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Highlights: [•] Effect of a clerk agent on purchase intention for fair-trade food was examined. [•] Relative importance of fair trade was assessed using conjoint analysis. [•] Fair trade was valuated higher when an agent was displayed in purchase environment. [•] Reputation-based pro-social behavior can be enhanced by the presence of an agent. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The present study investigated whether the perceived quality of a container affects water and snack intake and the subjective qualities of dyadic conversation between undergraduate students. In the experiment, thirty pairs of participants were randomly assigned to two conditions: the high-quality container (HQ) condition, in which participants were provided with high quality glasses from which to drink water, and the low-quality container (LQ) condition, in which participants used ordinary plastic cups. In each condition, pairs of participants were seated at a table and asked to engage in spontaneous and unstructured conversation about certain topics of their choice while consuming water and snacks. The results demonstrate that a greater amount of water was consumed in the LQ condition than in the HQ condition, while the halo effect of container quality increased the perceived quality of the snacks. Furthermore, the results of the self-evaluation for dyadic conversation revealed that the participants in the LQ condition more often reported their conversations to be cooperative, animated and less clumsy than did those in the HQ condition. These results suggest that the accessibility of a container as derived from its perceived quality affects participants’ water and snack consumption and the qualities of dyadic communication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Partner presence on unfamiliar food intake was observed. • Ratio of all kinds of unfamiliar food intake was higher in the pair condition. • Subjective evaluations of unfamiliar food did not differ between condition. • Social factors may influence unfamiliar food intake in the pair condition. The present study explored whether partner presence (pair vs. individual) affects unfamiliar food intake. In the experiment, participants were asked to taste pieces of 13 kinds of snacks, including three unfamiliar and ten neutral snacks, and were informed that they did not have to eat a snack if they did not want to. The total amounts and ratios of all kinds of snacks consumed for unfamiliar and neutral snacks were compared between participants in the pair condition and those in the individual condition. Results demonstrated that the ratio of participants who consumed all three kinds of unfamiliar snacks was higher in the pair condition than in the individual condition. Furthermore, the results of communication analyses showed that participants in the pair condition tried unfamiliar snacks even after the peer expressed a negative evaluation of a snack. These results suggest that social motivation such as risk-taking and conformity affect unfamiliar food intake in co-eating situations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]