[2001 05 ] Not-just-a-plate assignment PDF

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Influence of the appearance of different utensils used in dining on consumption behaviour and quantity....

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Introductory Psychology Instructor: Professor An Nguyen Student name: Nguyen Thu Trang Student ID: 200105 Assignment: Not-just-a-plate

The study of the Delboulf illusion suggests that perceptual bias induce behavioural bias. In other words, visual illusion influences serving size perceptions, thus, effecting serving behaviour and consumption. Specifically, large dinnerwares lead to overserving due to contrast while small dinnerwares lead to underserving due to assimilation. Perception of the bigger size of dinnerwares and its corresponding contrast between the dinnerware size and the serving size make people underestimate the actual size of the serving portion. Consequently, people overserve themselves to compensate for the amount they perceive appropriate for such large dinnerwares after making size comparison. This opposite holds true for its counterparts. Such biases cannot be eliminated. However, methods targeting external stimuli help mitigate serving bias. Firstly, reducing the contrast between the inducing circle (dinnerware) and its background (table cloth) is one solution. Secondly, increasing the color contrast between the dinnerware and the food is another. Attention and education of serving bias might play a role, nevertheless, perceptual bias is unconscious, therefore, changing other visual factors such as the environment has direct and immediate impacts. To minimize the cost of food for Tet holiday, my family would expect people to underserve. The study investigating estimation biases and serving biases shows that big bowls lead to overserving while small bowls lead to underserving (Van Ittersum &

Wansink, 2012, p. 222). By choosing the small white dinnerware, people would perceive their small serving proportion to be large in reference to the small dinnerware. Study of the effect of color contrast between food and dinnerware demonstrates a correlation between high overserving behaviours and low color contrast conditions (Van Ittersum & Wansink, 2012, p. 223). Therefore, the white color would contrast with colorful food at Tet, thus, reduces overserving. Another study that investigates the effect of color contrast between dinnerware and tablecloth further confirms the influence of perceptions. This study showed that participants in the high color contrast condition served 9.8% more on the larger plate. (Van Ittersum & Wansink, 2012, p. 222) As such, I would suggest my family to use white table cloth to reduce color contrast between dinnerware and table cloths, thus, reduce overserving. Word count: 353 References: Van Ittersum, K., & Wansink, B. (2012). Plate size and color suggestibility: The Delboeuf illusion’s bias on serving and eating behaviour. Journal of Consumer Research, 39....