Investigating the Impact of Stimulus Equivalence on Children’s Food Choice and Preference

Silvana L Santos,Júlio César C Rose

doi:10.9788/tp2018.1-01

Abstract

Abstract This study investigated the influence of character on food's choices. Eleven preschool children were trained to form two equivalent stimulus classes, each comprising one a cartoon character, a geometric shape, and an abstract symbol. One class had a liked character and the other a disliked character. Three preference tests were conducted where the children had to choose between two identical packages with samples of the same snack, differing only by the label. In Test 1 the labels were symbols of the same class as the liked and disliked characters; in Test 2 the choice was between the symbol of the same class as the disliked character and a new symbol; and in Test 3 children chose between the symbol of the equivalence class with the liked character and the logo of a known brand. Most children chose first, and reported to like more, the snack labeled with the symbol of the same class as the liked character. They also chose, and reported to like more, the snack labeled with a new stimulus over the symbol of the same class as the disliked character. These results confirmed that stimulus equivalence is a useful paradigm to investigate formation of preference for brands.

Highlights

Esta pesquisa investigou a influência de personagens em escolhas alimentares
The present study confirms the earlier results of Smeets and Barnes-Holmes (2003), where children were observed to initially select a snack labeled with a symbol equivalent to a liked character and report preferring it over an identical snack labeled with a symbol equivalent to a disliked character
Smeets and Barnes-Holmes (2003) noted that their results could be considered “weak” because 46% of the children initially reported no preference between the drinks and needed additional prompts to indicate a preference

Summary

Introduction

Esta pesquisa investigou a influência de personagens em escolhas alimentares. Doze crianças pré-escolares formaram inicialmente duas classes de estímulos equivalentes, cada uma contendo um personagem, uma forma geométrica e um símbolo abstrato. Também escolheram e disseram gostar mais do alimento com o símbolo novo no rótulo ao invés do que continha o símbolo equivalente ao personagem não atrativo. 12 niños preescolares formaran dos clases de estímulos equivalentes, contiendo a un personaje infantil, una forma geométrica, y a un símbolo abstracto. The influence of food marketing on children’s food choices and preference has been subject of much discussion recently (for a review, see Cairns, Angus, Hastings, & Caraher, 2013). This rising interest is mostly due to increasing child obesity throughout the world, and health problems this may bring in adult life, such as hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, chronic respiratory diseases and diabetes. Data from the World Health Organization (WHO, 2015) indicate that in 2013, the number of overweight children with less than four years of age was estimated to be 42 million

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