Perimeter, Surface Area, and Volume: Why Consumers Underestimate Package and Portion Size Change and How to Help Them
Past research showed that larger packages and portions lead to overeating because consumers grossly underestimate size changes. We show that this happens because people add instead of multiplying the changes in each of the three dimensions. Hence, a linearization of the estimation object (by decreasing the dimensionality of size change from 3D to 2D to 1D) and a linearization of the estimation process (by asking people to estimate each dimension) improve the accuracy of size estimations and nudge consumers towards healthier food choices.
Citation:
Nailya Ordabayeva and Pierre Chandon (2011) ,"Perimeter, Surface Area, and Volume: Why Consumers Underestimate Package and Portion Size Change and How to Help Them", in E - European Advances in Consumer Research Volume 9, eds. Alan Bradshaw, Chris Hackley, and Pauline Maclaran, Duluth, MN : Association for Consumer Research, Pages: 621-623.
Authors
Nailya Ordabayeva, Erasmus University, the Netherlands
Pierre Chandon, INSEAD, France
Volume
E - European Advances in Consumer Research Volume 9 | 2011
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