Inland or Coastal? Neural and Psychological Mechanisms Underlying Consumer Preferences for Seafood Origin in E-Commerce

This study aims to investigate consumers’ preferences for inland and coastal seafood in the context of e-commerce, along with the underlying neural and psychological mechanisms influencing their online purchase decisions. By integrating questionnaire surveys with event-related potentials (ERPs), this research explores both behavioral patterns and neural responses associated with seafood choices. The survey results indicate that consumers have significantly higher purchase intentions for coastal seafood compared to inland seafood, which is consistent with the findings from behavioral experiment. Furthermore, the ERP data reveal that, compared to the inland seafood condition, the coastal seafood condition elicited lower N200 and N400 amplitudes, suggesting reduced cognitive conflict and semantic incongruence processing. Moreover, the higher LPP amplitude reflects greater emotional arousal. Based on cognitive dissonance theory, the study highlights the psychological conflicts and perceived risks related to inland seafood, providing neuroscientific insights into consumer decision making. These findings can support the optimization of market strategies for inland seafood in the growing e-commerce sector.