Children's Liking Research Articles

Parental experiences of telerehabilitation for children with special needs: An exploratory survey.

Context:The COVID-19 pandemic's emergence necessitated that clinic/hospital-based rehabilitation is replaced or substituted by other modes. Using telecommunication devices was found a convenient alternative.Aims:Present study explored the telerehabilitation experiences of the parents of children with developmental disabilities (CDD).Settings and Design:The study was conducted among the service users of a not-for-profit NGO located in Kerala. Parents of children with one or more developmental disabilities formed the population of the present study. The present study was a cross-sectional exploratory survey.Subjects and Methods:A total of 205 parents took part in the study using a brief open-ended survey. The majority of the participants were females (65%).Statistical Analysis Used:The sociodemographic data were analyzed using frequency and percentage. The qualitative data were analyzed using thematic analysis.Results:Overall, the study found that parents experienced more challenges in telerehabilitation compared to face-to-face interventions. Perceived challenges included externalizing problems, reduced effectiveness, logistical issues, multiple disabilities, and the child's lack of interest in gadgets. Perceived advantages included the child's liking for the device and increased availability of time.Conclusion:In short, the study throws light on the various challenges experienced by parents in implementing telerehabilitation for their CDD. The findings strongly recommend fine-tuning telerehabilitation programs to meet these challenges to provide optimal care to our children with special needs.

The Relationship Between Self-Esteem, Empathy Skills And Liking Of Children In Pediatric Nurses And Physicians

Objective: There is an important relationship between positive self-esteem, developed empathy skills and liking of children in nurses and physicians. This descriptive study aims to evaluate the relationship between self-esteem, empathy skills and liking of children in pediatric nurses and pediatricians. Method: This descriptive and cross-sectional study was conducted with 105 nurses and 46 pediatricians working in private, state and university hospitals. Data were collected using a “Personal Information Form”, the “Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale” (RSES), the “Empathy Skill Scale-B Form” (ESS) and the “Barnett Liking of Children Scale” (BLOCS), and analyzed using SPSS version 22 program via One-way Anova, Mann-Whitney U, Kruskal-Wallis and Pearson’s chi-square tests. Results: In this study, the RSES, BLOCS and ESS mean scores were 32.82±5.18, 85.74±9.08 and 145.79±28.15 for pediatric nurses and 32.41±5.17, 85.28±9.70 and 136.22±22.24 for pediatricians, respectively. Conclusions: There was no direct relationship between self-esteem, empathy skills and liking of children in pediatric nurses and pediatricians (p>0.05), however a statistically significant positive correlation was found between their self-esteem and empathy skills and between their empathy skills and liking of children (p <0.05).

Partner in crime: Beneficial cooperation overcomes children's aversion to antisocial others.

Young children display strong aversion toward antisocial individuals, but also feel responsible for joint activities and express a strong sense of group loyalty. This paper aims to understand how beneficial cooperation with an antisocial partner shapes preschoolers' attitudes, preferences, and moral judgments concerning antisocial individuals. We argue that although young children display a strong aversion to antisocial characters, children may overcome this aversion when they stand to personally benefit. In Study 1a (N=62), beneficial cooperation with an antisocial partner resulted in the children's later preference for the antisocial partner over the neutral partner. Study 1b (N=91) replicated this effect with discrete measurement of liking (resource distribution) and showed that children rewarded more and punished less the antisocial partner in the beneficial cooperation setting. In Study 2, (N=58), children's aversion to an antisocial in-group member decreased when the cooperation benefited other in-group members. Finally, in Study 3 (N=62), when children passively observed the antisocial individual, personal benefits from the antisocial behavior did not change their negative attitude toward the antisocial individual. Overall, beneficial cooperation with the antisocial partner increased the children's liking and preference for the antisocial partner, but did not affect the children's moral judgments. Presented evidence suggests that by the age of 4, children develop a strong obligation to collaborate with partners who help them to acquire resources-even when these partners harm third parties, which children recognize as immoral.

O25 Bodacious Broccoli: Assessing Preschool-Aged Children's Liking and Acceptance of Broccoli in Different Cooking Forms

Background Current literature suggests early childhood is a crucial time for establishing healthy eating habits. These behaviors often extend into adulthood. Most children in US eat below recommended amounts of fruits/vegetables. Current nutrition education interventions may not be effective in reaching target intake. Objective To measure if altering cooking form for broccoli affects children's liking, desire to consume again, and interest in making again. Broccoli was chosen because it has been reported to be America's favorite vegetable, is affordable, and available throughout the year. Study Design, Setting, Participants A 3 × 2 design with cooking form (raw with dip, pizza, soup), presented in 3 culinary tasting lessons, with binary rating (thumbs up or thumbs down) for 3 assessment questions. Raw broccoli was used as a control. A convenience sample of 4-year-old preschoolers from a variety of race and ethnic backgrounds (n = 17, 35% M). Measurable Outcome/Analysis Dichotomous rating measures for acceptance, likelihood to eat again, and desire to make recipe at home were examined for the 3 cooking forms of broccoli and control. Frequencies examined percentage of preschoolers that accepted, were likely to eat again, and desired to make at home for 3 broccoli cooking forms and control. T-tests were performed to test for significant difference between each of the 3 cooking forms and the control. Results For the 3 main outcome measures: acceptance (77%), likelihood to eat again (82%), desire to make at home (100%), the largest percentage of preschoolers chose broccoli pizza. There was a significant difference in outcome measures for all cooking forms compared to the control (P Conclusion Offering broccoli on pizza is a method to increase acceptance of broccoli, likelihood to eat it again, and desire to make at home. The results of this study adds to the body of research on how to encourage children to eat more broccoli, to meet recommended amounts of vegetables, by offering it in other forms than raw. Funding Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

The Relationship between Psychosocial Development and Liking of Children in Nurses Working in Pediatric Clinics

The Relationship between Psychosocial Development and Liking of Children in Nurses Working in Pediatric Clinics

Cooking together: The IKEA effect on family vegetable intake.

Based on the idea of the 'IKEA effect', assuming that individuals like self-created objects more than objects created by someone else, this study hypothesizes that parents' involvement of their children in meal planning and preparation is positively related to vegetable intake, mediated via liking vegetables. Longitudinal observational study with two time points (10-month interval). Nine hundred and twenty-four parent-child dyads filled out questionnaires measuring involvement, vegetable liking, vegetable intake, and further environmental and food-related determinants of vegetable intake. On average, parents were M=36.10 (SD=5.43) and children (54.3% girls) M=8.24 (SD=1.44; range 6-11) years old. Hypotheses were tested with path analyses, accounting for intra-dyadic associations among respective constructs (e.g., parents' and children's liking vegetables). Two direct effects were found: (1) parents' involvement of their children in cooking activities impacted children's liking of vegetables and vegetable intake, and (2) liking vegetables impacted vegetable intake. The effect of involvement on vegetable intake was mediated via liking vegetables, but only for children and not for parents. The findings emphasize the importance of parents' encouragement for involving children in the preparation of healthy meals, as this improves liking of vegetables and, thereby, increases their vegetable intake. Statement of contribution What is already known on this subject? Processes behind the effectiveness of shared cooking activities to increase vegetable intake are unclear. Previous research suggests the IKEA effect as an explanation. It assumes a higher consumption of self-created products due to a higher liking compared to third-party products. What does this study add? First test of the IKEA effect for joint cooking activities under consideration of spillover effects in families. Affirmation of the IKEA effect was found for children, not for parents. Interventions should focus on the involvement of children in cooking activities to improve vegetable intake.

Preschoolers prefer in‐group to out‐group members, but equally condemn their immoral acts

AbstractPrevious research has shown that young children robustly display in‐group favoritism; that is, they favor in‐group over out‐group members. Moreover, preschoolers also consider information on morality in their evaluations of others. In the present study, we integrated both aspects: In particular, fifty‐six 4‐ to 6‐year‐old preschoolers were assigned to minimal groups and observed either prosocial or antisocial acts conducted by either an in‐group or an out‐group member. After observing these behaviors, children's liking and sharing were significantly higher for moral compared to immoral actors. In addition, children's liking and sharing were substantially higher for in‐group compared to out‐group actors. However, when children were directly asked to morally evaluate the actor's conduct, no in‐group favoritism emerged: In particular, children evaluated immoral acts conducted by an in‐group or an out‐group agent as equally bad/wrong and similarly claimed that these acts deserve punishment. These findings demonstrate that preschoolers differentially weigh information on group membership and moral valence depending on the type of evaluation, namely sharing and liking versus explicit moral evaluations of others’ conduct.

Using repeated visual exposure, rewards and modelling in a mobile application to increase vegetable acceptance in children

Children are not consuming the recommended amounts of fruit and vegetables. Repeated visual exposure, modelling, and rewards have been shown to be effective at increasing vegetable acceptance in young children. The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of an evidence-based mobile application (Vegetable Maths Masters) which builds on these principles to increase children's liking and acceptance of vegetables. Seventy-four children (37 male, 37 female) aged 3–6 years old were randomised to play with either the vegetable app or a similar control app that did not include any foods. Children played their allocated game for 10 min. Liking and acceptance of the vegetables used in Vegetable Maths Masters (carrot and sweetcorn) and other vegetables which were not used in the game (yellow pepper and tomato) were measured pre- and post-play in both groups. Parents provided data about their child's food fussiness and previous exposure to the foods being used. Children who played with the Vegetable Maths Masters app consumed significantly more vegetables after playing with the app and reported significant increases in their liking of vegetables, relative to the control group. The effect of the Vegetable Maths Masters app on the change in consumption of vegetables was mediated by the change in liking of vegetables. These findings suggest that evidence-based mobile apps can provide an effective tool for increasing children's liking and consumption of vegetables in the short-term. Further work is now required to establish whether these effects are maintained over time.

Repeated exposure to vegetable-enriched snack bars may increase children's liking for the bars - but not for the vegetables

Most children do not consume enough vegetables and a key reason is their relatively low hedonic acceptance. The aims of this study were to test if integration of vegetables into a popular snack product might serve as a means to increase the liking for vegetables and to test how exposure frequency influences the intake and liking. Totally 256 children from 12 school classes, aged 7–10 years, participated in the study. School classes were assigned to one of six intervention groups based on the bar they were exposed to: beetroot/carrot (B/C), n = 45; spinach/Jerusalem artichoke (S/J), n = 34; pumpkin/sweet potato (P/S), n = 44; Neutral, n = 46, who received a neutral bar without vegetables; and a Boredom Group, who received the beetroot/carrot (b/c) bar at high frequency, n = 47. These groups received 8 exposures. The Boredom Group was exposed daily while the other groups were exposed every second day. A Control Group (n = 40) was not exposed. Liking for the bars was assessed at baseline and post-intervention and the intake of the bars was recorded during all exposures. Results showed increases in liking for the exposed bars in all groups except the Boredom Group, but changes were only significant in the B/C Group (p = 0.03) and the P/S Group (p = 0.02). Some increases towards unexposed bars were observed. Liking for vegetables remained stable or decreased. Intake of the bars during exposures did not differ significantly between groups, but was somewhat lower in the Boredom Group. In conclusion, repeated exposure may be a successful approach to increase liking for a vegetable bar, but does not generalize to changes in vegetable liking, and a lower exposure frequency may be advantageous.

Peas, please! Food familiarization through picture books helps parents introduce vegetables into preschoolers’ diets

Repeated taste exposure is an established means of increasing children's liking and intake of fruit and vegetables. However, parents find it difficult to offer children disliked foods repeatedly, often giving up after a few attempts. Studies show that familiarizing children to fruit and vegetables through picture books can increase their interest in tasting targeted foods. This study explored whether looking at picture books before providing foods to taste improved the outcomes of a home-delivered taste exposure regime. Parents of 127 toddlers (aged 21–24 months) identified two ‘target’ foods they wanted their child to eat (1 fruit, 1 vegetable). Families were randomly assigned to one of three groups. Parents and children in two experimental groups looked at books about either the target fruit or vegetable every day for two weeks; the control group did not receive a book. Parents in all three groups were then asked to offer their child both target foods every day during a 2-week taste-exposure phase. Parental ratings of children's liking and consumption of the foods were collected at baseline, immediately following taste-exposure (post-intervention), and 3 months later (follow-up). In all groups, liking of both foods increased following taste exposure and remained above baseline at follow-up (all ps < .001). In addition, compared to the control group who experienced only taste exposure, looking at vegetable books enhanced children's liking of their target vegetable post-intervention (p < .001) and at follow-up (p < .05), and increased consumption of the vegetable at follow-up (p < .01). Exposure to vegetable books was also associated with smaller increases in neophobia and food fussiness over the period of the study compared to controls (ps < .01), suggesting that picture books may have positive, long-term impacts on children's attitudes towards new foods.

Extracurricular participation and young children's outcomes in Hong Kong: Maternal involvement as a moderator

In Hong Kong's competitive society, most children take part in extracurricular activities (ECAs) before or after school. Early childhood lays the foundation for development of intelligence, personality, social behaviour and learning capacity, and ECAs can, therefore, be expected to enrich a child's learning experience. But there has been relatively little research on the effects of extracurricular participation on young children. This study examines the relations between extracurricular participation and young children's school readiness and psychosocial outcomes in a Chinese cultural context. Sixty-four Hong Kong upper kindergarten class children (aged five years and two months to six years and ten months old), their mothers and class teachers participated in a quantitative study where parent, teacher and child reports were collected. The results showed that children's extracurricular participation was positively associated with better school readiness and social competence and negatively associated with a child's liking of ECAs. The level of extracurricular participation was defined as the number of ECAs a child has been participating in during the month that the study was conducted. This was a pioneering study that found maternal involvement moderated the association between the number of ECAs and a child's school readiness and cognitive competence. In general, children from family with low maternal involvement were more likely to benefit from their participation in a higher number of ECAs. The results from this study will inform educators, parents and policymakers and are intended to inspire further research exploring ECAs and early childhood.

Children's purchase behavior in the snack market: Can branding or lower prices motivate healthier choices?

BackgroundChildren's dietary-related diseases and their associated costs have expanded dramatically in many countries, making children's food choice a policy issue of increasing relevance. As children spend a considerable amount of money on energy-dense, nutrient-poor (EDNP) products, a better understanding of the main drivers of children's independent food purchase decisions is crucial to move this behavior toward healthier options. ObjectiveThe objective of the study is to investigate the role of branding and price in motivating children to choose healthier snack options. MethodsThe study investigates snack choices of children ages 8 to 11, using a survey and a purchase experiment. The research took place in after-school programs of selected schools in the Boston area. Participants included 116 children. Products in the choice experiment differed on three factors: product type, brand, and price. Data were analyzed using aggregated and mixed logit models. ResultsChildren's purchase decisions are primarily determined by product type (Importance Value (IV) 56.6%), while brand (IV 22.8%) and price (IV 20.6%) prove to be of less relevance. Only those children who state that they like the familiar brand reveal a preference for the branded product in their purchase decision. Price is a significant predictor of choice when controlling for whether or not children obtain an allowance. ConclusionIt is not simple brand awareness but a child's liking of the brand that determines whether a brand is successful in motivating a child to choose a product. The extent of children's experience with money influences their price responsiveness. To the extent that children who receive an allowance are primarily the ones buying food snacks, higher prices for EDNP snacks could be successful in motivating children to choose a healthier option.

Farm to Sensory Lab: Taste of Blueberry Fruit by Children and Adults.

The average American child eats fewer fruits than recommended. Although taste is the primary motivator for food intake among children, little research has systematically measured children's liking of fruit and determined whether their preferences differ from adults. We phenotyped 49 children and their mothers to determine: (1) their liking of the taste of 3 blueberry cultivars ("Arcadia," "Keecrisp," and "Kestrel") from 2 harvests for which total soluble solids were determined using a handheld Brix refractometer; (2) the association between liking and blueberry sugar content; and (3) the most preferred level of fructose, one of the primary sugars in blueberry fruit. Multiple methods, identical for all participants, assessed which cultivar they liked best. Dietary intake, determined via 24-h dietary recall, revealed most children (73%) and adults (92%) did not meet dietary guidelines for fruit intake. We found that during the 1st harvest, Keecrisp was sweeter by 4° Brix than either Arcadia or Kestrel and was the cultivar most preferred by both children and adults. For the 2nd harvest, mothers liked each of the cultivars equally, but children preferred Arcadia, which was 2° Brix sweeter than the other 2 cultivars. Like other sugars, children's most preferred concentration of fructose was significantly higher than that of adults. In sum, children appear to be more sensitive to smaller variations in sweetness than are adults. Identifying drivers of fruit preference and assessing children's liking for whole fruits are important steps in developing strategies to increase fruit consumption among children.

Comparing visual food images versus actual food when measuring emotional response of children

AbstractWith the continued growth of emotion research in the consumer sciences, it has become necessary to investigate approaches which are appropriate for use with children. The purpose of this study was to compare children's liking and emotional responses to food images and actual foods. In both studies, 8 foods were used as stimuli (fresh spinach, baby carrots, orange juice, white grapes, cheddar cheese, chocolate graham snacks, lychee gummy candy, and white bread). In the first study, children answered questions about liking and emotions in response to food images. Emotion responses were collected using a check‐all‐that‐apply format with emojis and words as variables. In the second study, children were asked liking and emotion questions after seeing the sample and after tasting the sample. Overall liking scores were higher for actual foods compared with food images. Additionally, testing with actual foods resulted in increased use of positive emojis and words, and decreased use of negative emojis and words for both food appearance and post‐taste emotions. The largest differences in liking and emotion results were seen in response to the lychee gummy candy, which most children had not tried before. The children's responses differed between a conceptual evaluation (image) versus actual evaluation (appearance, taste).Practical applicationsThis study illustrates the influence of stimulus type on study outcomes when testing with children. In this study, the children's responses differed between a conceptual evaluation (image only) versus literally seeing and tasting the product, and are therefore not interchangeable when conducting emotion testing with children.

Sustained Effects of an Intervention to Improve Willingness to Try New Foods on Preschoolers' Liking Ratings of a Target Vegetable

BackgroundFood neophobia, or the tendency to avoid or reject unknown foods, reaches a peak during early childhood and is associated with poor dietary outcomes, such as lower consumption and liking of vegetables. Children's positive hedonic ratings for vegetables are associated with greater vegetable consumption. Thus, in order to increase young children's consumption of vegetables, a necessary first step may be to increase children's liking for vegetables. The Colorado LEAP study aimed to improve food acceptance patterns in preschoolers via repeated exposure to new foods.ObjectiveTo examine the effect of The Food Friends (FF), a 12‐week program designed to increase preschoolers' willingness to try new foods, on children's liking for jicama, the target vegetable repeatedly offered during the program and promoted to children through various activities led by Jose Jicama.MethodsPreschool children and their families were recruited from four Head Start programs in rural Colorado. At baseline during the fall of preschool (T1), children completed a preference assessment in which jicama and 8 other foods were rated for liking. After tasting each food, children were asked to place the food into one of 3 categories depicted with a corresponding face: yummy, just ok, or yucky. The FF intervention was subsequently delivered to children in the intervention group. Post‐intervention liking assessments were repeated in the spring of preschool (T2), kindergarten (T3), and first grade (T4) for all children. To assess liking for the target food, the ratings were collapsed into a dichotomous variable (“yummy” vs. other ratings) at each assessment. To examine intervention effects on jicama liking ratings (“yummy”) across intervention and control groups, over time, a logistic mixed model was conducted, assuming an unstructured covariance structure and categorical time.ResultsThere was a significant interaction effect between study group and time on liking ratings (F(7, 230) = 5.16, p &lt; .0001). Children in the intervention group had significantly higher odds of rating the jicama as “yummy” (OR= 2.22, 95% CI: 1.28–3.83) at post‐intervention (T2) compared to baseline (T1) and at 2‐years post‐intervention (T4) (OR=2.66, 95% CI:1.51–4.68), indicating sustained effects of the intervention on liking ratings over time. Conversely, for children in the control group, the odds of rating the jicama as “yummy” did not significantly increase at T2, T3, or T4 compared to baseline.ConclusionsThe study replicates previous positive outcomes for the impact of FF intervention on children's liking of a target vegetable through repeated exposure during a preschool‐based curriculum. In addition, longitudinal findings from the LEAP study indicate a sustained effect on children's acceptance of the target food up to 2 years later. Through repeated and fun experiences with novel foods, children can learn to like them and this has the potential to positively influence later dietary consumption.Support or Funding InformationSupported by the USDA NIFA AFRI grant 2010‐85215‐20648

The Role of Caregiver Communication in Children's Liking and Consumption of Lentils

BackgroundUse of repeated exposure in fostering development of a child's taste preference for previously disliked foods has been thoroughly examined, however, other techniques such as adult verbal communication have not. Child Centered Nutrition Phrases (CCNP) were developed as part of the Child Care Mealtime and Active Play Partnerships project. The efficacy of adults’ use of these developmentally appropriate, nutritionally sound messages to improve children's intake and liking of lentils has not been evaluated.ObjectiveTo determine whether repeated taste exposure (RE) and RE + CCNP would increase young children's liking and intake of lentils.MethodsChildren (3–6 yr; n=30) attending the University of Idaho Children's Center were offered two tasting cups of lentils (24.4 ± 0.3 grams each) up to two times a week for a total of 5 exposures. Taste preference and consumption were recorded using three faces (“yummy,” “just okay,” and “yucky”) and plate waste, respectively. Lentil consumption was measured to the nearest 0.1 g. Repeated Measure Analysis of Variance was completed using PROC MIXED in SAS with Tukey's post hoc test to adjust for multiple comparisons. Main effects of group (RE or RE+CCNP) and exposure number and the interaction between group and exposure number were considered significant at p≤0.05.ResultsThere was a significant main effect of exposure on consumption (p=0.002) as children ate significantly more lentils at exposures 2–5 compared to baseline. The main effect of exposure on taste preference showed a trend to increased liking over time (p=0.07).There was no significant main effect of group on either liking (p=0.13) or consumption (p=0.56).However, there was a trend toward a significant interaction between group and exposure on consumption (p=0.09).ConclusionsRepeated taste exposure resulted in increased liking and intake of lentils in young children, and the use of CCNPs to engage children in trying and eating a novel food appears to have some promise. In order to further explore the trend toward a significant interaction between group and exposure continued research will be conducted.Support or Funding InformationAmerican Pulses Association

Shared cultural knowledge: Effects of music on young children’s social preferences

Adults use cultural markers to discern the structure of the social landscape. Such markers may also influence the social preferences of young children, who tend to conform to their own group and prefer others who do so. However, the forces that propel these preferences are unknown. Here, we use social preferences based on music to investigate these forces in four- and five-year-old children. First, we establish that children prefer other children whose favorite songs are familiar to them. Then we show that this effect depends on shared knowledge: children both prefer others who know songs they themselves know, and avoid others who know songs they do not know, irrespective of the target children’s liking of the songs. These results suggest that young children have a remarkably selective sensitivity to shared cultural knowledge. Shared knowledge may be a powerful determinant of children’s social preferences, both because it underpins effective communication and because it is conveyed by others through social interactions and therefore can serve as a marker of social group identity.

Piloting an online grocery store simulation to assess children's food choices

Public health interventions must address poor diet among U.S. children, but research is needed to better understand factors influencing children's food choices. Using an online grocery store simulation, this research piloted a novel method to assess children's snack selection in a controlled but naturalistic laboratory setting, evaluate predictors of choice, and experimentally test whether promotions on food packages altered choices. Children (7–12 years, N = 61) were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: promotions on healthy products; promotions on unhealthy products; and no promotions (control). They selected from a variety of healthy and unhealthy foods and beverages and rated all products on healthfulness and taste. Promotions on food packaging did not affect snack selection in this study, but findings supported our other hypothesis that perceived taste would be the strongest predictor of food choice. Children accurately rated product healthfulness, but these ratings did not predict healthy snack choices or taste ratings for healthy or unhealthy snacks. These results suggest that interventions to improve children's food choices should focus on increasing availability of healthy options and identifying opportunities to enhance children's liking of healthy options. However, nutrition education alone is unlikely to improve children's diets. Further testing is required, but the simulated online grocery store method shows potential for measuring children's food choices.

Preschool-Adapted Liking Survey (PALS): A Brief and Valid Method To Assess Dietary Quality of Preschoolers.

Feasible, valid, and reliable tools are needed to assess dietary quality among preschoolers. We aimed to test construct-/criterion-related validity and reliability of a dietary quality index generated from a liking survey and novel dietary patterns for characterizing food hedonism and parental feeding practices. Participants included 416 economically disadvantaged, diverse preschoolers (41% overweight/obese) from educational centers and their parents. Parents completed liking and frequency surveys; the liking survey took half as long to complete. Preschoolers' skin carotenoid status (measured by Resonance Raman spectroscopy) and BMI percentile (measured weight/height) were assessed. The Healthy Eating Preference Index (HEPI) was constructed from weighted averages of liking scores for food groups and healthy variety score and Healthy Eating Index 2010 (HEI) from nutrient analysis of the frequency survey. The HEPI was normally distributed and showed construct validity and adequate internal reliability. In hierarchical regression analyses, the HEPI explained carotenoid status and adiposity as alternative or value-added predictors to HEI, supporting criterion-related validity of HEPI. Parental reporting of children's liking of high-fat/sweet/salty foods in excess of pleasurable activities (food hedonism) predicted heavier preschoolers, as did discord between HEI and HEPI (potential parental pressure toward healthy eating). HEPI alone or with HEI explained variability in carotenoid status and adiposity in path models with adequate to good fits. With simple collection and processing, the liking survey can generate a valid/reliable dietary quality index in child care settings to identify preschoolers at risk for lower nutritional status. Using liking and frequency-based screeners could improve understanding of parental feeding behaviors and precision of predicting nutritional status.

Do-gooder derogation in children: the social costs of generosity.

Generosity is greatly valued and admired, but can it sometimes be unappealing? The current study investigated 8- to 10-year-old children’s (N = 128) preference for generous individuals, and the effects of social comparison on their preferences. In Experiment 1, children showed a strong preference for a generous to a stingy child; however, this preference was significantly reduced in a situation that afforded children a comparison of their own (lesser) generosity to that of another child. In Experiment 2, children’s liking for a generous individual was not reduced when that individual was an adult, suggesting that similarity in age influences whether a child engages in social comparison. These findings indicate that, by middle childhood, coming up short in comparison with a peer can decrease one’s liking for a generous individual.