The Shape Of A Glass Can Influence How Much We Drink

By Matthew Warren Recent years have seen the government take measures to try and limit people’s consumption of sugary drinks and other unhealthy foods. Take the so-called “sugar tax” placed on soft drinks, for instance, or the proposal to ban adverts for junk food before the 9pm watershed. Some psychologists hope that small changes in design can also help “nudge” people into healthier behaviours. For example, a study from last year found that the order in which drinks are presented on the McDonald’s menu could encourage people to choose the sugar-free options more often. Now a new paper in Scientific Reports suggests that the shape of a glass could also subtly influence people’s drinking behaviours. Past work had found that people were slower to drink both beer and soft drinks from glasses with straight sides compared to those with outward-sloping sides. But it was unclear whether there was any effect on the total amount consumed or exactly why the shape of a glass should have an effect. To investigate these questions, Tess Langfield from the University of Cambridge and colleagues conducted a series of experiments using different shaped glasses. First, the team gave 198 participants a fizzy apple drink in either a straight-sided tumbler, or one with sides that sloped outwards. The participants were allowed to drink at their leisure while watching a nature documentary. The glasses used in the first study (left; each glass contains 330ml of apple drink) and ...
Source: BPS RESEARCH DIGEST - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Tags: Alcohol Health Perception Source Type: blogs