Psychosocial Determinants of Food Choice and Consumption in Contemporary Contexts
A special issue of Behavioral Sciences (ISSN 2076-328X). This special issue belongs to the section "Behavioral Economics".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 March 2027 | Viewed by 20
Special Issue Editors
Interests: social psychology; community psychology; methodology; acculturation; social identity and multicultural identities; perceived discrimination; value; existential quest; stereotypes and ethnic prejudice; populism; sense of community; individual and collective resilience; behavioral intentions; social representations; novel foods; consumer perceptions; civic participation; ambivalent sexism; sexual assertiveness
Interests: social and health psychology; body image; social media; attitude and attitude change; social norms; intergroup relations; stereotypes and ethnic prejudice; ambivalent sexism; behavioral intentions; risk behaviors; psychosocial well-being
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: social psychology; health psychology; intergroup contact; inter-minority contact; solidarity; stereotypes and prejudice; attitude and attitude change; discrimination; positive body image; sociocultural influences; psychological flexibility; psychological assessment
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Food consumption is a complex behavior shaped by the interaction of individual, social, and cultural factors. In addition to nutritional needs, food choices are influenced by psychosocial processes such as beliefs, attitudes, emotions, moral and ethical considerations, social norms, and identity-related motives (e.g., social identity and self-categorization processes, normative influence). Understanding these processes is increasingly important in contemporary food systems, which are characterized by rapid technological innovation, globalization, sustainability challenges, changing dietary norms, as well as polarized public debates and a rapidly evolving information environment.
The main aim of this Special Issue is to advance our knowledge of the psychosocial antecedents of food consumption, adopting a broad behavioral perspective grounded in social psychological theory. Contributions that examine how cognitive, affective, motivational, and social processes influence food-related decisions across diverse contexts and levels of analysis (intra-individual, interpersonal, group, and societal) are invited. While research on novel foods and food innovations (e.g., cultivated meat, insect-based products, plant-based alternatives) is welcome, the scope of this Special Issue extends beyond technological novelty to include everyday food choices, sustainable and ethical consumption, health-related eating habits and behaviors, and culturally embedded food practices.
Relevant topics include, but are not limited to, food-related attitudes and beliefs, emotional responses such as disgust or pleasure, moral and ethical considerations, social norms and identity processes, risk perception and trust in institutions and science, stigma and moralization around eating, and the influence of media, marketing, and misinformation. Both individual-level and social-level analyses are encouraged, as well as experimental, longitudinal, quantitative, qualitative, and cross-cultural approaches (including multi-level and mixed-method designs).
This Special Issue seeks to provide a comprehensive understanding of the psychosocial mechanisms underlying food consumption and inform evidence-based interventions aimed at promoting healthier, more sustainable, and socially responsible eating habits and behaviors.
We look forward to receiving your contributions.
Dr. Marco Rizzo
Dr. Cristian Di Gesto
Dr. Giulia Rosa Policardo
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Behavioral Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- food consumption
- psychosocial antecedents
- consumer psychology
- eating behavior
- social norms
- food attitudes
- emotions
- sustainable consumption
- food innovation
Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue
- Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
- Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
- Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
- External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
- Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.
Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.
