Department of Applied Economics and Management, Cornell University, 110 Warren Hall, Ithaca, NY, 14850, USA.
Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2010 Aug 25;7:63. doi: 10.1186/1479-5868-7-63.
While environmental and situational cues influence food intake, it is not always clear how they do so. We examine whether participants consume more when an eating occasion is associated with meal cues than with snack cues. We expect their perception of the type of eating occasion to mediate the amount of food they eat. In addition, we expect the effect of those cues on food intake to be strongest among those who are hungry.
One-hundred and twenty-two undergraduates (75 men, 47 women; mean BMI = 22.8, SD = 3.38) were randomly assigned to two experimental conditions in which they were offered foods such as quesadillas and chicken wings in an environment that was associated with either meal cues (ceramic plates, glasses, silverware, and cloth napkins at a table), or snack cues (paper plates and napkins, plastic cups, and no utensils). After participants finished eating, they were asked to complete a questionnaire that assessed their hunger, satiety, perception of the foods, and included demographic and anthropometric questions. In addition, participants' total food intake was recorded.
Participants who were in the presence of meal-related cues ate 27.9% more calories than those surrounded with snack cues (416 versus 532 calories). The amount participants ate was partially mediated by whether they perceived the eating occasion to be a meal or a snack. In addition, the effect of the environmental cues on intake was most pronounced among participants who were hungry.
The present study demonstrated that environmental and situational cues associated with an eating occasion could influence overall food intake. People were more likely to eat foods when they were associated with meal cues. Importantly, the present study reveals that the effect of these cues is uniquely intertwined with cognition and motivation. First, people were more likely to eat ambiguous foods when they perceived them as a meal rather than a snack. Second, the effect of the environmental cues on intake was only observed among those who were hungry.
环境和情境线索会影响食物摄入，但它们的影响方式并不总是很清楚。我们研究了在与正餐线索相关的进食场合与与零食线索相关的进食场合相比，参与者是否会吃得更多。我们预计他们对进食场合类型的感知会调节他们所吃食物的数量。此外，我们预计这些线索对食物摄入的影响在饥饿的人中最强。
122 名本科生（75 名男性，47 名女性；平均 BMI=22.8，SD=3.38）被随机分配到两个实验条件中，在这两个实验条件中，他们在一个环境中被提供食物，如玉米饼和鸡翅，这个环境与正餐线索（陶瓷盘、玻璃杯、银器和桌布餐巾）或零食线索（纸盘和餐巾、塑料杯和没有餐具）相关联。参与者吃完后，他们被要求完成一份问卷，评估他们的饥饿感、饱腹感、对食物的感知，并包括人口统计学和人体测量学问题。此外，还记录了参与者的总食物摄入量。
处于与正餐相关线索环境中的参与者比处于与零食相关线索环境中的参与者多摄入 27.9%的卡路里（416 与 532 卡路里）。参与者的摄入量部分由他们感知到的进食场合是正餐还是零食来介导。此外，环境线索对摄入量的影响在饥饿的参与者中最为明显。
本研究表明，与进食场合相关的环境和情境线索会影响整体食物摄入。当食物与正餐线索相关联时，人们更有可能吃这些食物。重要的是，本研究揭示了这些线索的作用与认知和动机独特地交织在一起。首先，当人们将模糊的食物视为正餐而不是零食时，他们更有可能吃这些食物。其次，只有在饥饿的人中，环境线索对摄入量的影响才会显现出来。
