A Popcorn Experiment .... Overeating

  • I'm going to try to paraphrase an article I read in "Looking Good Now" magazine ...
    Cornell University researchers gave movie-goers 14 day old popcorn. All of the viewers had eaten a meal within an hour of the movie's start time. They were given either a large or medium bucket.

    Those given large buckets ate 34% more than those who had the smaller size, but they all ate it!
  • I read about that too! Just goes to show what mindless eating can do!
  • Yeah, I believe that... Heck, I've DONE that ...
  • yeah, me too. I don't care how stale it is, I love popcorn. That's why I stay far away from it!
  • Okay, here's what I find even more interesting about that study:

    "When the moviegoers were asked if they thought they ate more because of the size of the container, 77 percent of those given the large tubs said they would have eaten the same amount if given a medium container. "This means that the moviegoers were unaware that the exceptional amount they ate was due to the size of the container,"

    http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases...1110221344.htm

    I am a social psychologist, and it's this kind of result that simply fascinates me. We are just so often unaware of what affects our behavior!!
  • I wondered if the popcorn was free? Did that make a difference?
  • The article I linked to indicates the popcorn was free. Good question, though.