Consumers value “naturalness” in some contexts more than others. For example, genetically engineered foods and vaccines are avoided in part due to their perceived unnaturalness, but genetically engineered insulin and synthetic antibiotics are widely accepted. We propose a systematic explanation for variation in the preference for naturalness. Across multiple product categories, we find that natural is more strongly preferred when it is used to prevent a problem than when it is used to cure a problem. This increased preference for natural occurs because natural is perceived as safer and less potent, and when preventing, consumers prefer safer, less potent alternatives. Consistent with this explanation, when natural alternatives are viewed as more risky and more potent, then natural alternatives are more preferred for curing than for preventing. This research sheds light on when the marketing of “natural” can be most appealing to consumers.

中文翻译：

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消费者对预防剂的偏爱比对自然疗法的偏爱。

在某些情况下，消费者比其他人更看重“自然”。例如，避免转基因食品和疫苗的部分原因是因为它们被认为是不自然的，但是转基因胰岛素和合成抗生素已被广泛接受。我们对自然偏好的变化提出了系统的解释。在多个产品类别中，我们发现，当天然用于预防问题时，它比用于解决问题的方法更受青睐。对自然的偏爱增加是因为人们认为自然更安全，效力更弱，并且在预防时，消费者更喜欢更安全，效力更差的替代品。与此解释相一致，当人们认为天然替代品的风险更高，效果更强时，则天然替代品更可用于固化而非预防。