The Price of a Buffet Can Affect Your Perception of Its Taste
People like to believe that they get what they pay for, whether that’s true or not. The next time you head out to a buffet, know how price can change your overall perception of food.
There are all kinds of buffets, some incredibly expensive and others suspiciously cheap. You might think it’s safe to assume that the more expensive buffets offer better food, but that might just be tricking your brain. A recent study, led by David R. Justa, a Dyson professor at the Cornell School of Applied Economics and Management, and published in the Journal of Sensory Research – suggested that the higher the cost of the buffet table, the more convinced diners were that the food they ate was good taste.
Compared to the same $ 4 and $ 8 buffet, diners who paid more for the meal found that the food was 11 percent tastier overall. In addition, diners who paid $ 4 for the buffet found that their food tasted less as they ate more, but the $ 8 group did not experience this. While it can be said that many expensive buffets offer better quality food, this is not always the case. So if you’re planning to cover the buffet anytime soon, be a smart consumer and remember that price doesn’t necessarily mean quality. A cheap buffet can be just as good – or even better than a more expensive one.
Reduced Buffet Prices Lead to Less Pleasure of Taste | The Journal of Sensory Research via Food Network Blog