Submit to Foods Review for Foods Propose a Special Issue

Journal Browser

► Journal Browser

Food Experiences across the Extended Reality (XR) Spectrum: Applications in Sensory and Consumer Science

Print Special Issue Flyer
Special Issue Editors
Special Issue Information
Keywords
Published Papers

A special issue of Foods (ISSN 2304-8158). This special issue belongs to the section "Sensory and Consumer Sciences".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (5 May 2023) | Viewed by 11767

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Qian Janice Wang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Department of Food Science, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
Interests: multisensory integration; perceptual learning; human–computer interaction; virtual reality; augmented reality; consumer behaviour; creativity

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The use of immersive technologies is becoming more popular than ever in sensory and consumer science, not only offering researchers the opportunity to enhance the contextual validity of traditional lab-based research but also giving researchers’ imagination free rein to create novel experiences. Today, we enjoy a kaleidoscope of technologies designed to enrich our everyday experience, blurring the boundaries between the real and virtual. Extended reality (XR) is thus an umbrella term that includes virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and mixed reality (MR).

In this Special Issue of Foods, we encourage the submission of manuscripts focused on the use of XR technologies in all aspects of the food experience, including but not limited to new technology and interactions, decision making, sensory perception, eating behavior and appetite, ethics of XR experiences, and applications of XR in the fields of health, wellbeing, customer experiences, education, sustainability, etc.

Our aim is to gather all the new information in this field and include it in the Special Issue on “Food Experiences across the Extended Reality (XR) Spectrum: Applications in Sensory and Consumer Science”. We invite researchers from diverse fields of food science, psychology, human–computer interaction, neuroscience, design, clinical medicine, marketing, anthropology, etc. to contribute original and unpublished research and review articles on this topic.

Dr. Qian Janice Wang
Guest Editor

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 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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. Foods is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly 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 2900 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

virtual reality
augmented reality
extended reality
mixed reality
human–computer interaction
experience design
emerging technologies
sensory perception
consumer behavior

Published Papers (6 papers)

Download All Papers

Research

24 pages, 3786 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Understanding the Effects of Smart-Speaker-Based Surveys on Panelist Experience in Immersive Consumer Testing

by Ashley M. Soldavini, Hamza Diaz, John M. Ennis and Christopher T. Simons

Foods 2023, 12(13), 2537; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12132537 - 29 Jun 2023

Viewed by 992

Abstract

Utilizing immersive technologies to reintroduce the environmental context (i.e., visual, auditory, and olfactory cues) in sensory testing has been one area of research for improving panelist engagement. The current study sought to understand whether pairing smart-speaker questionnaires in immersive spaces could positively affect the panelist experience through enhanced ecological validity. To this end, subjects performed an immersive consumer test in which responses were collected using a traditional computer-based survey, a smart-speaker approach incorporating a direct translation of the computer questionnaire into a verbal survey requiring numeric responses, and an optimized smart-speaker survey with alternative question formatting requiring spoken word-based responses. After testing, participants answered the Engagement Questionnaire (EQ) to assess participant engagement during the test, and the System Usability Scale (SUS) survey to understand the ease, and potential adoption, of using the various survey technologies in the study. Results indicated that the traditional computer-based survey was the most engaging (p < 0.001) and usable (p < 0.001), with no differences found between the two smart-speaker surveys (p = 0.803 and p = 0.577, respectively). This suggests that the proposed optimizations for the smart-speaker surveys were not robust enough to influence engagement and usability, and further research is needed to enhance their conversational capabilities. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Food Experiences across the Extended Reality (XR) Spectrum: Applications in Sensory and Consumer Science)

► Show Figures

Graphical abstract

11 pages, 2475 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Think Yourself Slim? Assessing the Satiation Efficacy of Imagined Eating

by Tjark Andersen, Derek Victor Byrne and Qian Janice Wang

Foods 2023, 12(1), 36; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12010036 - 22 Dec 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1407

Abstract

Ubiquitous exposure to visual food content has been implicated in the development of obesity with both individual and societal costs. The development and increasing adoption of Extended Reality (XR) experiences, which deliver an unprecedented immersion in digital content, would seem to carry the risk of further exacerbating the consequences of visual food exposure on real-world eating behavior. However, some studies have also identified potentially health-promoting effects of exposure to visual food stimuli. One example is repeated imagined consumption, which has been demonstrated to decrease subsequent food consumption. This work contains the first comparison between imagined eating and actual eating, to investigate how the simulated activity fares against its real counterpart in terms of inducing satiation. Three-hundred participants took part in an experiment at a local food festival. The participants were randomized between three experimental conditions: imagined eating, actual eating, and control. Each condition consisted of thirty trials. Before and after the experimental manipulation, the participants recorded their eating desires and enjoyment of a piece of chocolate candy. The resulting data showed generally no difference between the imagined eating and control conditions, which stands in conflict with the prior literature. In contrast, the differences between imagined and actual eating were significant. These results may be explained by differences in the experimental tasks’ dose–response relationships, as well as environmental-contextual disturbances. Overall, the findings do not corroborate the efficacy of imagined eating within a real-life context. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Food Experiences across the Extended Reality (XR) Spectrum: Applications in Sensory and Consumer Science)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

21 pages, 2563 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Deconstructing Immersion in the Experience Economy Framework for Immersive Dining Experiences through Mixed Reality

by Dai-In Danny Han, Malu Boerwinkel, Mata Haggis-Burridge and Frans Melissen

Foods 2022, 11(23), 3780; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods11233780 - 23 Nov 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2252

Abstract

In this study, we test the immersive character in an interactive content narrative developed for Microsoft HoloLens 2 mixed reality glasses in the dining context. We use retrospective think aloud protocol (RTAP) and galvanic skin response (GSR) to explore different types of immersion that can be created through interactive content narratives. Leaning on the core dimensions of the experience economy, we expand the current understanding on the role of immersion through integration of four immersive experience facilitators. The study revealed that these immersive experience facilitators occur simultaneously and can be enhanced through interactive content narrative design. Perceived novelty and curiosity were identified as key determinants to keep consumers engaged in the immersive experience and engage with the content. The study verifies the use of galvanic skin response in combination with retrospective think aloud protocol as a suitable approach to measure emotional engagement potential in interpreting consumers’ recollection of immersive experiences. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Food Experiences across the Extended Reality (XR) Spectrum: Applications in Sensory and Consumer Science)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

17 pages, 2031 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Designing Immersive Sustainable Food Experiences in Augmented Reality: A Consumer Participatory Co-Creation Approach

by Dai-In Danny Han, Sílvia Gabriela Abreu e Silva, Kay Schröder, Frans Melissen and Mata Haggis-Burridge

Foods 2022, 11(22), 3646; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods11223646 - 15 Nov 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1881

Abstract

In light of the current debate on the impact of our current food system on climate change and related mitigation strategies, addressing the acceptance of sustainability aspects within consumer behavioral issues is of vital importance. However, the field remains mute on how those strategies can be designed and employed effectively to stimulate sustainable food consumption behavior. Immersive narrative design is a promising approach to engaging consumers in this context. Within this study, we shed light on how to create immersive, impactful, interactive narratives in augmented reality (AR) together with consumers. We propose a novel approach to how those stories can be planned, utilizing participatory design methods. Within a step-wise process, we develop the storyboard together with consumers. In the next step, we evaluate multiple approaches with AR application developers on how this storyline can be enhanced in AR considering the perspective of various stakeholders like developers, behavioral scientists, and consumers. Finally, we propose a conceptual framework for how immersive narratives can be designed and validated in a collaborative, multidimensional approach for impactful AR narrative content designs to stimulate sustainable food behavior for consumers. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Food Experiences across the Extended Reality (XR) Spectrum: Applications in Sensory and Consumer Science)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

13 pages, 2201 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Food Desires and Hedonic Discrimination in Virtual Reality Varying in Product–Context Appropriateness among Older Consumers

by Xiao Song, Federico J. A. Pérez-Cueto and Wender L. P. Bredie

Foods 2022, 11(20), 3228; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods11203228 - 15 Oct 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1849

Abstract

Immersive virtual reality (VR) videos can replicate complex real-life situations in a systematic, repeatable and versatile manner. New product development trajectories should consider the complexities of daily life eating situations. The creation of immersive contexts of a product with varying levels of appropriateness could be a useful tool for product developers in evaluating the extent to which context may influence food acceptance and eating behavior. This study explored virtual reality (VR) as an efficient context-enhancing technology through evaluations of protein-enriched rye breads and compared the effects of a VR-simulated congruent (VR restaurant) and incongruent (VR cinema) contexts on the acceptance in older consumers. A total of 70 participants were immersed in the two VR contexts and a neutral control context in a randomized order. The responses indicating the desire and liking for rye breads were measured, and the extent of immersion during context exposure was assessed by levels of the sense of presence and engagement. Immersive VR induced positive sensations of presence and a heightened level of engagement. The VR restaurant and neutral contexts were perceived as more appropriate for consuming rye breads and induced higher desire and liking for rye breads, which supported the notion of the alignment of congruent contexts with food desire and liking. The study provides new perspectives, practical methodologies, and discoveries in regard to the creation and application of VR-immersed contexts in food product evaluation. Moreover, it focused on a consumer segment (older consumers) that has seldom been investigated in previous relevant studies. The findings suggest that immersive VR technology, as a tool for evaluating contextual factors, is important for new product development. The good user experience among older consumers further indicated the potential value of VR as a context-enhancing tool for product development. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Food Experiences across the Extended Reality (XR) Spectrum: Applications in Sensory and Consumer Science)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

13 pages, 1407 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Shopping in Reality or Virtuality? A Validation Study of Consumers’ Price Memory in a Virtual vs. Physical Supermarket

by Lina Fogt Jacobsen, Nora Mossing Krogsgaard-Jensen and Anne O. Peschel

Foods 2022, 11(14), 2111; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods11142111 - 15 Jul 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2080

Abstract

This study validates a VR supermarket as a research tool by studying the influence of the food shopping setting on consumers’ price memory—an important antecedent for price comparisons in the purchase situation. In a quasi-experiment, two groups of consumers were given a shopping task in either a physical supermarket or a virtual reality supermarket setting. Upon task completion, participants’ explicit and implicit price memory was measured across three food product categories (pizza sauce, pasta, and dark chocolate). Results revealed no significant difference between the two settings, supporting the comparability between the VR shopping experience and the experience in the physical supermarket. The VR supermarket can therefore be a valid tool for studying consumer food choice behaviour in a shopping context. Further results show that explicit price memory is weaker compared to implicit price memory, that even prices are remembered better than odd prices, and that price memory follows the expected pattern in a VR supermarket as well. Finally, exploratory findings indicate that the feeling of physical presence and self-presence is relatively high for this particular VR supermarket, whereas social presence is weaker. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Food Experiences across the Extended Reality (XR) Spectrum: Applications in Sensory and Consumer Science)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

Food Experiences across the Extended Reality (XR) Spectrum: Applications in Sensory and Consumer Science

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editor

Special Issue Information

Keywords

Published Papers (6 papers)

Research

Further Information

Guidelines

MDPI Initiatives

Follow MDPI