The effect of second language and sensory description.
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2020-06-30
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en
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Abstract
This study aimed to generate knowledge on healthy food marketing through the research
question; ‘how can language be used in advertisements to encourage healthy food choices?’.
Research on language use in advertisements could help to reduce the rising obesity rates
through more effective marketing of healthy food options.
The specific language effects investigated were description types of healthy foods
(sensory/neutral/health-conscious) and L1/L2 effects. Namely, sensory language might create
food-related mental simulations through its link with the senses and emotions. These mental
simulations might, in turn, increase the estimated desirability of food and, subsequently, the
purchase intention and attitude towards the advertisement. Health-conscious language might
have the opposite effect, as it would not have the same appeal to the senses and emotions and,
thus, might cause the food items to be perceived as less desirable. Moreover, L1 or L2 use in
advertisements was proposed to have a more positive effect on these variables, either through
the link to emotions, the senses and memory (L1) or through weaker affective processing of
potential negative stimuli (L2). Furthermore, L1 or L2 use might, in turn, strengthen the effect
of sensory description.
Consequently, an experiment was conducted. The participants saw multiple
advertisements, each with different description types, all in either their L1 (Dutch) or L2
(English). The advertisements were followed by questionnaires. Description type and second
language did not affect the participants’ desire and purchase intention of the food, nor their
attitude towards the advertisement. These results might imply that more research is necessary
to establish the precise effect of language on healthy food marketing. However, there may
also be factors such as proficiency or the participants’ awareness of the descriptions that
might explain these results.
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