Unit Bias: How Common Food Marketing Tactics Can Mitigate Healthy Consumption Benefits

Unit bias describes the phenomenon that consumers rely on units rather than amounts when choosing food. This research expands prior
literature threefold: First, it examines when and why consumers rely on unit bias by demonstrating that unit bias only occurs when impression management motives are activated, because consumers are concerned about the social appropriateness of taking multiple small units. Second, this research examines which marketing tactics may undermine health benefits of unit bias; specifically, marketing tactics such as designing food in unusual shapes and designing food to be cute. Finally, the research explores the cognitive process underlying the unit bias. Taken together, this research demonstrates that unit bias can curb consumers’ food consumption, but certain managerial marketing tactics can diminish this health benefit bolstering the notion that marketing can support or undermine consumer well-being.