The objective of this intervention is to evaluate the effect of sensory imagination (i.e., imagining the sensory properties of an object) on the choice of food portion size in school-aged children. Previous research showed that it may help children to choose smaller portion size. The investigators would like to assess whether this effect can be reproduced with two types of food (one with a high energy-density and one with a low energy-density), and in older children.
School-aged children (8-11 years old) will be included in their usual schools to participate in an afternoon snack, organised according to regular arrangements, during two days separated by one week. On each day, the participants will receive a choice of three portion sizes of a food (small, medium, large), and will be asked to chose one of these portions and to eat it for snack. On one day, the high energy-density food will be offered; and on the other day, the low energy-density food. This will be counterbalanced across participants. Moreover, two groups of children will be constituted: the first group, the control group, will have to perform a sensory imagination task about neutral facts. The second group, the "food sensory imagination" group, will have to perform a sensory imagination task foods.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Masking
SINGLE
Enrollment
82
In both groups, children will be presented with pictures of items. In the control group, the pictures will represent landscapes at different seasons. In the experimental group, the pictures will represent a variety of foods. In the experimental group, based on the pictures representing a variety of foods, children will have to perform a food sensory imagination task before choosing the portion size of a food.
Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l'Alimentation
Dijon, France
portion size
choice of a portion size among three sizes (small, medium, large), for two different foods
Time frame: The measure for the two foods will be conducted one week apart
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