Factors Influencing Attitudes To Food/Eating Behaviour Flashcards
Parents (Lowe)
- Control which foods are bought and provided in home. -Mum in particular cooks child’s food so her attitude towards food will affect child’s attitude. -Over concern with health aspects of food will lead to mother fretting over child having a balanced diet.
- Lowe found, once child starts school peers also become important factor. -Studies have shown how modelling using admired peers can increase the consumption of fruit and vegetables.
Exemplified by Ogden
-Found a sig +ve correlation; diets of mothers and diets of children. -Attributed this to the 4 stage observational learning model; -attention, retention, motivation, reproduction) -Mothers in particular provide key role models for children.
Olivera et al: ES for RmT and RWA
-Found +ve correlation between mother FI for most nutrients and her preschool children’s FI for most nutrients. -Has real practical application; -Educating parents (G influence on children) by promoting healthy eating may in turn v childhood obesity thus v pressure on NHS budget, a recognised growing national issue.
Social income argument
-Furthermore found children from ^income backgrounds ate more healthily consuming v sat fats, ^protein and calcium in line w RDA. -Suggests that income and educational impoverishment do affect eating behaviour and attitudes to certain foods.
Correlation not causation
-// both pieces of research = Correlational thus CandE not inferred for certain that mothers diet or families income relates to healthier eating habits. -May well be confounding variables acting i.e stress of being poor contributing to a lack of appetite. -RMT supported by these findings undermined by lack of a CR.
Evolutionary: refute RMT not holist
-Attitudes to food are product of more than social learning alone. -Although RMT useful in explaining ATF Evo attempts scientific exp our preference for specific foods i.e sweet and salty using genetic info and evolved adaptions. -To have full understanding of EB holistic approach needed taking bio-psychosocial stance.
Food linked to emotional state
-Mood may also affect a persons attitude towards eating. -People may eat more when in a -ve mood to improve mood. -Or they may eat more when their mood is +ve; role of food in celebration and social interaction.
Wegner et al: students binge eating
-Found association between -ve feelings i.e anxiety and binge eating. -Students recorded mood and eating pattern over a 2 week period. -On days where more -ve feelings reported there was an ^ in binge eating compared to reportedly “better days”.
Physiological evidence: stress and SR
-Stress = ^sugar consumption; associated with improved mood and ^energy. -70% of our SR receptors are in the gut. -There appears to be a physiological basis for choice of sweet foods during a -ve mood. -Serotonin levels affected by intake of SF raising mood v stress.
Garg et al: Films
-Obs food choice of 38 pp watching either a funny or sad film. -Sad film consumed 36% more popcorn than funny film? -FM “funny” film group ate more grapes than other group. -Conc; unhealthy food give sudden rush of euphoria and v bad mood. -Happy people want maintain good mood so opt for healthy option. -Exp highly controlled/objective thus CandE can be established. -TF mood does affect the type of food eaten thus eating behaviour.
Garg (follow up): practical application
-AT against corporate interest Garg provides practical application. -Follow up study pp made aware of nutritional info of both foods before viewing. -Consumption of popcorn v significantly. -TF unhealthy food should display prominent nutritional information to stop people with v moods from indulging in poor EB
v EV: gender bias and participant variables
-Focuses mainly on women’s attitudes to eating behaviour. -Thus the RM and mood theories are inherently gender biased. -Application is limited to one gender so lack population validity. -FM used pp with diagnosed eating disorders, sub-clinical conditions and temporary depressed moods. -Hence findings GWT from such specific circumstances to the wider population, so findings also lack external validity -Not measure effects on eating behaviour outside of that niche group of people.
