How Much Would You Pay to Avoid Temptation?

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Ah, the gluttony season is upon us. A recent food industry survey revealed that 27% of us will consume 7-10 lbs. of food on Thanksgiving, while 11% will eat 11-14 lbs., and 5% percent plan to devour more than 15 pounds in a single day. Over the holidays we will overindulge on food, an amount that contributes to the almost 2,000 pounds of annual consumption by the typical American, which is about the weight of a full-grown buffalo. But would you consider paying money to avoid the temptation of overeating? Conversely, would you eat less if there was a financial penalty for over-consumption? According to a recent study by NYU Medical School researchers (Raio & Glimcher, 2021) the answer is “yes!”

The researchers were attempting to investigate under which conditions participants were most likely to pay to eliminate the need for self-control when tasty but high caloric foods were within their grasp. As many of us know, the cliché “out of sight out of mind” rings true when access is limited. In other words, if sweets are in your cupboard you are more likely to cheat on a diet than when the cabinets are bare. Since the study was conducted in a lab, the researchers had to simulate temptation conditions that a person might encounter in real life.

First, the study participants completed a taste and temptation survey rating a series of food items on a desirability scale so the researchers would know which foods were most tempting for an individual. Then in one part of the study, they offered participants $10 and placed a piece of scrumptious chocolate cake in front of the vulnerable participants for 30 minutes. For the right price (bidding was involved), the participants could pay to have the cake replaced with a plate of broccoli. On average, participants were willing to spend $1.57 to have the cake removed and avoid the cognitive conflict of staring at the cake, which they knew was an unhealthy eating choice. Unfortunately, despite the opportunity, 22% consumed the cake. The researchers concluded that there was a psychological cost to exercising self-control and that we are willing to pay to eliminate the cognitive dissonance that goes along with contemplating temptation.

In another part of the study, they sought to determine if losing bonus money would impact a cake removal decision. In this part of the study, participants thought they would be penalized $15 if they consumed the cake. The authors were trying to determine if the penalty would influence greater self-control based on the well known principle that the agony of a loss is far more motivating than the satisfaction of victory. In this case, the loss was quantified and induced results whereby no one succumbed to cake eating. In addition, participants were willing to pay more money ($2.85 out of $10.00) to have the temptation eliminated. The researchers concluded that when the stakes are higher we are more motivated to take action to remove the temptation.

The remainder of the study was designed to determine how simulated stress, additional exposure time, and various penalties impacted decision-making. Not surprisingly, the results confirmed that stressed participants were willing to pay more ($3.38) to have the temptation removed. The reasoning behind the willingness to pay more is based on the realization that people who are stressed lack self-control (think road rage or other emotional behavior that is often uncontrollable and regretted). This outcome confirms consumer behavior studies that reveal when individuals must exert extra mental effort their decision-making often results in unhealthy choices, such as when making an impulsive candy or gum buy when in the express checkout line at the supermarket. When under cognitive pressure, we are more likely to succumb to temptation. The study also revealed that diet longevity influences self-control as people who were on a diet for a longer time paid less to avoid temptation.

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So, what does all this mean for you and your family at a holiday dinner? The most practical interpretation is that when gathering in highly social situations, it is unlikely that people will avoid temptation (no pressure), possibly revealing why we tend to overindulge during the holiday season. There is less of a need to be contemplative when we feel good. The results also confirm that incentives can be influential in helping people make difficult decisions. Which specific tipping points are most influential (i.e., loss of money, degree of temptation, or guilt about choices) remains to be seen. We do know that the longer the exposure to temptation or the greater the consequences of succumbing to the temptation, the more people will experience cognitive conflict. Therefore, at your next celebration, only leave the desserts out on the table for a short period of time and your family will probably thank you.