title: Rewards can be used effectively with repeated exposure to increase liking of vegetables in 4-6-year-old children.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine whether parents offering a sticker reward to their child to taste a vegetable the child does not currently consume is associated with improvements in children's liking and consumption of the vegetable.
  
  
  METHODS
  A randomized controlled trial evaluated the effectiveness of exposure only (EO) and exposure plus reward (E + R), relative to a control group, on children's liking and consumption of a target vegetable. Assessments were conducted at baseline and 2 weeks from baseline (post-intervention). Follow-up assessments were conducted at 4 weeks and 3 months from baseline.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study took place in Adelaide, South Australia. Participants were self-selected in response to local media advertisements seeking to recruit parents finding it difficult to get their children to eat vegetables.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants were 185 children (110 boys, seventy-five girls) aged 4-6 years and their primary caregiver/parent (172 mothers, thirteen fathers).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The E + R group was able to achieve more days of taste exposure. Both EO and E + R increased liking at post-intervention compared with control and no further change occurred over the follow-up period. All groups increased their intake of the target vegetable at post-intervention. Target vegetable consumption continued to increase significantly over the follow-up period for E + R and control but not for EO.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings provide support for the effectiveness of using a sticker reward with a repeated exposure strategy. In particular, such rewards can facilitate the actual tastings necessary to change liking.
authors: CSIRO Food and Nutritional Sciences, Adelaide BC, South Australia 5000, Australia. nadia.corsini@csiro.au
authors: Nadia
authors: N
authors: Corsini
authors: Amy
authors: A
authors: Slater
authors: Adam
authors: A
authors: Harrison
authors: Lucy
authors: L
authors: Cooke
authors: David N
authors: DN
authors: Cox
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005518:Food Preferences; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012201:Reward; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014675:Vegetables