Not surprisngly, if sweets are within easy reach, they will be consumed.
Well … duh.
Secretaries who were given Hershey kisses for Secretary’s Week ate more of them when the jars were clear or on their desks than when the chocolates were in opaque containers or placed a short distance away.
[…] Secretaries ate an average of 7.7 kisses each day when the candies were in clear containers on their desks; 4.6 when in opaque jars on the desk; 5.6 when in clear jars 6 feet away; and 3.1 when in opaque jars 6 feet away.
In interviews afterward, secretaries overestimated how many chocolates they ate when they had to walk a few feet to get some, and underestimated how many they consumed when the treats were in easy reach. “The less effortful it is to eat, the easier it was to forget how much they ate,” the study found.
Secretaries rated candy as more than twice as hard to resist when they could see and reach it than when they could not. They were twice as likely to say that they often thought of the chocolates or that the treats kept grabbing their attention if they were visible and nearby. By contrast, secretaries were twice as likely to say they forgot the candy was around if it was hidden and distant.
Again … duh.