The Color of Taste: How Visual Cues Shape Expectations and Preferences

This thesis examines the mechanisms of crossmodal correspondences and their influence on consumer perception in the context of packaging design. The main objective was to investigate the extent to which packaging color shapes taste expectations and how these expectations translate into actual taste perception and consumers’ purchase intentions. The research was conducted as a quantitative experiment (N = 122) using a between-subjects design, in which respondents evaluated apple juice presented in red, green, and blue packaging variants, represented by a cup. The results confirmed that the color red significantly increases perceived sweetness, while the color green enhances perceived sourness of the product. Mediation analysis revealed that the effect of color on subsequently perceived taste is mediated by these expectations, with an assimilation effect being statistically significant particularly for the green packaging in relation to sourness.In the domain of consumer behavior, the findings did not support the assumption that incongruence between expectations and actual experience automatically leads to lower preferences. Instead, the direction of the discrepancy proved to be an important factor, as positive disconfirmation (i.e., a more intense taste than expected) significantly increased respondents’ purchase intentions.