Exploring the Influence of Sensory Cues on Eating Behavior Using Virtual Reality

NCT ID: NCT06662149

Last Updated: 2025-09-04

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 25 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2024-12-15
• Study Completion Date: 2025-08-01

Brief Summary

Many factors influence eating choices among humans (mood, taste, convenience, time of day, etc.). Finding simple ways to decrease food intake or improve food choices could improve weight status and overall health of the general population. The purpose of this study is to see if city and/or nature smells affect human eating behavior within a virtual reality-simulated outdoor café. The researchers of this study believe that a better understanding of how smells affect eating behavior could lead to public guidelines that direct the construction and layout of such outdoor eating environments to better support healthy behaviors.

Conditions

Healthy

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: CROSSOVER
• Primary Study Purpose: OTHER
• Blinding Strategy: NONE

Study Groups

Pleasant First

Participants will experience the pleasant smell in the participant's first visit and the unpleasant smell in the participant's second visit.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Pleasant Smell

Intervention Type: OTHER

The participants will be in an environment with an assumed pleasant smell while consuming the meal.

Unpleasant Smell

Intervention Type: OTHER

Participants will be in an environment with an assumed unpleasant smell while consuming the meal.

Unpleasant First

Participants will experience the unpleasant smell in the participant's first visit and the pleasant smell in the participant's second visit.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Pleasant Smell

Intervention Type: OTHER

The participants will be in an environment with an assumed pleasant smell while consuming the meal.

Unpleasant Smell

Intervention Type: OTHER

Participants will be in an environment with an assumed unpleasant smell while consuming the meal.

Interventions

Pleasant Smell

The participants will be in an environment with an assumed pleasant smell while consuming the meal.

Intervention Type: OTHER

Unpleasant Smell

Participants will be in an environment with an assumed unpleasant smell while consuming the meal.

Intervention Type: OTHER

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• Between the ages of 18-29
• Fluent in English
• Free of self-reported food allergies/food sensitivities
• No diagnosis of cognitive or physical disabilities/disorders that may affect appetite or eating behaviors (Examples include Major Depressive Disorder, dementia, or eating disorders)
• No diagnosis of disabilities that may affect sensory proprioception related to virtual reality (Examples include vertigo, epilepsy, and ataxia)
• Not color blind
• Does not experience anosmia (inability or weak ability to smell)
• Must have hair ≥3 cm in length at the cortisol sample site (roughly midline of the skull left to right and two inches up from the base of the hairline at the neck).
• No hair transplant in the last 6 months

Exclusion Criteria

• Are younger than 18 or older than 29 years of age
• Not fluent in English
• Have self-reported food allergies
• Have a diagnosis of cognitive or physical disabilities that may affect appetite or eating behaviors (Examples include Major Depressive Disorder, dementia, or eating disorders)
• Have a diagnosis of disabilities that may affect sensory proprioception related to virtual reality (Examples include vertigo, epilepsy, and ataxia)
• Suffers from color blindness
• Suffers from anosmia (inability or weak ability to smell)
• Hair shorter than 3 cm in length at the cortisol sample site (roughly midline of the skull left to right and two inches up from the base of the hairline at the neck)
• Has had a hair transplant in the last 6 months

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 29 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Sponsors

Penn State University

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Travis Masterson

Assistant Professor and Director of the Health, Ingestive Behavior, and Technology Lab

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

Travis Masterson

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

The Pennsylvania State University

Locations

Health, Ingestive Behavior, and Technology Laboratory of Pennsylvania State University

State College, Pennsylvania, United States

Countries

United States

Other Identifiers

STUDY00025849

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id