Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 25, 2026

Studying Food Reward and Motivation in Humans
Published on: March 19, 2014
The weight of the container influences expected satiety, perceived density, and subsequent expected fullness
Betina Piqueras-Fiszman1, Charles Spence
1Department of Engineering Projects, Universitat Politècnica de València, Camino de Vera s/n. 46022, Valencia, Spain. bepifis@upvnet.upv.es
Abstract:
We report a study designed to investigate the influence of the weight of the container on expected satiety prior to tasting the food within and on the perceived density of the food and any feelings of fullness expected to follow consumption (expected satiation). The results demonstrate that the contents of a heavier container are expected to be more satiating than when exactly the same contents are presented in a visually-identical, but physically lighter, container (even before the food has been tasted). In addition, we were able to validate a "weight-density" illusion, since the weight of the container was shown to influence the perceived density of the sample. Put simply, the heavier the container, the denser the food sample was perceived to be.
Related Concept Videos
Density
Density and Archimedes' Principle
Regulation of Food Intake
Density, Specific Weight, Specific Gravity and Compressibility of Fluid
Specific weight represents the weight per unit volume and is calculated by multiplying density...
Self-Regulation
Apparent Weight
Consider a person standing on a bathroom scale inside an elevator. If the scale is accurate at rest, its reading equals the...

