most immersive format. Participants using VR reported a significantly higher sense of presence and engagement compared to those exposed to videos or photos. This heightened immersion translated into richer emotional and cognitive responses, showcasing VR’s potential to create powerful, near-real experiences of using air taxis.
2. Immersion Does Not Equate to Immediate Adoption
Surprisingly, despite VR’s superior immersion quality, the study found no significant differences in participants‘ intention to use air taxis across the three media formats. While VR enhanced emotional engagement, it did not directly translate into higher immediate adoption intentions. This highlights the complexity of the decision-making process and suggests that factors beyond immersion—such as cost, safety, and accessibility—may play a more prominent role in shaping long-term acceptance.
3. Multifaceted Decision-Making in VR
VR’s impact extended beyond basic adoption intentions. Participants in the VR condition considered a broader array of factors, including reliability and social influence, when evaluating air taxis. This suggests that VR experiences prompt users to engage in more comprehensive and nuanced decision-making processes, balancing both emotional and utilitarian considerations. For instance, VR users were more likely to assess air taxis‘ reliability, reflecting their ability to visualize safety features and operational scenarios in greater detail.
Implications for Industry and Policymakers
Enhancing Engagement Through Immersion
For companies and policymakers promoting air taxis, the findings underscore the importance of immersive technologies. VR can bridge the gap between abstract concepts and tangible experiences, allowing users to virtually „test“ air taxis before they become a reality. This approach can help address common concerns, such as safety and reliability, while building emotional connections with the technology.
Strategic Media Choices
While VR offers unparalleled immersion, the study also highlights the cost-effectiveness of using less immersive media like photos or videos in certain contexts. For example, initial awareness campaigns may benefit from these formats, which are easier and cheaper to produce, while VR can be reserved for targeted initiatives aimed at deepening user engagement and addressing specific adoption barriers.
Addressing Broader Acceptance Factors
The lack of significant differences in adoption intention across media formats suggests that technological acceptance hinges on more than just immersive experiences. Policymakers and developers must address critical factors such as affordability, accessibility, and environmental impact to foster widespread adoption. Immersive technologies should complement these efforts, providing users with a holistic understanding of air taxis’ benefits and addressing potential concerns.
The Power of VR in Shaping Perceptions
One of VR’s unique strengths lies in its ability to evoke emotional responses. By simulating realistic scenarios, VR can make futuristic technologies feel tangible and relatable. For air taxis, this means giving users a sense of what it’s like to soar above cityscapes, experience smooth takeoffs and landings, and visualize safety protocols in action. These experiences not only build excitement but also help demystify the technology, reducing apprehension and fostering trust.
Limitations and Future Directions
While the study provides valuable insights, it also acknowledges certain limitations. The sample consisted primarily of university students, limiting the generalizability of the findings. Future research should involve more diverse demographics to capture a broader range of perspectives. Additionally, the study focused on three specific media formats; exploring other immersive technologies, such as augmented reality or interactive demonstrations, could provide a more comprehensive understanding of how media influences technology acceptance.
Conclusion
The adoption of innovative technologies like air taxis depends on a delicate balance of emotional and rational factors. While immersive media formats like VR hold immense potential to enhance engagement and address user concerns, they are not a standalone solution. Industry stakeholders must take a multifaceted approach, combining immersive experiences with practical considerations like cost and accessibility. By leveraging the unique strengths of VR and addressing broader acceptance factors, we can pave the way for a future where air taxis become a seamless part of urban mobility.
Our cities face significant challenges, particularly regarding mobility and quality of life. Increasing traffic and the associated environmental impacts are progressively affecting urban life. The need to make mobility more sustainable is now ever-present, which goes along with an acceptance of the suggested changes. „Every change means that a person has to leave his known and habitual actions, his environment, his habits, his role, in short his status quo“(Frey et al., 2008, p. 281). A key question, therefore, is: How can the acceptance of sustainable mobility be increased among citizens? This is precisely where Joshua Klein’s bachelor thesis comes in, conducted as part of the research project „Streetmoves4iCity“ (read more here about this project). The thesis explores how immersive technologies like Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) can help to increase citizens’ acceptance of traffic-reducing measures by making the positive effects of the change visible.
Virtual Reality (VR): Creates a fully digital environment in which the user immerses themselves. Using headsets, the real world is completely blocked out, and the user is placed in a computer-generated world that is interactive and immersive.
Augmented Reality (AR): Overlays digital information onto the real world. Using smartphones or glasses, users see the real environment, enhanced with digital elements.
Research goal: The aim of the study was to determine whether and to what extent immersive technologies can promote the acceptance of measures aimed at reducing urban road traffic by visualizing the positive effects of these measures. Specifically, it examined whether VR and AR are perceived differently and how immersion—the feeling of being absorbed in a virtual environment—impacts acceptance. These questions are crucial, as the successful implementation of sustainable mobility concepts often depends on the public’s willingness to accept change.
Research overview: The empirical study was conducted in the Leonhardsvorstadt district of Stuttgart and aimed to simulate the experience of traffic-reducing measures through VR and AR. The investigation involved two independent groups: one group experienced the planned measures through a VR simulation, while the other group used AR. The VR group was shown a 360-degree video of a previously implemented traffic trial in Mannheim (see here for another study using this methodology), while the AR group experienced a live augmented reality simulation using a Microsoft HoloLens2 mixed-reality head-mounted display. In both cases, participants’ acceptance of the measures was assessed both before and after the experience, along with their perceived immersion. A total of 44 people took part in the study.
The central hypothesis was that the experience of the positive effects of traffic-reducing measures through VR and AR would lead to a significant increase in acceptance of these measures. Additionally, the study examined whether there were differences in perceived immersion between the two technologies and whether this mediated the effect on acceptance. Another research goal was to explore whether familiarity with the respective technology influenced immersion.
The study was supplemented by qualitative interviews to identify what is currently lacking in public spaces in the Leonhardsvorstadt, how car parking spaces can be used more efficiently, and what suggestions participants had for improving public spaces by reducing traffic flow.
Main results
Increased acceptance: First, it was confirmed that both VR and AR can contribute to increasing the acceptance of measures aimed at reducing urban road traffic. This is an important finding, as it shows that immersive technologies can be valuable tools for citizen participation and urban planning.
VR and AR are equally convincing: Interestingly, there were no significant differences between the two technologies in terms of their effect on acceptance. Both VR and AR were equally convincing to participants. This suggests that both technologies are equally suitable for involving citizens early in planning processes and demonstrating the benefits of traffic measures.
Level of immersion has no effect: Surprisingly, the perceived immersion played a smaller role than expected. The results suggest that it is less about the depth of the immersive experience and more about making changes tangible and understandable. Even a high level of immersion does not necessarily lead to a change in opinion, as the impact depends more on the conveyed facts.
No mediation by familiarity with technology: Another question was whether familiarity with the respective technology could influence the perceived immersion. However, this assumption was not confirmed. Participants’ familiarity with VR or AR had no significant effect on their immersion experience. Therefore, even people with little experience with these technologies could benefit from their use.
Desire for parks, leisure facilities, and cleanliness: The qualitative responses emphasized an improvement in quality of life. Park-like structures were often desired, followed by an expansion of sustainable infrastructure, gastronomy, cultural offerings, and improved cleanliness in the district.
Conclusion
In summary, Joshua Klein’s thesis demonstrates that both virtual and augmented reality are effective tools for promoting the acceptance of measures aimed at reducing urban road traffic. The immersive experience of such measures through technologies like VR and AR gives citizens the opportunity to realistically perceive planned changes and better understand their benefits. A key advantage of the technology is that it not only stimulates citizens‘ imagination but also helps reduce uncertainties and build trust in the feasibility of such measures. These findings offer valuable insights for urban planning and citizen participation, particularly concerning the planning of sustainable mobility concepts. With VR and AR, cities like Stuttgart have an effective means of involving citizens early in planning processes and illustrating the positive impact of such projects on quality of life.
Frey, D., Gerkhardt, M. & Fischer, P. (2008). Erfolgsfaktoren und Stolpersteine bei Veränderungen. In D. Beck, R. Fisch, A. Müller & D. Beck (Hrsg.), Veränderungen in Organisationen: Stand und Perspektiven (S. 281- 299). VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften. https://doi.org/10.1007/978- 3-531-91166-3
In an era in which advertising spending has risen excessively despite the flood of information, only about 5% of messages struggle to get the attention of potential consumers (Kroeber-Riel, 2015). Especially in saturated markets, such as the Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) sector, advertisers are subjected to a high level of competitive pressure (Naderer et al., 2011). Today’s demand for advertising spots is clear: they need to stand out and catch attention in order to be effective at all (Levenson, 2011).
In this challenging environment, emotional marketing relies on the influence of the decision-making process without presenting offering rational arguments. Our latest study aimed at highlighting the effectiveness of more emotional compared to informative advertising. The central question was to find most effective advertising strategies to have a sustainable impact on respective target groups.
Research objective:
The study was conducted by Svenja Greitmann and takes a look at the world of advertising in the midst of a real abundance of information. The aim was to assess the effectiveness of emotional compared to informative advertising in the field of Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG). It further investigated differences with regard to gender and product categories. The outcome may be helpful for companies looking for the most effective advertising strategies.
Method:
Based on a preliminary study, two product categories were selected, one that was utilitarian (glass cleaner) and one that was hedonic (soft drink).
For each category a product from a fictitious brand was created. And for each product, two social media spots were made that either were emotional (e.g., by showing positive pictures like smiling people using the product) or information (e.g., by giving positive information about product ingredients). The emotional spot was expected to be especially effective with the hedonic product, whereas the informational spot should be more effective with the utilitarian product.
The main study had an experimental 2x2x2 factor-between-subject design to examine cause-effect relationships. Participants were randomly assigned to one of four advertising spots to systematically measure the impact of advertising appeals and product categories. In addition, gender of participants was assessed.
Sample:
The sample consisted of 185 adults.
Key Findings:
Contrary to our expectations, the study showed overall an advantage of the informational over the emotional spots. However, there was also a three-way interaction found. For men, the expected interaction pattern showed, i.e. emotional spot was more effective with the hedonic product, whereas the informational spot was more effective with the utilitarian product.
This effect was not found for women, which may be due to a different relevance of nutrition and health information when buying a soft drink. This may explain, why informational advertising was more effective with soft drinks for female participants.
Thus, informational advertising seems to be relevant if the product category shows a higher level of involvement (e.g., due to health issues)
Conclusion:
This study investigated the effectiveness of emotional and informative advertising on two different Fast Moving Consumer Goods. The results showed that informative advertising is superior, contrary to the assumption that emotional stimuli should be more effective with low-involvement products. There is a need to clearly understand the relevance of a product for a selected target group in order to find the best advertising strategy. Overall, advertising research remains relevant in the face of changing consumer needs, but requires continuous adaptation and refinement of advertising strategies.
References
Kroeber-Riel, W. (2015). Strategie und Technik der Werbung: Verhaltenswissenschaftliche und neurowissenschaftliche Erkenntnisse. Stuttgart: Kohlhammer.
Naderer, G., Balzer, E. & Batinic, B. (Hrsg.). (2011). Qualitative Marktforschung in Theorie und Praxis: Grundlagen, Methoden und Anwendungen. Wiesbaden: Gabler.
The prevalence of adult obesity has more than doubled worldwide since 1990 (World Health Organization [WHO] 2024). Obesity-related diseases caused about 11% of deaths in 2019 (WIOD, 2022). A healthy diet is recommended to prevent obesity; however, only few consumers are interested in learning about this topic (IfD Allensbach, 2023, as cited in Statista, 2023).
Front-of-pack (FOP) labels, particularly the Nutri-Score, can be used to address this problem. Nutritional values, which are otherwise only shown in a nutritional value table, usually on the back of a package, are summarized using the Nutri-Score. This allows consumers to quickly judge how nutritious selected products are in comparison.
The EU plans to introduce a binding FOP label (European Parliament, 2022, 2023). Studies have shown that the conceptual understanding of the Nutri-Score must be improved to ensure its’ effective use (Liu et al., 2014). However, it remains unclear whether consumers know how to use the Nutri-Score accurately. This post summarizes research examining consumers’ conceptual understanding of the Nutri-Score.
Research aim:
In the present study conducted by Nicole Del, the conceptual understanding of the Nutri-Score was examined and compared with other forms of understanding, namely subjective and objective understanding. It was further investigated whether gender and the involvement in healthy nutrition have an influence on conceptual understanding.
Method:
This study examined the extent to which consumers correctly understand the Nutri-Score. In the survey, different aspects of understanding were assessed using a sample of 170 consumers (aged 18-78 years).
Objective understanding was assessed by letting participants choose the healthiest and unhealthiest options from three products within a product category. Each product had a different Nutri-Score. They had to make a choice for five different product categories. The number of correct choices was translated into an objective score.
Subjective understanding was measured through self-assessment using a rating scale from 1 (I do not understand at all) to 10 (I understand very well).
Conceptual understanding was measured using ten true-false statements. The score was based on correctly categorizing the statements as true or false.
Key results:
Consumers’ conceptual understanding of the Nutri-Score was lower than that of the other forms (conceptual 63%, objective 85%, subjective 70%).
Thus, consumers do not have a sufficient conceptual understanding of the Nutri-Score for the correct application. Over half of the participants mistakenly thought that foods with a Nutri-Score of D or E should not be consumed, and over 40% believed that a Nutri-Score of A or B indicates that the food is healthy (both are not correct).
Interestingly, subjective, objective, and conceptual understanding did not correlate, implying that they constitute different dimensions of understanding.
Neither gender nor involvement in healthy eating had a significant influence on conceptual understanding.
Summary:
The EU’s Farm-to-Fork Strategy plans to introduce a binding FOP label. Currently, the Nutri-Score is one of the most widely used FOP labels in the EU. If properly applied, the label can reduce the number of consumers with diet-related diseases by guiding healthy food choices (Egnell et al., 2019). However, our study shows that many consumers do not understand the label sufficiently. They have knowledge gaps in their conceptual understanding of the label, implying that they may not always correctly apply the Nutri-Score. Thus, there is a need for informational campaigns to explain the meaning of the Nutri-Score.
The development of artificial intelligence (AI) is changing the working environment. For example, artificial intelligence systems are increasingly applied in the field of employee leadership. Hereby AI can take over routine tasks or provide data-based decision support in employee-related processes. Advancements in robotics, coupled with AI technologies, also enable the construction of social robots. These kinds of robots can interact with their environment and thus theoretically offer the possibility of taking over leadership tasks completely. The successful use of social robots depends on employees’ acceptance of robot supervisors. Therefore, Lilly Mühlbauer, a student of our business psychology program, has conducted a quantitative online survey to gain insights into the acceptance of robots in leadership positions, as part of her bachelors’ thesis. In this context, the influence of the leadership entity (human vs. robot) as well as the impact of the leadership style (transactional vs. transformational) was examined.
Research Overview
The data collection was conducted in November 2023 through a quantitative online experiment using the platform Unipark. Participants were asked to imagine applying for a new job. Therefore, only individuals for whom this scenario realistically reflected their life stage were included. Accordingly, students and retirees were excluded by a filter question at the beginning of the survey. Participants were initially assigned to the following four groups: G1 (human x transactional leadership style), G2 (human x transformational leadership style), G3 (robot x transactional leadership style), G4 (robot x transformational leadership style). The central element of the questionnaire was a fictional scenario. For this purpose, images depicting the manager in conversation with an employee were generated in Midjourney. Except for the manager, the pictures were created identically, with no variations in body posture for the different leadership styles. To operationalize the two leadership styles, an excerpt of the conversation between the manager and the employee was presented, consisting of a short monologue by the manager. The analysis included a total number of 162 participants, with an average age of 23 years.
Main findings of the survey
Results indicated a significant difference in the acceptance between the two leadership entities (human vs. robot). The human manager received significantly higher acceptance ratings compared to the robot manager.
Results indicated a significant difference in the acceptance between the two leadership styles (transactional vs. transformational). The transformational leadership style led to a greater acceptance of managers.
The acceptance of the human manager and the robot manager is not dependent on the presented leadership style.
No significant correlation was found between prior knowledge about AI programs or AI-assisted robots and the acceptance of a robot manager. It should be noted that this analysis was based solely on the participants’ self-assessment of their own knowledge.
A positive correlation between the experience with AI programs or AI-assisted robots and the acceptance of a robot manager was found. It’s important to consider this result with the caveat that the responses are based on consciously perceived experiences of the participants, and individuals may encounter AI programs in their daily lives more frequently than they are actually aware of.
Additionally, results indicated that leadership entity and leadership style not only influence acceptance but also impact the organizational attractiveness of a company.
Conclusion
Overall, the data suggest that a human manager is significantly more accepted compared to a robot manager. Therefore, it can be stated, that employees currently demonstrate no clear willingness to work under the leadership of a robot. In addition, the expected difference in the acceptance rating in relation to the leadership style presented could be measured. Thus, the transformational leadership style scored higher than the transactional leadership style, consequently leading to greater acceptance of the manager. No interaction between the two factors, leadership entity and leadership style, could be observed. This implies that they independently influence the acceptance evaluation. As a result of high practical relevance, it can be stated that the robot manager achieved significantly lower values regarding organizational attractiveness compared to the human manager. Accordingly, the deployment of a robot leader appears to have a negative impact on the organizational attractiveness of a company. This study contributes to the research field of human-robot interaction and provides statistically significant findings on the acceptance of robots in management positions.
When reviewing previous studies of technology acceptance, it becomes apparent that one crucial aspect has often been overlooked, namely the role of emotions (Kulviwat, Bruner II, Kumar, Nasco & Clark, 2007; Valor, Antonetti & Crisafulli, 2022). Most models used in acceptance research primarily emphasize rational or cognitive factors. But humans don’t make decisions purely based on rational considerations (Bechara & Damasio, 2005; Damasio, 1994). Therefore, when discussing technology acceptance, shouldn’t emotional factors, such as the joy of using a technology or the fear associated with it, be considered as well? Cognitive models alone do not represent the entirety of the components that have an influence on acceptance (Beaudry & Pinsonneault, 2010). Recognizing the role of emotions is vital, especially in times of digital transformation, which entails numerous changes (Kuckelkorn, 2019).
This is especially true for immersive technologies like Extended Reality (XR), as they have a particularly high potential for emotional impact. Through visual, acoustic and haptic stimuli and, especially, real-time feedback to user actions, XR creates a sense of presence in a virtual world (Riva et al., 2007). By increasingly merging virtuality and reality, the way we live, work and interact has changed fundamentally (Singh, Singh, Verma & Prabha, 2023). Understanding the emotional dynamics in the acceptance process offers the opportunity to increase the acceptance of XR by addressing emotions appropriately through marketing and the development of XR technologies.
Research goal
The objective of the study, conducted by Jana Baudler, was to determine the influence of emotions on the acceptance of new technologies. As previous acceptance research lacks consideration of emotional factors the study was carried out to address this crucial gap. As the basis for the study, the frequently replicated UTAUT2 model was used. The research question raised was whether the addition of emotional factors into the UTAUT2 model improves the prediction of the behavioral intention to use the technology. The study was applied to the new technology XR. By focusing on XR, this study aims to provide insights into how emotional factors influence user acceptance of new technologies.
Research overview
A quantitative online study was conducted to investigate the research question. The final sample consisted of 118 participants, ranging in age from 15 to 61 years (mean = 23.63 years). In the online survey, participants were presented with a scenario they had to envision. The scenario involved taking a city trip that included the use of various XR technologies (including Augmented, Mixed, and Virtual Reality). The participants then had to rate the rational factors (effort expectancy, performance expectancy, social influence and price value) as well as emotional factors (hedonic motivation, affection and anxiety).
The participants‘ experience with XR was as follows:
Only 19% of the participants had tried XR before.
Those who reported having experience with XR had either used the technology once or twice, or in a few cases, occasionally.
Experiences were primarily in the education and gaming & entertainment sectors.
Main findings
Incorporating emotional factors in addition to the rational factors of the UTAUT2 model significantly improves its predictive power and variance explanation.
Among the emotional factors evaluated, only affection emerges as significant. Hedonicmotivation and anxiety did not show a significant impact in this study. Unlike previous studies (e.g., Rauschnabel, Rossmann & tom Dieck, 2017; Chuah, 2018) where hedonic motivation consistently showed significance, this study found it to be insignificant when combined with the other two emotional factors.
The comparison with the model consisting only of inexperienced participants shows that there are hardly any differences when emotional factors are included. It can be assumed that this is a stable model in terms of this aspect.
As the study shows, the addition of emotional factors leads to a significant improvement of the model as well as to a greater variance explanation of the behavioral intention to use the technology. The results of the study argue for an extension of the UTAUT2 model. Neglecting emotional aspects ignores an important part.
Conclusion
The study emphasizes the crucial role of emotions in technology acceptance, demonstrating that the acceptance of technologies is not only influenced by rational factors but also significantly by emotional factors. It stresses the substantial impact of emotions on behavioral intention. By focusing on the emotional aspect, the study provides an initial overview of XR acceptance. Given the rapid advances in realizing the human dream of escaping into artificial worlds, further research is essential to address various aspects of the often-overlooked role of emotions in technology acceptance.
References
Beaudry & Pinsonneault. (2010). The Other Side of Acceptance: Studying the Direct and Indirect Effects of Emotions on Information Technology Use. MIS Quarterly, 34(4), 689–710. https://doi.org/10.2307/25750701
Bechara, A. & Damasio, A. R. (2005). The somatic marker hypothesis: A neu ral theory of economic decision. Games and Economic Behavior, 52(2), 336–372. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geb.2004.06.010
Chuah, S. H.‑W. (2018). Why and Who Will Adopt Extended Reality Technol ogy? Literature Review, Synthesis, and Future Research Agenda. SSRN Electronic Journal, 1–55. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3300469
Kulviwat, S., Bruner II, G. C., Kumar, A., Nasco, S. A. & Clark, T. (2007). To ward a unified theory of consumer acceptance technology. Psychology & Marketing, 24(12), 1059–1084. https://doi.org/10.1002/mar.20196
Rauschnabel, P. A., Rossmann, A. & tom Dieck, M. C. (2017). An adoption framework for mobile augmented reality games: The case of Pokémon Go. Computers in Human Behavior, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2017.07.030
Riva, G., Mantovani, F., Capideville, C. S., Preziosa, A., Morganti, F., Vil lani, D. et al. (2007). Affective interactions using virtual reality: the link be tween presence and emotions. Cyberpsychology & Behavior : the Impact of the Internet, Multimedia and Virtual Reality on Behavior and Society, 10(1), 45–56. https://doi.org/10.1089/cpb.2006.9993
Singh, J., Singh, G., Verma, R. & Prabha, C. (2023). Exploring the Evolving Landscape of Extended Reality (XR) Technology. In 2023 3rd International Conference on Smart Generation Computing, Communication and Net working (SMART GENCON) (S. 1–6). IEEE.
Valor, C., Antonetti, P. & Crisafulli, B. (2022). Emotions and consumers’ adop tion of innovations: An integrative review and research agenda. Technolog ical Forecasting and Social Change, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2022.121609
Sustainable seals of approval: don’t trust every seal on your chocolate!
In a world where sustainability and environmental awareness are becoming increasingly important, quality seals play a crucial role. But not every seal delivers what it promises. A recent study sheds light on precisely this question and provides surprising insights into the world of certifications.
A jungle of seals
Quality seals are ubiquitous, especially in the food sector, such as chocolate. These small symbols are intended to reassure consumers that the product meets certain standards – be it environmental, health or social aspects. But the reality is much more complex. Some of these seals are untested. This means that they are not certified by independent bodies.
What does this mean for the consumer? Can these seals be trusted at all under these circumstances?
The study: An experiment with chocolate
Pia Futterer, a student of our bachelor’s program tried to answer these questions in her Bachelor thesis. In a quantitative online survey with 101 participants who regularly consume chocolate she took a closer look at precisely this problem. The participants evaluated four chocolate bars, each bearing a different seal: a known certified one (German organic seal), an unknown certified one (Biokreis seal), an invented, untested one (see picture) and a bar with no seal at all. The results are astounding.
Main results: Trust in unverified seals
The study shows that even unverified seals of approval increase consumers‘ willingness to buy. What is even more surprising is that these unverified seals were rated as more credible than unknown verified seals. This underlines the fact that many consumers have difficulty distinguishing between reliable and questionable seals. This blind trust in unverified labels is alarming and shows how urgently regulatory measures are needed.
The role of availability heuristics
Why do consumers trust unverified seals? One answer lies in the so-called availability heuristic. This mental shortcut leads us to perceive easily accessible or frequently seen information as particularly credible. So, if an unverified seal often appears on products, we tend to trust it – regardless of whether it is actually verified or not.
Discussion: A complex purchase decision
The results of the study suggest that consumers often do not have the motivation or ability to critically scrutinize the credibility of quality seals.
Especially when it comes to stressful grocery shopping, we often rely on simple decision-making rules. This is exacerbated by the abundance of products and information in the supermarket, which further increases the confusion.
Recommendations: Time to act
In view of these findings, it is important that we as a society take action:
Stricter legal regulations: The planned EU directive against greenwashing must be implemented as soon as possible to ensure that only certified seals may be used. This directive would help to prevent misleading environmental claims and ensure that only verified seals appear on products.
Conscious consumption: Consumers should actively inform themselves about the meaning and origin of quality labels. Knowledge is power, especially when it comes to sustainable consumption. Better consumer education about the various labels could help to avoid misjudgments.
Transparency on the part of companies: Companies should disclose which criteria their seals of approval fulfill and how these are checked in order to strengthen consumer trust. A clear and transparent process for awarding seals of approval could help to win back consumer trust.
Conclusion: More than just a seal
This study opens our eyes to the fact that not every seal of approval delivers what it promises at first glance. While we want to be environmentally conscious, we also need to be more critical and not blindly trust every label. The results underline the urgency of better regulation and education so that we can make more informed and sustainable purchasing decisions in the future.
The next chocolate bar you buy could tell more than just a story about taste – it could also be a story about trust and deception. Don’t trust every seal on your chocolate!
Buxel, H. (2018). What is the benefit of a seal? Consumer attitudes and the influence on the willingness to buy test and quality seals. Meat Industry, 5, 70-73.
Futterer, P. (2024). Sustainable seals of approval in the context of greenwashing: Experimental investigation of the effect of untested seals of approval using the example of chocolate. Bachelor thesis of the University of Applied Sciences. Stuttgart.
From horse meat in lasagna to falsely declared ingredients, the food industry is increasingly losing consumer trust (Sander, Heim & Kohnle, 2016). In Germany alone, there were at least 68 food scandals in 2023 (PETA Deutschland e.V., 2023). Food labels serve as quality indicators (Splendid Research, 2023), but it is becoming increasingly difficult for consumers to understand the quality characteristics behind them (Weiß, 2008). Therefore, it’s crucial to establish trust in labels as it significantly influences which products make their way into shopping baskets (Esch, Rühl & Baumgartl, 2016). Considering the food scandals and the plummeting trust in the food industry, the question arises of how trust among consumers can be restored and enhanced in both business-to-business and business-to-customer sectors.
The start-up Million Steps (https://www.millionsteps.earth/ger) also deals with the question of whether its new concept can have a trust-building effect on beef and dairy products. Million Steps addresses this issue by implementing an innovative and transparent tracking system for animal husbandry. The company precisely monitors and documents the movements of each animal to provide clear and traceable data along the entire supply chain. In this way, the start-up provides comprehensive insight into animal husbandry. The collected data is linked to the official ear tag of each animal and can be accessed by professionals in the food industry, restaurant visitors, and customers via QR codes. Among other things, this can prove that each animal has spent at least 12 months (the time it takes a cow to take a million steps) grazing on pasture and enjoying freedom of movement. Additionally, the origin of the animals is transparently verified by making background information about the animal and the farmer accessible.
Research goal
The study, conducted by Vanessa Fleig, a student of business psychology, examines the effect of digital and transparent animal movement data from the Million Steps label on the trustworthiness of beef and dairy products.
Research overview
Qualitative individual interviews were conducted with two groups to investigate the research question. The first group consists of restaurateurs who work in various areas such as restaurants, company restaurants and catering. The second group comprises gastronomy customers of different genders and ages in order to ensure the most heterogeneous group possible. A total of five interviews were conducted per group. The interviews are based on the laddering method in order to identify further motives that can influence trustworthiness. In addition, exemplary images were shown to illustrate the label in more detail.
Main findings
For a label to be generally perceived as trustworthy, the following aspects are most important: positive reputation, high level of awareness, simple traceability, comprehensible presentation of information.
The combination of small farms with the possibility of individual visits through personal contact with the farmers, as well as regular inspections and certifications on the integrity of the label also have a trust-enhancing effect.
Animal movement data is largely perceived as added value by both target groups due to the continuous but especially animal-specific monitoring of farmers, which represents a new and innovative approach.
Animal-specific data as well as the permanent monitoring of animals counteract the motive „lack of trust in the food industry“ and increase consumer trust.
The transparent and open presentation of information (movement data, regionality, ) also leads to increased traceability, which can also increase trust.
An argument against an additional trust-increasing effect is that husbandry can also be checked without active tracking through personal contact with the In addition to pasture husbandry, other factors such as antibiotic use are also relevant in order to achieve a long-term trust-increasing effect.
Animal movement data, especially in combination with information on place of origin and regionality, has the potential to increase trust in beef and dairy products in the long
Implications
The target groups differ in terms of trust-enhancing
While tangible evidence, such as the possibility of visiting the farm, has a
trust-enhancing effect on restaurateurs, more superficial factors, such as a clearly designed website, an appropriate amount of information or easy and transparent traceability, are sufficient for gastronomy customers.
Animal movement data has a confidence-increasing effect especially when labels are generally relevant to purchases.
If labels are not considered separately when making purchases, animal movement data may be trustworthy, but does not increase trust in beef and dairy products, as factors other than labels are perceived as value-enhancing.
Independent reputations increase trust, but are not yet available for Million Steps
As a future recommendation, the label could, for example, be registered on the online platform „Label-online“, which offers consumers an independent, uniformly evaluated overview of labels.
Furthermore, the selection of cooperating farmers is based on certain selection Farms should be small and regional, with the possibility of personal cooperation and adaptation to the individual wishes of the restaurants.
Conclusion
The study made it clear that digital and transparent animal movement data are predominantly perceived as added value and trustworthy. This assumption applies in particular to people who generally pay attention to labels, as animal movement data results in an additional increase in trust compared to other labels. The basis for this is the permanent control as well as the animal-specific proof. Transparent proof with simple and detailed traceability contributes to an increase in trust right from the start. However, a long-term trust-promoting effect only manifests itself through positive reputations and personal experience. Not only the animal movement data, but in particular the combination of transparent communication and regional production are perceived as trust-promoting attributes. In conclusion, it can be emphasized that Million Steps as a whole and not specifically the animal movement data have the potential for a long-term trust-enhancing effect in beef and dairy products.
References
Esch, F.‑R., Rühl, V. & Baumgartl, C. (2016). Messung des Markenvertrauens. In F.-R. Esch (Hrsg.), Handbuch Markenführung (S. 1–16). Wiesbaden: Springer Fachmedien Wiesbaden. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-13361-0_66-1
PETA Deutschland e.V. (Harald Ullmann, Hrsg.). (2023). Die schlimmsten Lebensmittelskandale in Deutschland. Verfügbar unter: https://www.peta.de/themen/skandalchronik/
Sander, M., Heim, N. & Kohnle, Y. (2016). Label-Awareness: Wie genau schaut der Konsument hin? – Eine Analyse des Label-Bewusstseins von Verbrauchern unter besonderer Berücksichtigung des Lebensmittelbereichs. Berichte über Landwirtschaft – Zeitschrift für Agrarpolitik und Landwirtschaft, Band 94, Heft 2, August 2016. https://doi.org/10.12767/BUEL.V94I2.120
New technologies are changing people’s everyday lives and have also been increasingly used in food retailing for a few years now. Innovative store concepts are designed to align the shopping experience even better with the needs and requirements of consumers. So-called smart stores are a mixture of stationary retail and innovative technology. They represent a further development opportunity for the retail sector, enabling it to maintain its own position in the future alongside the rapidly growing online trade. So far, there are still few smart stores open for the public, as these further development investments are associated with some challenges for the operators. The technological development of such a store implies the change of the business model, high initial investments and an uncertainty about the acceptance of the consumers. This last aspect is where our research comes in. With the help of acceptance research on smart stores, first concepts can be evaluated and optimized and thus the potential of these innovative ideas can be fully exploited.
Research Aim
In the study presented here, the acceptance and perception of smart stores in general and of a specific store concept from Stuttgart were investigated. The study was conducted by Valentin Löffler, a student of our business psychology program, as part of his final thesis.
Method
The study design consisted of two parts. In the first part of the study, a short survey (approx. 5 minutes) was conducted in front of the smart store with randomly selected people who walked past the store as passers-by. This was to capture the expectations, and attitudes of the passersby towards the store concept. In the second part of the study, qualitative interviews (approx. 45 minutes) were conducted with people who had not yet visited a smart store. In these interviews, participants made a purchase at the smart store, answering questions about acceptance both before and after the shopping experience. While shopping, they were asked to speak their thoughts aloud (thinking aloud method).
Sample
In the first part of the study, a total of 71 people aged 20 to 69 participated. In the second part of the study, a total of 10 people aged 23 to 43 were interviewed.
Selected Key Findings
Sub-study:
Smart stores are generally rated positive (1.9 on a scale of 1 = very good to 6 = very poor)
63% of respondents had already made at least one purchase at this smart store and 93% of them would also recommend this store to others.
Reasons for recommendation: „cool concept“, „continuous opening hours“, „practical“ as well as „good supplement to the supermarket“.
The expectations of a smart store are a good selection, fresh fruits and vegetables, reliable technology, nice design, low prices and cleanliness.
Concerns about a smart store arise from the lack of personal contact between customers and employees.
Sub-study:
After the initial shopping experience, respondents consistently had a positive perception of the smart store. They see it as a complement to conventional supermarkets. The intuitive operation was a particularly positive surprise.
Advantages: Opening hours, time savings and flexibility.
Disadvantages or uncertainty with regard to the reliability of the technical implementation, lack of social contact and the loss of jobs (compared to conventional supermarkets).
Conclusion:
Smart stores offer a novel and intuitive shopping experience that are already generating a high level of acceptance: The (first) shopping experiences are consistently described positively, but there were some concerns about how to get assistance in case of emergency when there are no employees on site. Another issue should be proactively considered in communication: possible loss of jobs. This study lays the foundation for further research in the area of smart stores and shows that these innovative concepts have a future.
