Digital nudges for online food selection
the interaction of emotional eating and psychological traits in university students
Palabras clave:
Alexithymia, Digital nudge, Eating behaviors, Emotional eating, Food choice, ImpulsivityResumen
Objective
This study aimed to examine the impact of digital nudge models and emotional eating behaviors on online food choices among university students.
Methods
This cross-sectional study was conducted on 356 students (87.1% female). Data were collected via an online questionnaire, including the Barratt Impulsivity Scale, Twenty-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale, and the Emotional Eater Questionnaire. Four digital nudge categories were used (default, highlighting, social influence, and warning) to assess their influence on food choice. Additionally, body weight and height were taken with the participants’ declaration. Data were analyzed using IBM®SPSS® 24.0.
Results
The most frequently selected food category was hamburgers (n=282), with the warning nudge in the dessert category being the most effective (43.3%), followed by the social influence nudge (31.3%). There was no significant correlation between impulsivity, emotional eating, and digital nudge effectiveness (p>0.05). However, gender differences were noted, with females responding
more to social influence nudges. There was a moderate positive correlation between Emotional Eater Questionnaire and body mass index and Twenty-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale (r=0.315, p<0.001, r=0.347, p<0.001, respectively). Furthermore, the Barratt Impulsivity Scale showed a weak positive correlation with Twenty-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale (r=0.127, p<0.05).
Conclusion
Digital nudges influenced food choices; however, psychological factors such as impulsivity and emotional eating did not significantly affect their effectiveness. Future research could explore the role of psychological traits in digital nudging for healthier food choices.
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Derechos de autor 2025 Zehra Margot Çelik, Hatice Merve Bayram, Gizem Topalcı
Esta obra está bajo una licencia internacional Creative Commons Atribución 4.0.
