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Extrovert, Introvert Children Not Equally Influenced by Plate Size

Il Morto Che Parla

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http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/11/131125164741.htm

Extrovert, Introvert Children Not Equally Influenced by Plate Size

Nov. 25, 2013 — As dish size increases, so do portion size and the amount of food actually eaten -- but could personality traits play a role in how susceptible people are to this plate-size bias? New research by the Cornell Food and Brand Lab indicates that extraverted and introverted children respond differently to environmental cues, such as plate size, when it comes to portion control.
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Researchers examined the breakfast behaviors of kids, ages 6 to 10, in a within-subject study. First, adults served breakfast: after being given a large bowl kids indicated how much milk and cereal they wanted for breakfast, and the adults served them accordingly. Next, on a different day, the children were in charge: they were given a large or a small bowl, but they then served themselves as much as they wanted.

To determine each child's personality type, four teachers and counselors rated each child's degree of introversion and extraversion on a scale of 1 to 9. Researchers used the average of these scores to classify each child as an introvert or an extravert. To measure the amount of food children asked for or served themselves, researchers weighed each student's serving through scales hidden in the table. The serving sizes were then compared for introverts and extraverts.

When serving themselves, extraverted kids were far more likely to be impacted by the size of the bowl; they served a heaping 33.1% more breakfast in the large bowl, compared to introverted kids who only served themselves 5.6% more when bowl size increased. This indicates that the extraverted kids were more influenced by the external cue of bowl-size than introverted kids were. This benefit for introverted kids, however, is only present when serving themselves; when served by adults, all kids requested more cereal to fill up the the large bowl than the small bowl.

Extraverted children appear to be highly influenced by environmental cues when serving themselves, filling their big bowls to the brim when left in charge of their own portions. These extraverts may benefit from having an adult serve. Introverted kids, however, are less likely to base portions on bowl size only when serving themselves, so parents may want to allow young introverts to serve their own food to avoid dish-size bias.
 

Cellmold

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This is interesting and yet...not too surprising.

There has always been a clear divide between people who can understand the consequence of an external system and those who need that external system to tell them a consequence. Although I'm simplifying it a bit, I'm not saying this goes for all introverts and all extraverts.
 

HongDou

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Interesting, yeah I'd probably serve myself more too if I was given a larger bowl. :shrug: I can't help it! Means more food for me!
 

thoughtlost

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...Well, my family says I eat like a bird. And I would ask for a smaller bowl. I like small bowls.
 

HongDou

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...Well, my family says I eat like a bird. And I would ask for a smaller bowl. I like small bowls.

Maybe this is another environmental cue (although this one is more social than physical), because when I'm with my family/friends I'll eat like there's no tomorrow but when I'm eating at someone's house people will say I eat like a bird too. I can barely finish one small plate.
 

thoughtlost

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Maybe this is another environmental cue (although this one is more social than physical), because when I'm with my family/friends I'll eat like there's no tomorrow but when I'm eating at someone's house people will say I eat like a bird too. I can barely finish one small plate.

..Well, I usually eat like a bird, but if I am with friends I will eat even less because I can't eat and socialize at the same time...
 

thoughtlost

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...Actually, if I am on the Internet I can't eat as much... I can get pretty lost in whatever I am engaged in.
 

Sunny Ghost

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As a kid, I couldn't fathom eating as much as some people did. I just didn't ever have a huge appetite, most food was repulsive and I ate so slowly, I never finished my food when others did. So, it wouldn't have been a biggie to serve myself, as I'd probably go for the small bowl and small portion size.

As an adult, however... I'll eat just about anything placed in front of me, so I have to be careful how much I portion out to myself.
 

five sounds

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My introverted sisters and I eat differently.

ISFJ eats very bird-like. Never wanted to finish her veggies as a kid.

ISTJ eats more than me probably, but keeps it really basic: chicken fingers and pizza forever.

I like most food. I love different tastes and culinary adventures. I like it authentic and ethnic.
 

Avocado

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My introverted sisters and I eat differently.

ISFJ eats very bird-like. Never wanted to finish her veggies as a kid.

ISTJ eats more than me probably, but keeps it really basic: chicken fingers and pizza forever.

I like most food. I love different tastes and culinary adventures. I like it authentic and ethnic.

I also love to experience the food of the places I visit and trying new foods…
I spend most of my pocket change just trying to do something different…

I think it is safe to say that ENFP is one of the more adventurous eaters…
 

HongDou

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ISTJ eats more than me probably, but keeps it really basic: chicken fingers and pizza forever.

Hey my ISTJ family friend is exactly like that too. :happy2: And my ISTJ dad eats a lot too. Interesting.
 

prplchknz

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I ate a little anf slow growing up

whilr my brother an extrovert ate a lot and fast
 

Galena

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I am independent: given a small bowl, I will finish it and go back for a second small bowl.

But like [MENTION=18819]nicolita[/MENTION]'s ISTJ, totally unadventurous in breadth of tastes.
 

chubber

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that explains why my brother always ate all the food in the house.
 

ayoitsStepho

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I always ate small portions as a child and I was always the lat one done. I would get so much clack, but I really liked just smelling and tasting the food as it's own experience. My father and sister (both extraverts) were notorious for scarfing that food down within a few minutes.
 

Lady_X

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The only two people in my house growing up who ate a lot. Like gigantic plates completely full were the isfj and isfp.

I almost always chose a small plate or bowl and put little in it and may go back for a but more if I'm still hungry and I usually eat pretty slow.

I like short glasses also. If it's a tall glass I'll fill it up like half way.

I prefer a lot of different things but not much of it. Like yesterday at thanksgiving I think I put like 3 bites or so of everything on my plate. Same with the desert.

That's my favorite.

I will completely over eat chips or cookies if given a whole bag and get preoccupied with something else tho.

i know that's all super interesting. Haha
 

EJCC

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I actually prefer buying/using smaller plates and bowls for the exact reason in the OP: I recognize how affected I am by plate and bowl size, so I try to use it to my advantage.

Re: styles of eating, I wonder how much of that has to do with how individuals experience hunger. I was having a conversation with an INTP and an INFJ about this a while back:

INFJ (eats like a bird): Completely forgets to eat most of the time (barely experiences/recognizes hunger), so relies on friends/boyfriend to give social cues regarding meals
INTP (snacks whenever hungry during the day, binges at night when wife cooks dinner): Recognizes thirst much more distinctly than hunger, but hunger experience has more to do with mood (feels "different": crankier, etc), than physical experience
ESTJ (me: three good-sized meals every day): Gets REALLY bad stomach grumbling when hungry, to the point that it feels like stomach is being wrenched -- thus, takes filling snacks/meals very seriously

Not that type would have anything to do with style of hunger. I included type just for kicks.
 

greenfairy

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I first decide how hungry I am, then what's available to eat, then how much of that I want to eat, and pick a bowl or plate accordingly. If I am given a plate I fill it according to this process. So I guess that corresponds to introversion, although if I am out I get hungrier so I tend to get as much food as I am allowed, and will fill up as big a bowl or plate as I am handed.

Maybe I'm atypical for an INFJ, but I am very aware of my physical state and get really hungry. It varies, but I tend to eat a lot overall. I tend to get emotional if I am unable to eat or if I'm tired and unable to sleep- I feel neglected. Much less now that I've worked through my psychological attachment, but it used to be pretty pronounced.
 

autumnandtherain

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I first decide how hungry I am, then what's available to eat, then how much of that I want to eat, and pick a bowl or plate accordingly. If I am given a plate I fill it according to this process. So I guess that corresponds to introversion, although if I am out I get hungrier so I tend to get as much food as I am allowed, and will fill up as big a bowl or plate as I am handed.

Maybe I'm atypical for an INFJ, but I am very aware of my physical state and get really hungry. It varies, but I tend to eat a lot overall. I tend to get emotional if I am unable to eat or if I'm tired and unable to sleep- I feel neglected. Much less now that I've worked through my psychological attachment, but it used to be pretty pronounced.

I'm the same way. I generally eat a good amount unless I'm sick, etc. Maybe it's an sp-dom thing?
 
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