Lauren Kurtz Professor Henry Boyd BMGT350 0301 February 18 2011 Round 1 Alternative Assignment 1 What was the main research question tested in this paper Why is this question interesting and different than what had been done previously in related work The main research question tested in this paper is the consideration of to what extent smaller packages of tempting products really may help consumers self regulatory ability This question is unique because typically researchers focus on the issue of obesity or the after effects of large portions and lack of portion control among consumers On the other hand this paper tests how to prevent these issues and if the preventative measures that companies are taking are actually effective 2 Using your own words describe the two hypotheses that the researchers make regarding the effects of package size on consumption How do they test these hypotheses The first hypothesis states that consumers with a high sense of self control think that small aesthetically pleasing packages are more effective in helping them fight their urge as opposed to larger less attractive packaging This theory was tested by having consumers eat products monitor their own intake and decide when enough was enough The second hypothesis states that consumers with a high sense of self control will either consume less or not consume at all when eating from a large package as opposed to a smaller one First they had participants choose between the large and small package options then they had their participants explain why they chose which package 3 What do the authors find Do these results support the hypotheses Why or why not For the first hypothesis the authors find that consumers often actually ate less when dealing with the larger packages because they were more conscientious about monitoring their intake knowing they were being provided with more than one serving on the other hand when eating a smaller package they were comfortable consuming the entire thing because they were told it was one normal quantity they feel that by choosing the smaller package they are already exhibiting self control and therefore allow themselves the pleasure of consuming the entire portion This result supported the hypothesis because the authors supposed that smaller packaging would be a direct reflection of a focus on dietary restrictions For the second hypothesis the authors allowed them to provide a reason that fit into one of two categories either eating control concerns or other reasons The authors found that participants that said eating control concerns typically chose the smaller packages while participants who gave another reason such as sharing with others would choose the large packages This reason supported the hypothesis because they believed that small packaging helped to regulate consumers intake while large packaging was mainly used to spread out portion control 4 Discuss one application of the results of this research for marketing practitioners or consumer well being that the authors have NOT addressed in their discussion Something that has not been addressed in this paper is the option of having two packages that are the same size but packaged differently For instance they did not address how the results may vary based on whether a product is packaged in a plastic bag tinfoil wrapper paper box or plastic bottle How would consumers react to the same product that is packaged all these different ways After finding that information how would consumers react to a healthier option in a less appealing package compared to a less healthy option in a more appealing package These questions are something I believe these authors could easily find an interest in as well as a great deal of research on
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