Food that costs more may "taste" better than food of the same quality that is offered at a lower price.
A recent study suggests taste perception and feelings of overeating guilt can be manipulated by food price, a Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) news release reported.
"We were fascinated to find that pricing has little impact on how much one eats, but a huge impact on how you interpret the experience," Brian Wansink, Ph.D., a professor at the Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management at Cornell University who oversaw the research said in the news release. "Simply cutting the price of food at a restaurant dramatically affects how customers evaluate and appreciate the food."
Researchers offered 139 diners an all-you-can-eat high quality Italian buffet for either $4 or $8.
Those who had the $8 buffet reported enjoying their food about 11 percent more than those who paid $4. Both groups ate about the same amount of food but those who paid less were more likely to feel like they had overeaten or experience food guilt.
"We were surprised by the striking pattern we saw," Ozge Sigirci, a researcher at Cornell University Food and Brand Lab who conducted the study said in the news release. "If the food is there, you are going to eat it, but the pricing very much affects how you are going to feel about your meal and how you will evaluate the restaurant."
The study offers insight into how consumers can better-enjoy their meal.
"If you're a consumer and want to eat at a buffet, the best thing to do is eat at the most expensive buffet you can afford. You won't eat more, but you'll have a better experience overall," Wansink said.
The study also looked at how eating habits can be affected by minor changes.
This is an example of how a really small change can transform how a person interacts with food in a way that doesn't entail dieting," Wansink said.
