Regulatory Fit to Enhance User Engagement with an App Promoting Healthy and Sustainable Eating. An Experimental Study to Match Regulatory Concern and Anticipated Emotions

Mobile apps can effectively promote healthy and sustainable eating, but their success depends on initial user engagement. This study aimed to increase initial user engagement by tailoring app descriptions to users’ regulatory focus (prevention versus promotion). Four conditions were created by combining two types of messages: regulatory concern (safety versus growth) and anticipated emotion (positive versus negative). The safety message emphasized the protection of health and the environment, while the growth message emphasized the improvement of well-being and environmental conservation. The message with the positive anticipated emotion described satisfaction with using the app, while the message with the negative anticipated emotion described dissatisfaction with not using the app. Participants’ attitudes, desires, and intentions, as well as downloads of the app were measured to assess the effectiveness of the message. Promotion-focused individuals showed greater desire and were more likely to download the app when the message matched their focus (growth + positive anticipated emotions) than when it did not (safety + negative anticipated emotions). Conversely, prevention-focused individuals did not show increased engagement with regulatory congruent messages. These results suggest that tailoring app descriptions to users’ regulatory focus may increase initial engagement among promotion-focused individuals. Further research is needed to investigate methods to increase engagement among prevention-focused individuals.