Pick the chick right : a study on how morally conflicting tradeoffs affect choice difficulty and purchase intention

Abstract

Animal welfare in the poultry industry has in recent times been much debated in media in Norway. However, the debate typically overlooks how animal welfare may be negatively correlated with environmental concerns. In this thesis we study how morally conflicting tradeoffs impacts consumer choice difficulty and purchase intention. We conduct an experiment through an online questionnaire, where we check for between group differences using a One-Way Analysis of Variance and Fisher’s Least Significant Difference post hoc test. By using a prime, the questionnaire aims to measure; purchase intention, level of concern after being primed, ranking of important attributes, experienced choice difficulty and demographics. The results show that priming has a positive effect on how subjects rank their level of concern and importance of the topic. When it comes to purchase intention and choice difficulty, however, there were no significant effects. This thesis suggests an analysis, which is aimed at closing a gap in previous literature, while also contributing to the field of consumer behavior. Finally, we present managerial implications.