## 3 Results and Discussion
### Impacts of Edible Insect and Insect-Based Product Images on Expected Liking and Evoked Emotions  
The expected liking for edible insects and insect-based product images is reported in Table 3. In both non-informed and informed conditions, the expected liking for all product images was similar and very low. No significant differences in liking were found among the product images with visible edible insects (F1 and F2); when the insects in the insect-based products images were invisible, the hedonic rate increased slightly, particularly in the processed products (F4). When a consumer chooses a food product, they expect it to perform its expected functions, such as immersing him in a sensory experience and yielding nutritional benefits [51], but the physical appearance of insects is very \begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{l c c c c} \hline \hline  & & **Informed** & **Non-Informed** & **Full Sample** \\  & & **(105 Units)** & **(105 Units)** & **(210 Units)** \\ \hline
**Gender** & & & & \\  & Male & 39.0\% & 31.4\% & 35.2\% \\  & Female & 61.0\% & 68.6\% & 64.8\% \\ \hline
**Age** & & & & \\  & 18–30 years & 37.2\% & 53.3\% & 45.2\% \\  & 31–40 years & 27.6\% & 37.1\% & 32.4\% \\  & 41–60 years & 31.4\% & 7.6\% & 19.5\% \\  & \(>\)60 years & 3.8\% & 1.9\% & 2.9\% \\ \hline
**Educational Rate** & & & & \\  & Middle school & 3.8\% & - & 1.9\% \\  & High school & 41.0\% & 22.9\% & 31.9\% \\  & Degree & 45.7\% & 62.9\% & 54.3\% \\  & Post degree & 5.7\% & 12.4\% & 9.0\% \\  & PhD & 3.8\% & 1.9\% & 2.9\% \\ \hline
**Average Monthly Food Expenditure** & & & & \\  & Up to 200 euros & 21.0\% & 20\% & 20.5\% \\  & From 201 to 400 euros & 54.3\% & 56.2\% & 55.2\% \\  & From 401 to 600 euros & 21.0\% & 13.3\% & 17.1\% \\  & Over 600 euros & 3.8\% & 10.5\% & 7.1\% \\ \hline
**Food Habits** & & & & \\  & Omnivorous & 94.3\% & 95.2\% & 94.8\% \\  & Vegetarian & 3.8\% & 3.8\% & 3.8\% \\  & Vegan & - & - & - \\  & Other & 1.9\% & 1.0\% & 1.4\% \\ \hline \multicolumn{5}{l}{**Knowledge of the Meaning of the Term**} \\ \multicolumn{5}{l}{**“Entomophagy”**} & & & \\  & Yes & 65.7\% & 75.2\% & 70.5\% \\  & No & 34.3\% & 24.8\% & 29.5\% \\ \hline
**Previous Experience of Tasting/Consumption of** & & & & \\  & **Insects or their Derivatives** & & & \\  & Yes & 2.9\% & 12.4\% & 7.6\% \\  & No & 97.1\% & 87.6\% & 92.4\% \\ \hline
**Food Neophobia Levels** & & & & \\  & Low & 24.8\% & 27.6\% & 26.2\% \\  & Medium & 44.8\% & 44.8\% & 44.8\% \\  & High & 30.5\% & 27.6\% & 29.0\% \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular}
\end{table} 
Table 2: Characteristics of the participants and food neophobia levels. far from the appearance of food products in western consumers [52] and edible insects are perceived as a gross food source and are associated with strong feelings of disgust [53]. When subjects were asked to report the evoked emotions, disgust was the first feeling for the images showing visible edible insects (F1 and F2). Moreover, the image with whole and coated insects (F2, chocolate-coated grasshopper and scorptions) was more disgusting than the other, probably due to the chocolate-insect association. As reported by [PERSON] and [PERSON] [54], differences in food product appearance affect the expected liking levels. As the edible insects become invisible in the product images, the feeling of disgust decreases and curiosity increases as well as appetite (F3 and F4). As expected, the image of the protein bars (processed and invisible edible insect product F4) shows curiosity as the first feeling. Although the topic of entomoghgy is starting to become increasingly popular among consumers, our findings have shown that some aspects of insect consumption need to be further investigated. Increasing knowledge about the nutritional aspects of insect-based food seems to be necessary and the degree of information provided to the consumer on these foods is also of importance. In this vein, the findings of our study can be associated with those of previous studies on insect-based foods.