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Seating Proximity in a Cafeteria Influences Dessert Consumption among College Students
David F. Vanata, Adrienne M. Hatch,Glen DePalma

Abstract
Objective and Participants: The objective of this study was to determine the effect of seating location on the number of trips to the dessert bar in a college dining hall setting. The authors examined the effects of 464 college students’ seating location, group size, and gender on their trips to the cafeteria dessert bar. Methods: Data were collected by observational methods during the lunch hours of 11:00-2:00 on multiple days. Results: Students seated in the section nearest the desserts had the highest mean, while the furthest section had the lowest mean trips. As the group size increased, trips to the desserts increased. The interaction between females and group size suggests that as group size increased, females were more likely to get dessert. Conclusions: Individuals’ dessert consumption may be influenced by proximity, visibility, and group size.

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