Congruity effects and moderating influences in nutrient-claimed food advertising

Guided by self- and functional-congruity theory, this experiment tested a model to determine (1) whether the effects of nutrient-claimed food advertisements are differentially predicted by self- and functional-congruities and (2) how identified predictive effects are moderated by health consciousness, an individual level factor, and perceived food healthiness (i.e., healthy and unhealthy foods), a situational factor. Self- and functional-congruities were predictive of four specific attitudes toward nutrient-claimed food advertisements; however, the predictive power of functional-congruity was stronger than that of self-congruity. Predictive relationships were moderated by health consciousness level, but not by the perceived healthiness of advertised foods. The results advance understanding of the information processing of food advertising in a nutrition-related messaging context, and indicate potentially significant theoretical, managerial, and policy implications.