TENDENCY TO SEEK VARIETY IN FOOD: A STUDY ABOUT UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

Abstract

Determining the level of consumers' tendencies to seek variety in food is one of the issues on which scientific research has been conducted in recent years. In this context, the aim of the study is to determine the diversity-seeking tendencies of Erciyes University students towards food and to determine whether the students' diversity-seeking tendencies in food differ according to their demographic characteristics. In this context, descriptive tests and parametric and non-parametric analyses were performed on the data set collected from the students. After analyzing the demographic characteristics, factor analysis was performed. According to the results of the factor analysis carried out, it has been revealed that students have a tendency to seek variety in food. However, the belief has been formed that they cannot give up the food they are used to and that they are also wary of strange foods. In order to Decipher whether there is a difference between the demographic characteristics of the students and their tendency to seek variety in food, non-parametric analyses were performed. In this context, the acceptance and rejection states of the hypotheses created have been questioned. Of the 8 hypotheses created, 6 (age, educational status, marital status, monthly income and nationality) were rejected, and 2 (school and classroom) were accepted. It has been determined that the tendencies of students whose school or professional fields are different to seek variety in food also differ. 1.Due to the high tendency of the students to seek variety in food, it has been predicted that they want to try different dishes more in the city they go to and in the first year.