Determining the relationships between consumers' level of openness to experience, perception of food neophobia and food choice: Mersin province example

Each consumer's food preferences may differ from each other. There are multiple reasons for this difference, and it is also related to the individual's personality and fears. This study examines the relationship between consumers' levels of openness to experience personality trait, their perceptions of fear of novelty in food and their food choices. Research data were obtained from consumers in Mersin province between May 15, 2022 and October 15, 2022 through a questionnaire. Convenience sampling method was used in order to reach the consumers in the determined sample. Within the scope of the study, 420 questionnaires were obtained. After removing erroneous and missing data, 404 questionnaire forms were analyzed. As a result of the analysis, potential outliers were identified and 7 questionnaires were excluded from the data set and as a result, 397 questionnaires were evaluated. As a result of the analyzes and tests, it was revealed that as consumers' innovative status, intellectual status and non-traditional status increase, their fear of food innovation decreases. It was also concluded that consumers' fear of food novelty increased as their familiarity and ethical concerns increased. It was also found that food choice increased as consumers' innovativeness and intellectuality increased, but food choice decreased as non-traditionalism increased.