[Sigia-l] How the Perception of Variety Influences Consumption

[Hankinson, Jody]

I just finished reading this overview "Six Kinds of Jelly Beans: How the
Perception of Variety Influences Consumption." And while there's no direct
correlation to my current project, I think it's interesting information to
keep in the back of my mind. Especially as a counter argument for "7 plus or
minus 2" rule.

- Jody

http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/articles.cfm?catid=4&articleid=819

It does, Kahn found after conducting a series of experiments that she and
University of Illinois professor Brian Wansink are publishing in a
forthcoming issue of Journal of Consumer Research. Their work, titled "The
Influence of Assortment Structure on Perceived Variety and Consumption
Quantities," found that the perception of variety, even when illusory,
stimulates people to consume more. Kahn's and Wansink's research reinforces
other recent studies challenging long-held views that a person's ability to
control eating, spending and general overindulgence has solely to do with
willpower, or a lack thereof. Environmental factors, including portion size,
price and the number of choices presented, also play a key role in America's
well-documented passion for overindulgence, social scientists are now
finding. 

An earlier study by co-author Wansink, for example, found that movie-goers
given an extra-large bucket of popcorn will eat 45% to 50% more than those
given a container one size smaller, even when the popcorn is stale. Hungry
or not, another study found, employees will eat throughout their workday if
an office table is stocked with cookies and candy, while other research
revealed that the bigger the toothbrush head, the more toothpaste people
use. And when consumers are offered an assortment with three different
flavors of yogurt, they consume an average of 23% more than from a
collection of just one flavor.


Jody Hankinson | Information Architect
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