Children at a certain age often have difficulty in flexibly shifting attention between different representational schemes. One example of such cognitive inflexibility occurs in the Dimensional Change Card Sorting (DCCS) task in which 3-year-old children have difficulty switching between sorting dimensions. For instance, after initially sorting the cards by one dimension (e.g., colour) they are unable to sort the cards by a second dimension (e.g., shape). This finding has been primarily associated with problems in attention or inhibition. The present study investigated the role of perceptual information on children’s dimensional shift abilities by manipulating the perceptual characteristics of both task-relevant (the colour or shape of the images on the cards) and task-irrelevant (the background colour or shape of the actual cards themselves) aspects of the task materials between the pre- and post-switch experimental phases. Across three experiments better performance was observed when either task-relevant or task-irrelevant information was changed, with this improved performance occurring when these changes were salient enough to induce a stimulus novelty effect. Experiment 4 investigated yet another perceptual feature of the task; the degree of stimulus realism (abstractness) on children’s cognitive flexibility. Children successfully sorted the cards when three-dimensional stimuli were used but perseverated when using two-dimensional cards, providing evidence for the role of representational status of the stimuli in influencing children’s dimensional switching. Manipulations made to increase the salience of the task material as well as those resulting in reduction of similarity between the two phases of the tasks (or increased novelty) were used to enhance children’s cognitive flexibility. Overall, these findings highlight the critical role played by the perceptual information of the overall experimental context, and have important implications for theories of cognitive flexibility.

Children at a certain age often have difficulty in flexibly shifting attention between different representational schemes. One example of such cognitive inflexibility occurs in the Dimensional Change Card Sorting (DCCS) task in which 3-year-old children have difficulty switching between sorting dimensions. For instance, after initially sorting the cards by one dimension (e.g., colour) they are unable to sort the cards by a second dimension (e.g., shape). This finding has been primarily associated with problems in attention or inhibition. The present study investigated the role of perceptual information on children’s dimensional shift abilities by manipulating the perceptual characteristics of both task-relevant (the colour or shape of the images on the cards) and task-irrelevant (the background colour or shape of the actual cards themselves) aspects of the task materials between the pre- and post-switch experimental phases. Across three experiments better performance was observed when either task-relevant or task-irrelevant information was changed, with this improved performance occurring when these changes were salient enough to induce a stimulus novelty effect. Experiment 4 investigated yet another perceptual feature of the task; the degree of stimulus realism (abstractness) on children’s cognitive flexibility. Children successfully sorted the cards when three-dimensional stimuli were used but perseverated when using two-dimensional cards, providing evidence for the role of representational status of the stimuli in influencing children’s dimensional switching. Manipulations made to increase the salience of the task material as well as those resulting in reduction of similarity between the two phases of the tasks (or increased novelty) were used to enhance children’s cognitive flexibility. Overall, these findings highlight the critical role played by the perceptual information of the overall experimental context, and have important implications for theories of cognitive flexibility.

O presente trabalho teve como objetivo realizar estudos para entender a percepção de consumidores em relação a salsichas com diferentes atributos de saudabilidade. Foram conduzidos três estudos e diferentes metodologias foram empregadas para explorar a atitude do consumidor. No primeiro estudo, a percepção dos consumidores foi avaliada através das técnicas de associação de palavras, aceitação de cada conceito (salsicha tradicional, com antioxidantes naturais, com redução de sódio, com redução de gordura, fonte de fibra alimentar e com ômega 3), grau de familiaridade com cada atributo de saudabilidade e resposta emocional. Para a salsicha tradicional, as categorias mais relevantes para os consumidores foram: modo de consumo, sabor agradável, não saudável, aparência (cor), gordura/caloria e pressão alta, já o grupo formado pelas salsichas com ômega 3, antioxidantes naturais, com redução de gordura e com redução de sódio se caracterizou principalmente pela percepção de saudabilidade. Para o segundo estudo, a relação entre a preocupação de consumidores com sua saúde e sua percepção sobre salsichas com adição de ingredientes funcionais (fibra alimentar e ômega 3) foi avaliada através do teste de completamento e da técnica de lista de compras. Não foram encontradas diferenças significativas entre os clusters (consciência em relação à saúde) para as razões apontadas pelos consumidores que incentivam (sabor agradável, praticidade, preço acessível e modo de consumo) e limitam (prejudicial à saúde, não saudável, ricas em sódio e gordura e artificial) a compra de salsichas. Os resultados do segundo estudo, ainda demonstraram que a adição de fibra alimentar e ômega 3 em salsicha gerou associações predominantemente positivas independente do nível de consciência em relação à saúde dos consumidores. Em relação ao terceiro estudo, na aplicação da técnica sorting task, termos como falta de conhecimento, natural, problemas de sabor e não atrativo caracterizaram o grupo formado pelas salsichas sem adição de fosfato e nitrito. Já as salsichas com antioxidantes naturais, fonte de fibra alimentar e com ômega 3 foram associadas a melhor qualidade nutricional e impacto positivo na saúde/organismo. Neste mesmo estudo, a técnica hard laddering revelou que os principais motivos que justificam as escolhas das salsichas com redução de sódio, com redução de gordura, com ômega 3, com antioxidantes naturais e fibra alimentar são preocupação com a saúde e vida longa. Os resultados obtidos nos três estudos demonstraram que os consumidores apresentam percepções distintas em relação aos diferentes tipos de salsicha (conceitos) avaliados, sugerindo que a indústria da carne deve considerar as particularidades identificadas ao desenvolver salsichas mais saudáveis e anunciar seus atributos. / The present paper aimed to perform studies to understand the consumers\' perception regarding frankfurter sausages with different healthiness attributes. Three studies were carried out and different methods were applied to explore the consumer\'s attitude. In the first study the consumers\' perception was evaluated through the technique of word association, acceptance of each concept (traditional frankfurter, with natural antioxidants, with reduced sodium, with reduced fat, as a source of dietary fibre, and with omega 3), level of familiarity with each attribute and emotional response. For the traditional frankfurter the most relevant categories for the consumers were: consumption mode, good flavour, unhealthy, appearance (colour), fat/calorie and high blood pressure, whereas the group formed by the frankfurters with omega 3, natural antioxidants, with reduced fat and reduced sodium was characterized especially by healthiness perception. For the second study the connection between the concern of consumer\'s with their health and their perception on frankfurters with the addition of functional ingredients (dietary fibre and omega 3) was evaluated through a completion test and the shopping list technique. No significant differences were found between the clusters (concern with health) for the reasons pointed out by the consumers that encourage (good flavour, convenience, price/cheap, and consumption mode) and restrict (harmful to health, unhealthy, rich in sodium and fat, and artificial) purchasing frankfurters. The results of the second study also demonstrated that adding dietary fibre and omega 3 in frankfurters provided predominantly positive associations regardless of consumers\' concerns with health. Regarding the third study, lack of knowledge, natural, flavour defects and not appealing characterized the group formed by frankfurters with no phosphate added and no nitrite added through the sorting task technique. The frankfurters with natural antioxidant, as a source of dietary fibre and with omega 3 were associated to a better nutritional quality and positive impact on health/organism. The hard laddering technique revealed that the main reasons that justify the choices for the frankfurters with reduced sodium, reduced fat, with omega 3, with natural antioxidants and dietary fibre are concerns with health and longevity. The results obtained through the three studies showed that the consumers present distinctive perceptions concerning different types of evaluated frankfurters (concepts), suggesting that the meat industry should consider the particularities identified to develop healthier sausages and advertise their attributes.

O presente trabalho teve como objetivo realizar estudos para entender a percepção de consumidores em relação a salsichas com diferentes atributos de saudabilidade. Foram conduzidos três estudos e diferentes metodologias foram empregadas para explorar a atitude do consumidor. No primeiro estudo, a percepção dos consumidores foi avaliada através das técnicas de associação de palavras, aceitação de cada conceito (salsicha tradicional, com antioxidantes naturais, com redução de sódio, com redução de gordura, fonte de fibra alimentar e com ômega 3), grau de familiaridade com cada atributo de saudabilidade e resposta emocional. Para a salsicha tradicional, as categorias mais relevantes para os consumidores foram: modo de consumo, sabor agradável, não saudável, aparência (cor), gordura/caloria e pressão alta, já o grupo formado pelas salsichas com ômega 3, antioxidantes naturais, com redução de gordura e com redução de sódio se caracterizou principalmente pela percepção de saudabilidade. Para o segundo estudo, a relação entre a preocupação de consumidores com sua saúde e sua percepção sobre salsichas com adição de ingredientes funcionais (fibra alimentar e ômega 3) foi avaliada através do teste de completamento e da técnica de lista de compras. Não foram encontradas diferenças significativas entre os clusters (consciência em relação à saúde) para as razões apontadas pelos consumidores que incentivam (sabor agradável, praticidade, preço acessível e modo de consumo) e limitam (prejudicial à saúde, não saudável, ricas em sódio e gordura e artificial) a compra de salsichas. Os resultados do segundo estudo, ainda demonstraram que a adição de fibra alimentar e ômega 3 em salsicha gerou associações predominantemente positivas independente do nível de consciência em relação à saúde dos consumidores. Em relação ao terceiro estudo, na aplicação da técnica sorting task, termos como falta de conhecimento, natural, problemas de sabor e não atrativo caracterizaram o grupo formado pelas salsichas sem adição de fosfato e nitrito. Já as salsichas com antioxidantes naturais, fonte de fibra alimentar e com ômega 3 foram associadas a melhor qualidade nutricional e impacto positivo na saúde/organismo. Neste mesmo estudo, a técnica hard laddering revelou que os principais motivos que justificam as escolhas das salsichas com redução de sódio, com redução de gordura, com ômega 3, com antioxidantes naturais e fibra alimentar são preocupação com a saúde e vida longa. Os resultados obtidos nos três estudos demonstraram que os consumidores apresentam percepções distintas em relação aos diferentes tipos de salsicha (conceitos) avaliados, sugerindo que a indústria da carne deve considerar as particularidades identificadas ao desenvolver salsichas mais saudáveis e anunciar seus atributos. / The present paper aimed to perform studies to understand the consumers\' perception regarding frankfurter sausages with different healthiness attributes. Three studies were carried out and different methods were applied to explore the consumer\'s attitude. In the first study the consumers\' perception was evaluated through the technique of word association, acceptance of each concept (traditional frankfurter, with natural antioxidants, with reduced sodium, with reduced fat, as a source of dietary fibre, and with omega 3), level of familiarity with each attribute and emotional response. For the traditional frankfurter the most relevant categories for the consumers were: consumption mode, good flavour, unhealthy, appearance (colour), fat/calorie and high blood pressure, whereas the group formed by the frankfurters with omega 3, natural antioxidants, with reduced fat and reduced sodium was characterized especially by healthiness perception. For the second study the connection between the concern of consumer\'s with their health and their perception on frankfurters with the addition of functional ingredients (dietary fibre and omega 3) was evaluated through a completion test and the shopping list technique. No significant differences were found between the clusters (concern with health) for the reasons pointed out by the consumers that encourage (good flavour, convenience, price/cheap, and consumption mode) and restrict (harmful to health, unhealthy, rich in sodium and fat, and artificial) purchasing frankfurters. The results of the second study also demonstrated that adding dietary fibre and omega 3 in frankfurters provided predominantly positive associations regardless of consumers\' concerns with health. Regarding the third study, lack of knowledge, natural, flavour defects and not appealing characterized the group formed by frankfurters with no phosphate added and no nitrite added through the sorting task technique. The frankfurters with natural antioxidant, as a source of dietary fibre and with omega 3 were associated to a better nutritional quality and positive impact on health/organism. The hard laddering technique revealed that the main reasons that justify the choices for the frankfurters with reduced sodium, reduced fat, with omega 3, with natural antioxidants and dietary fibre are concerns with health and longevity. The results obtained through the three studies showed that the consumers present distinctive perceptions concerning different types of evaluated frankfurters (concepts), suggesting that the meat industry should consider the particularities identified to develop healthier sausages and advertise their attributes.