3.1. Experimental Design
FOP
The current study employed an online quasi-experiment consisting of a 2 (social distance: thinking of self vs. thinking of children) × 3 (FOP claim type: nutrient, health, or control) × 2 (perceive importance of eating healthily: low vs. high) mixed factorial design. Social distance and FOP claim type were the manipulated independent variables and between-subjects factors. Healthy product category (whole grain wheat and low-fat dairy) and brand name (real and fictitious) were within-subjects factors. The use of two product categories and real/fictitious brands as within-subjects factors allowed for controlling product- and brand-specific preferences in the experiment. The perceived importance of eating healthily (low vs. high) was a measured independent variable, assessed with a scale adopted from Chandon and Wansink’s study [