How physical cues surrounding foods influence snack consumption: The case of covering foods

Sanne Raghoebar,Ellen Van Kleef,Emely De Vet

doi:10.1016/j.foodqual.2021.104260

Sanne Raghoebar, Ellen Van Kleef + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodqual.2021.104260

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Abstract

Physical cues surrounding foods are known to influence consumption, but research into the underlying mechanisms is limited. This research aims to disentangle these underlying mechanisms, testing one specific physical aspect: the presence or absence of a cover on snack bowls. We hypothesized that the presence (versus the absence) of a cover would decrease the likelihood of consumption and that the effect would be explained through a) norm perceptions discouraging eating, b) heightened effort to take the foods, and c) lowered salience of attractive foods. In two field contexts (Study 1, 40 observation periods; Study 2, N = 711) and a lab experiment (Study 3, N = 151), the cover’s presence was manipulated and the number of snacks taken was observed. In Studies 2 and 3, perceptions of social norms, effort, and salience were reported. The likelihood of taking snacks indeed decreased when the cover was present versus absent (Studies 1–3). In Study 2, the presence (versus the absence) of the cover seemed to decrease perceived social norms (p = 0.05) and increased perceived effort, whereas in Study 3 a significant decrease in perceived social norms and salience and an increase in perceived effort were observed. Moreover, the effect of the cover on likelihood of consumption was mediated by perceptions of salience. The organization of physical aspects in food environments influences consumption and may change perceptions of social norms, effort, and salience. Particularly, perceptions of salience might explain the effect of the cover on likelihood of consumption.

Highlights

Food environments, broadly defined as ‘any opportunity to obtain food’ (Townshend & Lake, 2009), encompass many aspects including food availability and accessibility (Lake & Townshend, 2006)
We investigated whether a cover on snack bowls being present rather than absent would decrease the proportion of snacks taken, and the mechanisms that might explain the effect by examining perceptions of social norms, effort, and salience
The current results suggest that the presence of a cover on snack bowls decreases people’s perceived social norms to take snacks, we failed to show that perceptions of social norms underlie the effect of the cover on likelihood of consump tion

Summary

Introduction

Broadly defined as ‘any opportunity to obtain food’ (Townshend & Lake, 2009), encompass many aspects including food availability and accessibility (Lake & Townshend, 2006). Increasing the under standing of the causal mechanisms explaining why we eat food that is available may improve (or optimize) the development of effective intervention strategies, by providing insight into how to use (i.e., design and implement) such strategies (Marteau, Fletcher, Hollands, & Munafo, 2020; Szaszi, Palinkas, Palfi, Szollosi, & Aczel, 2017) The importance of such an understanding has been highlighted by recent research providing explanations for why the relative avail ability of specific foods in food environments may lead to desired or undesired effects. It was shown that this single aspect in the food environment (i.e., the relative availability of particular foods) may be perceived differently, and thereby dictate contradictory conduct, in different situations depending on their specific design and imple mentation (Raghoebar, Van Kleef, & De Vet, 2020) This may suggest that signals conveyed by or in connection to available foods are relevant to take into consideration when developing such intervention strategies

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