Investigating Users' Learning and Food Choices through a Mobile Application

Examiners: A/P Goh Khim Yong and A/P Jack Jiang

Abstract:

With growing attention to healthy diet, mobile applications have become a cost-effective tool to guide users' behavioral changes in food choice by providing easy-to-read food information such as nutrition labels. However, there is little understanding on how users learn from these applications in the choice of food. Drawing on the theories of learning, this study examines the effects of cognitive learning and social learning on healthy food choice decisions. Our results suggest that both cognitive learning and social learning enhance the nutrient balance of users' food basket. Specifically, the results show that cognitive learning, measured by the users' food information processing and searching, and social learning, captured by the sentiment of other users' comments on the foods that the user have seen, lead to users' food choices healthier. This study contributes to research by advancing the theoretical understanding of how the different learning effects occur through a mobile app in food choice changes over time.