Snack names influence how filling we imagine they will be — new research

People tend to associate some sounds like 'ee' or 't' with smaller sizes, and others like 'oh' or 'b' with larger sizes. New research finds this impacts how we perceive our snacks. (Unsplash)

Imagine being hungry in a grocery store and looking for a snack. You have a choice between Gobo granola bars or Kipi granola bars. Which do you reach for to fill you up? If you’re like the participants in our new study, you probably said Gobo.

There are many factors that affect our impressions of foods. For example, people perceive products with duller packaging to be healthier than those with vivid colours. People also tend to assume that snacks in a glossy package are higher in fat.