Effect of cultural capital on creative culinary process: Mediating role of critical thinking disposition

The aim of this study is to determine the effect of cultural capital on the creative culinary process and to identify the mediating role of critical thinking disposition in this effect. Due to the focus of creativity studies in the field of gastronomy and culinary arts on professional chefs, and the lack of sufficient student-oriented studies, the research is conducted on students. A quantitative research design was employed, and the survey method was chosen as the data collection technique. Purposive and convenience sampling methods were used to determine the sample. The research obtained data from 563 participants. The data were analyzed using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to test the research model and the Process Macro for testing hypotheses. The findings indicate that cultural capital effects the creative culinary process; cultural capital influences critical thinking disposition; critical thinking disposition positively affects the creative culinary process; and critical thinking disposition mediates the influence of cultural capital on the creative culinary process. In light of these findings, the study contributes to the relevant literature in various aspects and provides suggestions for program planners, students in the field, and future research.