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Flying under the Radar: Perverse Package Size Effects on Consumption Self-Regulation

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  • Rita Coelho do Vale
  • Rik Pieters
  • Marcel Zeelenberg

Abstract

Consumers believe that small package formats of hedonic, but not of utilitarian, products help to regulate consumption-especially when their self-regulatory concerns are activated. These beliefs may backfire and increase consumption of hedonic products. Specifically, activating self-regulatory concerns had no consumption effects when tempting products came in small package formats. Yet, when tempting products came in large package formats, consumers deliberated most before consumption, were least likely to consume, and consumed the least. This illustrates how small temptations can remain undetected ("flying under the radar") and large package formats may reduce consumption as a result of the experienced self-control conflict. (c) 2008 by JOURNAL OF CONSUMER RESEARCH, Inc..

Suggested Citation

  • Rita Coelho do Vale & Rik Pieters & Marcel Zeelenberg, 2008. "Flying under the Radar: Perverse Package Size Effects on Consumption Self-Regulation," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 35(3), pages 380-390, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:oup:jconrs:v:35:y:2008:i:3:p:380-390
    DOI: 10.1086/589564
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    Cited by:

    1. Isabelle Chalamon & Lydiane Nabec, 2016. "Why Do We Read On-Pack Nutrition Information so Differently? A Typology of Reading Heuristics Based on Food Consumption Goals," Journal of Consumer Affairs, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 50(2), pages 403-429, July.
    2. Jaeho Yang & Bokyeong Kim, 2021. "Guilt and the Consumption of Products with an Unhealthy Image," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(21), pages 1-16, October.
    3. Bublitz, Melissa G. & Peracchio, Laura A., 2015. "Applying industry practices to promote healthy foods: An exploration of positive marketing outcomes," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 68(12), pages 2484-2493.
    4. Bui, My (Myla) & Tangari, Andrea Heintz & Haws, Kelly L., 2017. "Can health “halos” extend to food packaging? An investigation into food healthfulness perceptions and serving sizes on consumption decisions," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 75(C), pages 221-228.
    5. Madzharov, Adriana V., 2019. "Self-Control and Touch: When Does Direct Versus Indirect Touch Increase Hedonic Evaluations and Consumption of Food," Journal of Retailing, Elsevier, vol. 95(4), pages 170-185.
    6. Mead, James A. & Richerson, Rob, 2018. "Package color saturation and food healthfulness perceptions," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 82(C), pages 10-18.
    7. Lynch, John G. & Bradlow, Eric T. & Huber, Joel C. & Lehmann, Donald R., 2015. "Reflections on the replication corner: In praise of conceptual replications," International Journal of Research in Marketing, Elsevier, vol. 32(4), pages 333-342.
    8. Cleeren, Kathleen & Geyskens, Kelly & Verhoef, Peter C. & Pennings, Joost M.E., 2016. "Regular or low-fat? An investigation of the long-run impact of the first low-fat purchase on subsequent purchase volumes and calories," International Journal of Research in Marketing, Elsevier, vol. 33(4), pages 896-906.
    9. Mishra, Himanshu & Mishra, Arul & Rixom, Jessica & Chatterjee, Promothesh, 2013. "Influence of motivated reasoning on saving and spending decisions," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 121(1), pages 13-23.
    10. Roose, Gudrun & Van Kerckhove, Anneleen & Huyghe, Elke, 2017. "Honey they shrank the food! An integrative study of the impact of food granularity and its operationalization mode on consumption," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 75(C), pages 210-220.
    11. Olivier Allais; & Fabrice Etile; & Sebastien Lecocq, 2012. "Mandatory labelling, nutritional taxes and market forces: An empirical evaluation of fat policies in the French fromage blanc and yogurt market," Health, Econometrics and Data Group (HEDG) Working Papers 12/14, HEDG, c/o Department of Economics, University of York.
    12. Togawa, Taku & Park, Jaewoo & Ishii, Hiroaki & Deng, Xiaoyan, 2019. "A Packaging Visual-Gustatory Correspondence Effect: Using Visual Packaging Design to Influence Flavor Perception and Healthy Eating Decisions," Journal of Retailing, Elsevier, vol. 95(4), pages 204-218.
    13. Aner Tal & Yaniv Gvili & Moty Amar, 2021. "Visual Size Matters: The Effect of Product Depiction Size on Calorie Estimates," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(23), pages 1-19, November.
    14. Krishna, Aradhna & Cian, Luca & Aydınoğlu, Nilüfer Z., 2017. "Sensory Aspects of Package Design," Journal of Retailing, Elsevier, vol. 93(1), pages 43-54.
    15. Holden, Stephen S. & Zlatevska, Natalina, 2015. "The partitioning paradox: The big bite around small packages," International Journal of Research in Marketing, Elsevier, vol. 32(2), pages 230-233.
    16. (Grace) Chae, Boyoun & Yoon, Sangsuk & Baskin, Ernest & (Juliet) Zhu, Rui, 2023. "The lasting smell of temptation: Counteractive effects of indulgent food scents," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 155(PA).

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