Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 30, 2026

Assessment of Social Transmission of Food Preferences Behaviors
Published on: January 25, 2018
I take therefore I choose? The impact of active vs. passive acquisition on food consumption
1Baruch College, City University of New York, One Bernard Baruch Way, New York, NY 10010, USA.
Abstract:
This research investigates the consequences of physically taking (actively acquiring) vs. receiving (passively acquiring) food items. Specifically, we demonstrate that the act of physically taking food can generate a false impression of choice, an effect we term "embodied illusion of choice." Across two studies, we document the mediating effect of this embodied illusion of choice on food evaluation and actual consumption, and show that these effects are moderated by an individual's need-for-control.
Related Concept Videos
Optimal Foraging
Active versus Passive Immunity
Active Immunity
Active immunity refers to the resistance one develops...
Confirmation Biases
Regulation of Food Intake
Framing Effects
Naturalistic Observations

