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Trigger Foods: The Influence of “Irrelevant” Alternatives in School Lunchrooms

Author

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  • Hanks, Andrew S.
  • Just, David R.
  • Wansink, Brian

Abstract

Rational choice theory commonly assumes that the presence of unselected choices cannot impact which among the remaining choices is selected—often referred to as “independence of irrelevant alternatives.” We show that such seemingly irrelevant alternatives influence choice in a school lunch setting. In these lunchrooms, we provide evidence that the presence of specific side dishes—trigger foods—can strongly increase the sales of unhealthy à la carte options, even when the trigger foods are not selected. This behavioral anomaly can be exploited to lead children to healthier choices. We also offer a method that can be used to identify such foods.

Suggested Citation

  • Hanks, Andrew S. & Just, David R. & Wansink, Brian, 2012. "Trigger Foods: The Influence of “Irrelevant” Alternatives in School Lunchrooms," Agricultural and Resource Economics Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 41(1), pages 114-123, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:cup:agrerw:v:41:y:2012:i:01:p:114-123_00
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    Cited by:

    1. John A. List & Anya Samek, 2017. "A Field Experiment on the Impact of Incentives on Milk Choice in the Lunchroom," Public Finance Review, , vol. 45(1), pages 44-67, January.
    2. Carroll, Kathryn A. & Samek, Anya, 2018. "Field experiments on food choice in grocery stores: A ‘how-to’ guide," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 79(C), pages 331-340.
    3. Harsh Gupta & Mason A. Porter, 2020. "Mixed Logit Models and Network Formation," Papers 2006.16516, arXiv.org, revised Aug 2022.
    4. Samek, Anya, 2019. "Gifts and goals: Behavioral nudges to improve child food choice at school," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 164(C), pages 1-12.
    5. Just, David R. & Gabrielyan, Gnel, 2018. "Influencing the food choices of SNAP consumers: Lessons from economics, psychology and marketing," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 79(C), pages 309-317.
    6. Graham, Hope E. & Vestal, Mallory K. & Guerrero, Bridget L., 2015. ""Go-Slow-Whoa!": Will Nutritional Information Influence Adolescent Food Choices and Lead to a Healthier Generation?," 2015 AAEA & WAEA Joint Annual Meeting, July 26-28, San Francisco, California 206007, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.

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