PSYCHOLOGICAL SUSTAINABILITY AND ATTITUDES OF NEW FOOD CONSUMPTION. A RESEARCH ON FOOD DISGUST AND NEOPHOBIA

The research analyzes two particular attitudes that emerge when consumers confront unfamiliar foods and outside their own habits: Neophobia and Food Disgust. The "neophobic" behavior refers to the reluctance of all consumers to get foods that do not belong to their own cultural traditions. Food disgust can be considered as a cultural, psychological or physiological phenomenon. The specific reasons for this disgust are not yet fully understood and can also be attributed to a particular form of defense mechanism. Aim of the research is to explore the attitude of a sample of adults towards disgust for some types of food and neophobia. The study sample is composed of about 265 participants, aged between 18 and 75 years, chosen with the random method among Sicilian citizens. The following measures were used: the "Food Neophobia Scale (FNS)", the "Perceived Vulnerability to Disease Questionnaire", the " Food Disgust Scale". The research offered the opportunity to observe the attitudes of a sample of young adults and adults towards the perception of vulnerability to the disease, the disgust for some types of food and the neophobia. Future research could prove to have an impact also on the marketing strategies of companies producing such products and the psychological sustainability of new styles of food consumption.