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/lp/american-psychological-association/lay-american-conceptions-of-nutrition-dose-insensitivity-categorical-2dzQm7hMoZ
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- Publisher
- American Psychological Association
- Copyright
- Copyright © 1996 American Psychological Association
- ISSN
- 0278-6133
- eISSN
- 1930-7810
- DOI
- 10.1037/0278-6133.15.6.438
- Publisher site
- See Article on Publisher Site
Abstract
Two studies explored Americans' tendency to simplify nutrition information. Substantial minorities of separate samples of college students, physical plant workers, and a national sample considered a variety of substances, including some essential nutrients (salt and fat), to be harmful at trace levels. Almost half the respondents believed that high-calorie foods in small amounts contain more calories than low-calorie foods in much larger amounts. Many subjects classified foods according to a good/bad dichotomy, and almost all subjects confounded nutritional completeness with long-term healthfulness of foods. To account for these results, we suggest the following heuristics and biases: dose insensitivity, categorical perception, a “monotonic mind” belief (if something is harmful at high levels then it is harmful at low levels), and the magical principle of contagion.
Journal
Health Psychology – American Psychological Association
Published: Nov 1, 1996