Abstract
We investigated how visual volume and height of food held on a plate affect our impression of the food, in particular, appetite. In viewing pictures of plates in which the volume (amount) and height ofthe food varied systematically, participants rated their impressions for the food in different dimensions, such as appetite, preference, attraction, and impact. In two experiments, factor analysis extracted two factors; the first factor is related to preference and appetite of the food while the second factor is related to the amount and impact. ANOVA on the factor scores showed that the first factor is modulated by the height if the volume of the food was fixed, and that proper combinations of food height and volume can effectively stimulate their appetite. These findings suggest that manipulating height and volume of the food would be an effective method to sharpen people's appetite and make the food attractive in our visual communications in restaurant showcases and pictures on web sites, as well as real food itself.
