Assessing Spontaneous Responses to Insect-Based Foods Using BIAT and Manikin Task

The integration of insect-derived ingredients into Western diets offers a sustainable protein alternative but it faces cultural resistance and a spontaneous aversion. Assessing automatic reactions to foods containing imperceptible insect components remains challenging. In this research, we developed and psychometrically evaluated two indirect measures—the Brief Implicit Association Test (BIAT) and the Manikin Task—to capture automatic evaluative and approach-avoidance responses toward insect-based foods. Across two studies (N = 246), these tasks demonstrated acceptable to good reliability and provided complementary insights. While correlations between indirect and explicit measures were generally low, some associations aligned with theoretical expectations. These findings suggest that BIAT and the Manikin Task effectively assess automatic reactions to insect-derived foods, offering valuable tools for consumer acceptance research and informing strategies to promote sustainable diets. Both measures are feasible for online administration and enhance understanding of implicit food-related attitudes beyond traditional questionnaires.