Children's Familiarity With Snack Foods Changes Expectations About Fullness

Palatability is regarded as a major determinant of children's energy intake. However, few studies have considered other "non-hedonic" beliefs about foods. In adults there is emerging evidence that expectations about the satiating properties of foods are an important determinant of meal size, and that these beliefs are learned over time.

In the current study, we measured and quantified children's 'expected satiation' across energy-dense snack foods using a psychophysical technique known as method of adjustment. Participants changed a comparison-food portion (pasta and tomato sauce) to match the satiation that they expected from a snack food. We predicted that children who were especially familiar with snack foods would expect them to generate greater satiation, and that children who were unfamiliar would match expected satiation based on the physical characteristics (perceived volume) of the foods.

In our study, seventy 11- to 12-year-old children completed computerised measures of expected satiation, perceived volume, familiarity, and liking across six snack foods. Our analyses focused on the associations between these measures. This approach enabled us to establish differences in healthy behaviours that are evident across individuals.