A Comparison of Portion-Size Discrimination Training Procedures

This study is designed to compare the effectiveness of two different methods of teaching individuals to accurately estimate portion sizes. Thirty undergraduate students will participate and will be assigned to one of 2 training groups. One training group will be taught to estimate portion sizes of a food using a measurement aid (e.g., a tennis ball to represent 1/2 cup). The other training group will be taught how to estimate portion sizes of a food using measuring cups. Both groups will be asked to return 1 week after training to compare maintenance of skills, as well as whether or not the participants are able to accurately estimate portion size with new foods. Participants who are unable to estimate portion sizes correctly at follow-up will be taught using the alternative training method. These participants will then return for a second follow-up visit to determine if skills are maintained.