Figure 5.

Food price mediates the negative association between energy density and WTP across all stimuli and in combo foods. (a) As energy density was separately associated with food price ($\beta$₁) and WTP ($\beta$₃), and price was also related to WTP ($\beta$₂) across all stimuli, we tested whether price mediates the negative relationship between energy density and WTP. Indeed, the relationship between energy density and WTP ($\beta$_3′) was no longer significant when the indirect effect of price was accounted for in the regression model, which itself remained significant ($\beta$_2′). (b) Actual food price also mediates the association between energy density and WTP when restricted to combo foods. Each $\beta$ refers to a standardized beta coefficient.