Aim
This study aimed to (1) investigate short-term effects and long-term effects of non-food rewards on liking and intake of a moderately disliked vegetable; and (2) to compare exposure without reward with no-exposure control.
Objectives
It was hypothesised that (1) exposure would increase liking and intake in the short-term (acquisition phase), and for that rewards would increase intake in the long-term (maintenance phase).
Summary
Using a cluster-randomized design, liking and intake were compared in four conditions: exposure plus tangible nonfood rewards (i.e. sticker reward; ETR), exposure plus social reward (i.e., praise; EP), exposure alone (EA), and no-treatment control (C). Children were offered a small piece of their target vegetable (moderately disliked vegetable determined by taste test) for 12 days. Child in the ETR group were told that if they tasted the vegetable that could choose a sticker as a reward. Children in the EP condition were praised if they tasted the vegetable. Children in the EA condition were invited to taste the target vegetable and received minimal social interaction. Children in the control group did not receive taste exposure during the intervention period. Liking and intake were assessed pre-intervention, post-intervention, and at 1 month and 3 months after intervention.
Journal article: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0956797610394662.