Treats offered in small package sizes presumably help consumers reduce portion sizes yet new research is finding that people actually consume more high-calorie snacks when they are in small packages than large ones because large packages triggered concern of overeating and conscious efforts to avoid doing so, while small packages were perceived as innocent pleasures, leaving the consumers unaware that they were overindulging. "The increasing availability of single-serve and multi-packs may not serve consumers in the long-run, but - because they are considered to be innocent pleasures - may turn out to be sneaky small sins," write researchers Rita Coelho do Vale, Rik Pieters, and Marcel Zeelenberg.
Participants in the study watched episodes of Friends interspersed with commercials believing they were there to evaluate the ads but researchers were really monitoring their consumption of potato chips. Chips were available to participants in large packages or small ones. The study found that consumption was lowest when dieting concerns were activated and package size was large. People were less likely to open large packages, and participants deliberated longer before consuming from the larger packages.
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