Dense Is Calorie‐Rich: The Effect of Visual Density in Food Packaging on Calorie Estimation

ABSTRACT Although prior research has extensively examined how various visual design elements bias calorie estimation, limited attention is paid to the role of visual density of packaging patterns in shaping consumers' judgment of food calories. Based on results from six studies (and a supplementary study), this research indicates that consumers perceive food in densely patterned packaging as higher in calories than food in sparsely patterned packaging. This effect is mediated by perceived food density, whereby densely patterned packaging increases consumers' inference of the food's internal density, which in turn elevates calorie estimation. Moreover, this effect disappears when a diet‐friendly claim is present. Finally, this density‐calorie effect extends to consumers' preferences, such that their preferences for densely patterned food reverse when consumers pursue a dieting goal or when a product is positioned as healthy. This research not only contributes to the literature on visual density, calorie estimation, and packaging‐to‐product transfer effects but also provides valuable insights for marketers on leveraging a convenient tool to bias consumer perception and behavior.