Working Paper
Ugly Food, Negative Feelings: Why Consumers Won’t Pay More for Unattractive Produce
Aug 9, 2018
Investigates how the aesthetic premium placed on produce contributes to consumers’ rejection of safe, edible, yet aesthetically unattractive produce; in four experiments, demonstrates that consumers systematically devalue unattractive produce because of altered self-perceptions, driving diminished choice, purchase, and willingness to pay.