Science & Tech · Science & Environment · 3 hrs ago
Learning a chicken’s name reduced some preschoolers’ pretend chicken choices
Researchers in Poland tested whether learning about a named chicken could affect what preschoolers chose to eat.
They ran two experiments with 199 children aged five and six, using stories about chickens including one called Lelek.
Children then built pretend sandwiches with toy slices of chicken, pork, cheese and tomato.
Children who were not keen on meat chose fewer chicken slices after hearing about Lelek, while children who strongly liked meat did not change their choices.
Their pork choices stayed the same, suggesting the effect was specific to chicken rather than meat in general.
The study measured pretend choices, not real meals, so it cannot show whether children would eat less chicken in everyday life.
A study found that some preschoolers chose fewer toy chicken slices after learning about a named chicken.
The change appeared among children who did not strongly like meat, but not among children who strongly liked it.
The story did not change children’s choices of toy pork slices.
Researchers tested choices using pretend sandwiches, so the study did not show whether children would eat differently at a real meal.
- Who
- Psychologist Aleksandra Rabinovitch of SWPS University in Poland and two colleagues studied 199 children aged five and six.
- What
- The researchers tested whether learning about a named chicken affected children’s choices of toy sandwich fillings.
- When
- Not stated.
- Where
- The study was conducted in Poland, according to the researchers’ university affiliation.
- Why
- The researchers wanted to test whether a personal connection to one chicken could affect choices involving meat from other chickens.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Some children learned about a chicken called Lelek, while others heard the same details as general information about chickens.
Children chose toy sandwich fillings, including chicken, pork, cheese and tomato.
Researchers introduced a chicken called Chico and compared different descriptions with general facts about chickens.
- Participants
- 199 children
- Age
- Five and six
- Research team
- Aleksandra Rabinovitch of SWPS University in Poland and two colleagues
- Named chicken in first experiment
- Lelek
- Food-choice task
- Pretend sandwiches with toy chicken, pork, cheese and tomato slices