Citation
The role of time and energy in food preference
TL;DR
Food preferences are shaped by energy return on time invested
Emlen's work, published the same year as MacArthur and Pianka, independently developed similar optimal foraging predictions. His focus on how time and energy constraints shape food preferences provides the biological basis for understanding why businesses should calculate value per unit effort rather than absolute value.
The paper establishes that preferences aren't fixed - they're contextual responses to the trade-off between time invested and energy gained.
Key Findings from Emlen (1966)
- Food preferences are shaped by energy return on time invested
- Handling time is a critical variable in diet selection
- Organisms should ignore low-efficiency foods even when encountered
- Optimal diets depend on abundance of preferred items