I take therefore I choose? The impact of active vs. passive acquisition on food consumption

•Actively acquiring food items leads to higher evaluation and consumption.•This effect is driven by illusory feelings of choice.•The impact of active acquisition is attenuated for people low in need-for-control.

This research investigates the consequences of physically taking (actively acquiring) vs. receiving (passively acquiring) food items. Specifically, we demonstrate that the act of physically taking food can generate a false impression of choice, an effect we term “embodied illusion of choice.” Across two studies, we document the mediating effect of this embodied illusion of choice on food evaluation and actual consumption, and show that these effects are moderated by an individual's need-for-control.