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Related Experiment Videos

Psychologically Informed Implementations of Sugary-Drink Portion Limits.

Leslie K John1, Grant E Donnelly2, Christina A Roberto3

  • 11 Negotiation, Organizations and Markets Unit, Harvard Business School.

Psychological Science
|April 1, 2017
PubMed
Summary

New York’s sugary drink policy had mixed results. Bundling large drinks into smaller cups reduced purchases, but free refills increased consumption, especially with waiter service.

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Area of Science:

  • Behavioral Economics
  • Public Health Policy
  • Consumer Behavior

Background:

  • New York City's 2012 Board of Health policy aimed to limit sugary drink portions to 16 oz.
  • A court ruling invalidated the policy, but similar government regulations and voluntary restaurant adoption remain possibilities.
  • Empirical data on the effects of such policies on purchasing and consumption behaviors is limited.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the impact of two potential restaurant compliance strategies for sugary drink portion limits: bundling and free refills.
  • To assess how these strategies influence consumer purchasing and consumption of sugary drinks.

Main Methods:

  • Four well-powered, incentive-compatible experiments were conducted.
  • Researchers simulated restaurant compliance scenarios involving bundling (dividing large drinks into smaller cups) and free refills (unlimited refills with a regulation-size cup).
Keywords:
consumptionhealthopen dataopen materialspurchasingsugar-sweetened beverage

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Main Results:

  • Bundling significantly reduced the amount of soda people purchased.
  • Free refills led to increased consumption of sugary drinks, particularly when served by a waiter.
  • The negative effect of free refills on consumption was mitigated in self-service settings requiring minimal physical effort.

Conclusions:

  • Restaurant strategies to comply with sugary drink portion limits can have unintended consequences.
  • Bundling appears effective in reducing sugary drink purchases.
  • Free refill policies may inadvertently increase consumption, with service type (waiter vs. self-service) playing a crucial role.