WP 2 - Exploring key learning mechanisms and individual variations

Objectives

• To apply learning theory to enhance acquisition of preferences and intake for vegetables in young children
• To compare different forms of learning in the acquisition of food habits in young children (mere exposure, flavour-flavour and flavour-nutrient learning) and identify critical periods for each form of learning
• To examine the duration of food habits acquired through various forms of learning
• To characterise individual differences in learning and responsiveness to food

Description of work and role of participants

• Task 2.1. to investigate the impact of early exposure to a variety of fruit and vegetables on short-term liking and consumption
• Task 2.2 to compare different learning techniques in the acquisition of food habits
• Task 2.3. Learning to like the taste of vegetables: effects of sensory manipulations
• Task 2.4 to assess the impact of parenting styles and individual differences on acquisition of food habits
• Task 2.5: Evaluation of the different experiments

Deliverables

• D7: Overview on the short-term relative impact of key learning mechanisms and individual reactions (M24)
• D12 The impact of early exposure to a variety of fruit and vegetables on their further acceptance (M32)
• D13: Impact of parental feeding styles on individual food habits (M34)
• D15: Model for identifying key behavioural mechanisms in food habit formation (M38)