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How Much Serving Size Affects Consumption : Catch-22, Natalina Zlatevska, Chris Dubelaar, Stephen S. Holden

Stephen S Holden

The effect of serving-size on consumption is well-established: the larger the serve, the greater the amount consumed. But what is the size of the effect, what are the processes driving the effect, and what are the conditions that facilitate vs. inhibit the effect? The present research uses a meta-analysis of 67 studies to quantify the effect of serving-size on amount consumed and to test two competing explanations of why the effect occurs. One view is that the serving-size is mediated by a perceptual effect, the other that it is mediated by a consumption norm. The meta analysis demonstrates that when …