I mentioned yesterday that oenophiles are state whores — being told a wine was from California made them like it more than when they were told it was from North Dakota (nickname: “The Nothing State”).

Well, it turns out three-year-olds are brand whores. To the research mobile, Robin!:

A study, published in the Archives of Pediatric Adolescent Medicine yesterday, found that children as young as three preferred to eat foods they believed to be from McDonald’s - even if those foods, such as a serve of vegetables, were not part of the fast-food giant’s menu.

Researchers tested 63 preschoolers from low-income families in California. The children were each given two identical samples of three foods from McDonald’s, one in branded wrappers and the other in identical packaging bearing no brand. They were also given milk and carrots.

About 77 per cent of children said they preferred the taste of the french fries in the McDonald’s bag, while only 13.3 per cent favoured the fries in the plain bag. Only 10 per cent said they thought the two offerings tasted the same.

What we learn here that’s interesting is that “serve” is apparently Australian for “serving.” (The news story is from the Sydney Morning Herald.)

We also learn that our preferences are shaped far less by direct sensory input than we might imagine. Obviously, a chicken nugget should taste like a chicken nugget should taste like a chicken nugget. But it turns out, according to this study, that even carrot sticks taste better to kids if they’re in a McDonald’s bag than if they’re in a plain bag!

This (and the wine story) reminds me of one of my favorite segments from Penn & Teller’s “Bullshit,” where unsuspecting diners are told they’re eating a fancy meal, but really they’re being served stale bread and canned tomatoes. Needless to say, they — quite literally — eat it up.

These cognitive mistakes seem silly in children. But people of all ages are susceptible to them.

(via Neuromarketing)