Want to eat less pizza?
Try separating the slices instead of presenting the whole lot.
Hereโs why.
Researchers wanted to understand whether the arrangement of food, not just the amount, shapes our desire to eat.
Specifically, they wondered if we indulge more when food appears as a unified โwholeโ.
In one experiment, participants were given 12 marshmallows. The marshmallows were either:
-
Individually laid out, or
-
Threaded together on a skewer, forming one cohesive unit.
People ate significantly more when the marshmallows were skewered.
But why?
Gestalt bias โ our tendency to perceive grouped items as a larger whole rather than separate parts.
When food appears as โone big thing,โ we subjectively experience it as more abundant or more inviting, which leads to greater desire and higher consumption.
So, if you want to curtail your consumption of cake, pizza or other indulgences, thereโs an easy way to trick your brain into feeling satisfied. Separate your portions.
Ref: Joye Y, Bruyneel S, Fennis BM. Is There a "Gestalt Bias" in Indulgence? Subjectively Constructing Food Units Into Wholes (vs. Parts) Increases Desire to Eat and Actual Consumption. Front Psychol. 2021 Jun 15;12:671299. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.671299. PMID: 34211423; PMCID: PMC8239214.
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