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Trigger Foods: The Influence of ``Irrelevant'' Alternatives in School Lunchrooms

Author

Listed:
  • Andrew S. Hanks

    (Cornell University)

  • David R. Just

    (Cornell University)

  • Brian Wansink

    (Cornell University)

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 a 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

  • Andrew S. Hanks & David R. Just & Brian Wansink, 2012. "Trigger Foods: The Influence of ``Irrelevant'' Alternatives in School Lunchrooms," Working Papers 05, Cornell Center for Behavioral Economics in Child Nutrition Programs.
    • Handle: RePEc:dys:benwps:05
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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. 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.
    3. 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.
    4. Harsh Gupta & Mason A. Porter, 2020. "Mixed Logit Models and Network Formation," Papers 2006.16516, arXiv.org, revised Aug 2022.
    5. 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.
    6. 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.

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