From familiarity to loyalty: How image and emotion shape gastronomic experience

Given the unique characteristics of gastronomic experiences, it is essential to understand how user-generated content (UGC) shapes consumers' perceptions of food-related images and their subsequent behavioural responses. This study adopts a mixed-methods approach to examine consumers’ cognitive and affective perceptions of gastronomy and their impact on loyalty. In the first phase, word frequency and sentiment analyses of UGC reveal that food-related terms appear most frequently and are predominantly associated with positive sentiments. Based on this analysis, three key dimensions of cognitive image are identified: food quality, culinary culture, and dining environment. In the second phase, a questionnaire survey explores the relationships among familiarity, cognitive image, affective image, positive emotions, food neophobia, and loyalty. The results indicate that familiarity positively influences both cognitive and affective images, which in turn enhance positive emotions and loyalty. Compared with cognitive image, affective image exerts a stronger influence on the arousal of positive emotions. Moreover, food neophobia negatively moderates the relationship between familiarity and image perception. This study provides practical implications for enhancing consumer engagement and strengthening loyalty through the promotion of gastronomic experiences.