Investigating the Influence of Packaging on Children

Research Questions:

• Does the color/imagery on a package influence childrens’ willingness to eat what is inside?

In this experiment, students will investigate which packaging characteristics appeal most to children. Can an appealing package influence kids to eat healthier food?

Materials:

• Computer
• Graphics software
• Printer
• Test subjects (children from 1st grade to 7th grade)

Experimental Procedure

1. On the computer, use graphics software to design packaging for several cereal boxes.
   • Use basic colors, fonts and images on some boxes and vibrant/fun colors, fonts and images on other boxes. Try out different concepts that you feel might appeal to children.
   • On every design, include words that would be used to describe a healthy cereal. Sample words could include: 100% whole grains, low fat, and sugar-free. Experiment with the word placement on some of your box designs.
2. Show children in many different age groups images of your cereal boxes and ask them to rate, on a scale of 1 to 10, their willingness to try the food in each “package.”
3. Divide up the surveys by age group and evaluate the responses. Which packages received the highest ratings? What did these packages have in common? How did placement of the “healthy” words affect the ratings given to the cereal boxes? Which group of children was most influenced by the vibrant package designs?

Terms/Concepts: influence of packaging on children