Deconstructing food photography: A multidimensional view of consumer perceptions through repertory grid analysis

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.