TY - JOUR
T1 - Deconstructing food photography
T2 - A multidimensional view of consumer perceptions through repertory grid analysis
AU - Yeh, Yun An
AU - Yeh, Shih Shuo
AU - Chang, Hsin Hsin
AU - Lin, You Hung
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2026 The Authors
PY - 2026/6
Y1 - 2026/6
N2 - This study investigates consumer perceptions of food photography using Repertory Grid Analysis (RGA) on 39 photos. From 36 interviews, 366 elicited constructs were consolidated into 186 unique constructs and subsequently reduced to 11 overarching dimensions. These clustered around two primary factors (aesthetics and informativeness) along with two additional dimensions: perceived value (upscale vs. affordable) and colorfulness, which diverged from traditional dichotomies. Some constructs were “misplaced” (e.g., value with aesthetics, colorfulness with informativeness), highlighting interpretive flexibility. Results show that consumers draw on aesthetic, informational, symbolic, and affective cues. Theoretically, this extends Personal Construct Theory by offering a multidimensional view of food photo interpretation. Managerially, insights stress color psychology, value signaling, and platform-specific visual design. Limitations regarding sample representativeness and construct reduction are acknowledged with directions for future research.
AB - This study investigates consumer perceptions of food photography using Repertory Grid Analysis (RGA) on 39 photos. From 36 interviews, 366 elicited constructs were consolidated into 186 unique constructs and subsequently reduced to 11 overarching dimensions. These clustered around two primary factors (aesthetics and informativeness) along with two additional dimensions: perceived value (upscale vs. affordable) and colorfulness, which diverged from traditional dichotomies. Some constructs were “misplaced” (e.g., value with aesthetics, colorfulness with informativeness), highlighting interpretive flexibility. Results show that consumers draw on aesthetic, informational, symbolic, and affective cues. Theoretically, this extends Personal Construct Theory by offering a multidimensional view of food photo interpretation. Managerially, insights stress color psychology, value signaling, and platform-specific visual design. Limitations regarding sample representativeness and construct reduction are acknowledged with directions for future research.
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105033492093
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105033492093#tab=citedBy
U2 - 10.1016/j.jhtm.2026.101438
DO - 10.1016/j.jhtm.2026.101438
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:105033492093
SN - 1447-6770
VL - 67
JO - Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management
JF - Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management
M1 - 101438
ER -