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  • July 2019
  • Article
  • Psychological Science

Using Behavioral Science to Inform the Design of Sugary Drink Portion Limit Policies: Reply to Wilson and Stolarz-Fantino (2018)

By: Leslie John, Grant E. Donnelly and Christina A. Roberto
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Abstract

In their commentary, Wilson & Stolarz-Fantino argue that specific design features of our research mean that it cannot have policy implications and that researchers “need to consider profit maximization in menu design or studies are likely to suggest ill-informed implementations.” In this reply, we respond to the specific critiques of our work with empirical data and conceptual arguments. We agree with Wilson and Stolarz-Fantino that researchers seeking to understand a policy’s influence on consumers should test predictions about which strategies firms will likely use when implementing a policy. Research, however, that demonstrates the effectiveness (or lack thereof) of an intervention even without perfectly predicting a firm’s response still has enormous value for setting policy.

Keywords

Policy Implementation; Food; Governing Rules, Regulations, and Reforms; Policy

Citation

John, Leslie, Grant E. Donnelly, and Christina A. Roberto. "Using Behavioral Science to Inform the Design of Sugary Drink Portion Limit Policies: Reply to Wilson and Stolarz-Fantino (2018)." Psychological Science 30, no. 7 (July 2019): 1103–1105.
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About The Author

Leslie K. John

Negotiation, Organizations & Markets
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More from the Authors

    • March 2022
    • Marketing Letters

    When Less Is More: Consumers Prefer Brands that Donate More in Relative versus Absolute Terms

    By: Elizabeth A. Keenan, Anne V. Wilson and Leslie K. John
    • February 2022
    • Preventative Medicine Reports

    Sugar-sweetened Beverage Purchases and Intake at Event Arenas with and without a Portion Size Cap

    By: Sheri Volger, James Scott Parrott, Brian Elbel, Leslie K. John, Jason P. Block, Pamela Rothpletz-Puglia and Christina A. Roberto
    • Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

    Extension Request Avoidance Predicts Greater Time Stress Among Women

    By: Ashley V. Whillans, Jaewon Yoon, Aurora Turek and Grant E. Donnelly
More from the Authors
  • When Less Is More: Consumers Prefer Brands that Donate More in Relative versus Absolute Terms By: Elizabeth A. Keenan, Anne V. Wilson and Leslie K. John
  • Sugar-sweetened Beverage Purchases and Intake at Event Arenas with and without a Portion Size Cap By: Sheri Volger, James Scott Parrott, Brian Elbel, Leslie K. John, Jason P. Block, Pamela Rothpletz-Puglia and Christina A. Roberto
  • Extension Request Avoidance Predicts Greater Time Stress Among Women By: Ashley V. Whillans, Jaewon Yoon, Aurora Turek and Grant E. Donnelly
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