The Effect of Physical Surroundings in Usage Situations on Consumer Perception of Food Quality and on Consumer Emotions

Abstract

This research deals with the influence of physical surroundings in usage situations on consumers' perceived quality of food products and on consumers' emotions. A sample of 320 respondents was included in an experimental design in which two food products, shrimp and cheese, and two types of physical surroundings, elegant and less elegant, were manipulated. The results suggest that elegant physical surroundings in food usage situations have positive effects on perceived quality, pleasure-feeling, and arousal-level. Implications, limitations, and extensions of the results are discussed.

Key Words:

• Food
• perceived quality
• emotions
• food consumption
• physical surroundings