Anouk van den Brand, PhD candidate
My research focuses on picky eating behavior in preschool-aged children. Together with my colleagues Chantal Nederkoorn and Anouk Hendriks I am currently working on a longitudinal study in which we try to find out which cognitive processes influence picky eating behavior in preschoolers. Using a combination of questionnaires and behavioral tasks, we examine children’s (food) perception, decision-making, representations and cognitive biases, as well as parental behavior. For example, we examine whether children’s sensitivity to textures, food recognition and categorization ability, or sensitivity to reward/punishment play a role in child food rejections. The study is conducted at a variety of daycares, kindergartens and primary schools across The Netherlands and is part of the VICI project “Cognitive processes in learning to like vegetables”.
Publications that I’m most proud of
Child characteristic correlates of food rejection in preschool children: A narrative review. Appetite, 2023.
This review paper provides an overview of food rejection research in preschool-aged children, focusing specifically on recent advances in the cognitive literature.
“Mmm… carrots!” How to teach toddlers to love vegetables.
This short article covers current research and tips on how to get children to eat their vegetables.
Child-reported vegetable neophobia is associated with risk avoidance for distaste in children aged 4–15 years. Appetite, 2023.
In an experiment among NEMO science museum visitors, we found that children who are more reluctant to try new foods take less risk on a jelly bean gambling game. That is, they try to avoid having to eat a soap-tasting jelly bean.
