Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects
Date of Degree
5-2018
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Ph.D.
Program
Business
Advisor
Lauren Block
Committee Members
Maureen Morrin
Pragya Mathur
Stephen Gould
Subject Categories
Experimental Analysis of Behavior | Food Studies | Marketing
Keywords
food decision making, calorie inferences, serving temperature
Abstract
This research introduces the serving temperature bias, which is defined as the belief that a food or beverage served hot has more calories and is considered more fattening than the same item served cold. Six studies, including an observational field study and follow-up controlled experiments, demonstrate that people indeed hold the serving temperature bias. This belief is grounded in the conceptual associations between warm foods and beverages and consumers’ affiliative semantic associations regarding home and hearth - concepts captured by the phrase “homelike.” Specifically, hot foods and beverages are perceived to be labor of love and reminder of home (homelike) and thus hedonically pleasing. The reported studies replicate the serving temperature bias and this underlying process across a variety of consumables (e.g., sandwiches, snacks and a beverage), as well as demonstrate a downstream consequence of the serving temperature bias on actual or intended complementary purchases.
Recommended Citation
Baskentli, Sara, "Some Like It Hot: The Effect of Serving Temperature on Perceived Caloric Content and Intent to Purchase Complementary Food" (2018). CUNY Academic Works.
https://academicworks.cuny.edu/gc_etds/2666
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