Effects of information about specific nutrient content on ratings of "goodness" and "pleasantness" of common foods.
In a study of the effects of information concerning nutrient content on ratings of foods, subjects (247 male and female school students aged 13-14 years) rated a list of 21 common foods on two scales "good for you" and "pleasant", either without prior information (control group) or after being shown, and asked to memorize, a classification of the foods as "high" "medium" and "low" in terms of a specified nutrient. There were five experimental groups, each receiving classificatory information about a different nutrient (iron, protein, carbohydrate, calorie or fat). Compared with controls, experimental subjects rated the value of the foods in a way corresponding more closely with the specific classification presented to them. Ratings of pleasantness, however, showed no such consistent effects. These findings are interpreted in terms of models of attitudinal judgement concerned with factors influencing the salience to individuals of different stimulus attributes. Implications for the effects of selective information on judgements are discussed, with specific reference to advertising and nutrition education.
D000293:Adolescent; D001290:Attitude; D005260:Female; D005502:Food; D005518:Food Preferences; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011939:Mental Recall; D052756:Nutritional Sciences / Q000193:education; D009753:Nutritive Value