Most of the studies we conduct are based on psychology methods, primarily involving between-subject designs where participants are randomly assigned to conditions. In addition, whenever possible we try to conduct these studies in controlled field situations in order to promote realism. Last, we find that people are much more straightforward in their behavior if they do not know that we are interested in how much they eat.

Do people like being in your studies?

Most think it’s pretty fun. Although people get paid a token amount for being in the studies (depending on how long they are), there’s a number of people who give the money back or donate it to the Lab because they find the studies fun and they like what we’re trying to accomplish. We go to great lengths to make sure that the good people who participate in our studies are treated well and have a good experience. They all agree to participate in our studies, their results are always kept anonymous, and they are free to quit the study at any point without penalty. Over 20,000 people have participated in our studies.

But they don’t know you’re studying how much they eat?

No. They might think the study has to do with food choice, or memory, or a movie evaluation, but they never know it deals with how much they eat. That would invalidate their results.

How do you debrief them?

At the end of the study we tell them the purpose of the study, and give them a website and a phone number that they can contact to obtain the results of the study. We also give them a preprinted card that has my personal contact information on it.

What are some new ways to learn about consumers?

Most of what we use are pretty traditional methodologies with unusual twists. Some of the new techniques we’re experimenting with can be found under New Research Methods heading (look for the picture of Sigmund Freud).

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