many (up to 32) combinations of meals is impractical, the alternative of
reducing the number of calories by shifting choices to diet beverage and
small French fries was not explored. Another limitation is that the
research design used in this study forces consumers to choose from a
given menu without allowing the alternative of choosing not to eat at
a fast food outlet. Finally, as in many other studies, consumers in the
current study based their choices on memory-based perceptions such
as taste and hypothetical choices, rather than on actual selection.
Although the literature has demonstrated that responding in a certain
way increases the likelihood that this course of action will be taken
(Thaler & Sunstein, 2008), the method of hypothetical choices is still a
limitation that can be relaxed in future research wherein actual testing
of the food items and actual choice are used. Future research will benefit
from estimating the importance placed on physical appearance and
calorie information's effects on this dimension.