The study, published in the journal Food Quality and Preference, involved 120 participants who ate the same fries in four contexts: their own portion, offered by a fellow diner, covertly taken in a low-risk setting, and covertly taken in a high-risk setting. Participants rated the stolen fries as tastier, with high-risk chips nearly 40% more enjoyable than those served directly. Nearly half of participants gave a maximum enjoyment rating to high-risk stolen chips, while a third did for low-risk, and none for gifted or legitimate scenarios.
Interestingly, guilt was positively associated with enjoyment in covert-taking trials. "This study provides robust empirical validation for the folk adage that stolen food tastes better," the researchers said. " The researchers acknowledged limitations, as the thefts were staged under controlled conditions with no real risk of punishment.
The exact demographic breakdown of participants was not disclosed.