Sneaky Small Sins Flying Under the Radar: Package Sizes and Consumption Self-Regulation.

Products are increasingly offered in various package sizes, in particular single serving-sizes, and these single serving sizes are becoming smaller. For example, Kraft Foods Inc., in 2003, started putting a cap on the portion size of single serve-packages as a social measure to help consumers fight obesity (http://www.kraft.com/ newsroom/07012003.html, 20/10/2003). Also McDonalds, in 2004, as part of its initiative "Eat Smart, Be Active", downsized the supersized portions to cater to consumers' growing preference for healthier foods. Also, various products such as Häagen-Dazs and Ben and Jerry's ice-cream, and Pringles and Lays chips are now being offered in small, single-serve packages. Moreover, growing numbers of multi-packs with individually-wrapped single-serve portions are being offered, such as chips (Potato Heads, Ruffles), cookies (Filipinos, LU) and candy (KitKat, Toblerone, Twix). These developments rest on the assumption that when products, especially tempting products as the ones mentioned, are offered in these small packages, consumers are better able to exert self-regulation by restraining the total quantity consumed. This view is consistent with findings that small packages are perceived to be helpful in exerting self-control (Wansink and Park 2000), with consumers often even paying premiums for them (Wertenbroch 1998). For example, cigarettes are in many countries sold in a 10 cigarettes-pack instead of the more traditional 20 cigarettes-pack, with consumers paying higher unit costs with the 10 units pack than the 20 unit pack -a premium to presumably keep control over the "daily amount". The question that arises then is to what extent the offer of tempting products bundled in these smaller package sizes indeed contributes to consumers' better self-regulatory ability. In the present research we propose that the presentation of tempting products in these small single-serving sizes (the small "sins") may have, contrary to what is intended, a negative effect on consumers' self-regulatory ability. In order for self-regulatory behavior to occur, consumers need to perceive the current consumption act as a self-control conflict in which attraction to a temptation hinders the pursuit of an overarching goal (Fishbach and Shah 2006). If behaviors do not produce a self-regulatory conflict, consumers will not activate self-regulatory strategies that could restrain the tempting consumption, thereby actually falling into temptation. The apparent tendency of consumers to believe that smaller quantities of tempting products are "acceptable" and to consider small single-serving packages as helpful self-regulatory tools can contribute to a higher likelihood of consumption than if products were offered in quantities considered to be "unacceptable", which could instigate consumption restraint. Therefore, we propose that large package sizes may actually be better self-regulatory facilitators than small single-serving packages, because they are more likely to activate a self-control conflict and preventive control strategies to deal with it. In this way, small single-serving package sizes can lead to the perverse effect of increasing rather than reducing likelihood of consumption, and thus possibly to the longterm negative effects that they intended to prevent. The present research examines this phenomenon, in the context of different package formats for tempting products that usually imply eating regulation (e.g., chips, chocolates, and candies).… [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Advances in Consumer Research is the property of Association for Consumer Research and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)