Health & Medicine
Width of the Wine Glass, Color Contrast and Glass Holding Determine How Much We Drink
Benita Matilda
First Posted: Sep 28, 2013 07:34 AM EDT
In an interesting study researchers analyzed how the size of a wine glass impacts drinking experiences.
It is well known that eating behavior is affected by various environmental cues like the size of the plate and food labels. Researchers at the Cornell University Food and Brand Lab, likewise wanted to check whether such environmental cues impact one's drinking experience. The study was conducted by Doug Walker, Laura Smarandescu, and Brian Wansink.
Through this study these researchers claim that drinkers unintentionally pour large servings if they choose a wide glass, when the pourers hold the glass in their hand, and when the glassware matches the wine.
They proved this hypothesis by conducting a study on 73 students (legal drinking age) who drank atleast one glass of wine a week. The participants were taken to various stations and were made to pour the drinks themselves (normal serving of wine). In order to measure the effects, the researchers manipulated the environmental cues at each station.
The researchers used three types of wine glasses 'large','Wide', and 'Standard'. Later at some stations they had a small or large place setting that helped the researchers examine whether the subjects subconsciously drank more when they expected a meal. The effect of pouring position was also examined; when subjects poured wine into a glass were they holding it or were they pouring into a glass placed on a table. They also measured the visual effects of the color contrast by either having a low contrast between the wine and the glass (white wine poured in a clear glass or a high contrast red wine poured in a clear glass).
They achieved expected results from the study as various environmental cues did lead to over pouring of the drink. They noticed that the subjects poured 11.9 percent wine when the glass was wider and they poured 12.2 percent of more wine when they were holding their glasses in their hand compared to a drink poured in the glass that was placed on the table. The subjects poured nearly 9.2 percent of extra wine when there was a low contrast between the glass and the wine compared to high contrast.
At the end of the study the subjects rated the glass width, color contrast and glass holding as major elements that impacted their drinking and led to significant over pouring.
The study appears in the jorunal BMJ.
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First Posted: Sep 28, 2013 07:34 AM EDT
In an interesting study researchers analyzed how the size of a wine glass impacts drinking experiences.
It is well known that eating behavior is affected by various environmental cues like the size of the plate and food labels. Researchers at the Cornell University Food and Brand Lab, likewise wanted to check whether such environmental cues impact one's drinking experience. The study was conducted by Doug Walker, Laura Smarandescu, and Brian Wansink.
Through this study these researchers claim that drinkers unintentionally pour large servings if they choose a wide glass, when the pourers hold the glass in their hand, and when the glassware matches the wine.
They proved this hypothesis by conducting a study on 73 students (legal drinking age) who drank atleast one glass of wine a week. The participants were taken to various stations and were made to pour the drinks themselves (normal serving of wine). In order to measure the effects, the researchers manipulated the environmental cues at each station.
The researchers used three types of wine glasses 'large','Wide', and 'Standard'. Later at some stations they had a small or large place setting that helped the researchers examine whether the subjects subconsciously drank more when they expected a meal. The effect of pouring position was also examined; when subjects poured wine into a glass were they holding it or were they pouring into a glass placed on a table. They also measured the visual effects of the color contrast by either having a low contrast between the wine and the glass (white wine poured in a clear glass or a high contrast red wine poured in a clear glass).
They achieved expected results from the study as various environmental cues did lead to over pouring of the drink. They noticed that the subjects poured 11.9 percent wine when the glass was wider and they poured 12.2 percent of more wine when they were holding their glasses in their hand compared to a drink poured in the glass that was placed on the table. The subjects poured nearly 9.2 percent of extra wine when there was a low contrast between the glass and the wine compared to high contrast.
At the end of the study the subjects rated the glass width, color contrast and glass holding as major elements that impacted their drinking and led to significant over pouring.
The study appears in the jorunal BMJ.
See Now: NASA's Juno Spacecraft's Rendezvous With Jupiter's Mammoth Cyclone