The portion size effect on food intake is robust to contextual size information.
Larger portion sizes have consistently been shown to lead to greater food intake. However, studies of the portion size effect typically provided participants with a single portion of food at a time without any objective information about the size of the portion, and hence failed to consider the potential significance of contextual size information. In order to investigate whether contextual size information moderates the portion size effect, participants were served small or large portions of pasta for lunch in the presence or absence of contextual size information. Study 1 found that the portion size effect on food intake was robust to contextual size information. Study 2 replicated this finding in an online paradigm, showing that contextual size information also had no influence on prospective intake, even when participants chose the portion size they preferred. Both studies also showed that participants' perceptions of how much was appropriate to eat mediated the effect of portion size on intake. A practical implication of our findings is that modifying consumption norms may be an effective way to promote healthier consumer food decisions.
School of Psychology, UNSW Australia, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia. Electronic address: natalie.reily@gmail.com.
Natalie M
NM
Reily
School of Psychology, UNSW Australia, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia. Electronic address: lvartanian@psy.unsw.edu.au.
Lenny R
LR
Vartanian
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001288:Attention; D015992:Body Mass Index; D031204:Caloric Restriction / Q000523:psychology; D002755:Choice Behavior; D004435:Eating / Q000523:psychology*; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D005518:Food Preferences / Q000523:psychology; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D006815:Hunger; D020407:Internet; D010865:Pilot Projects; D064787:Portion Size / Q000523:psychology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013649:Taste; D055815:Young Adult
Choice; Context; Intake; Portion size; Size label