Influences On Preference Flashcards
Social learning theory - parents and peers + STUDY
parents buy the food and choose what to serve their children
Birch and Fisher found that the best predictors of a daughters eating behaviour were the mothers’ dieting behaviours and their concerns about their daughter becoming overweight. Which suggests that that children learn about eating behaviours
Social learning theory - media
Macintyre reported that the media has a massive impact on what people choose to eat and attitudes towards certain foods
Problems with social learning theory and media
- correlations
- food choices are limited by income and age. Cheap food is often high in fat and organic foods are more expensive. These variables may all have an impact on the choices people make with regards to their eating habits
Preference for calorie laden food?
Gibson and Wardle - presented children with a table full of fruit and vegetables and found that neither familiarity or how sweet a food was bad an influence on food choice. Instead most children chose foods that were high in calorie content. Demonstrating an evolved preference for calorie laden food
Culture
Our culture may also influence what we eat and when we eat. For example Hindus - cow is a sacred animal
Jews can’t eat pork
Ethnicity can also affect food choice
Support for culture
Research has shown that white women are more likely to have eating concerns than Asian or black women suggesting that eating behaviour is heavily influenced by culture
Limitation of culture
Ethnicity may not always influence food choice. Other studies contradict the claim that disordered eating is found mainly in white women. Perhaps all races feel the pressure and desire to conform to a perfect body type.
Streigel-Moore found more evidence of a drive for thinness in black girls
Mood
Garg claim that hen low most people want to jolt themselves out of their sad mood. Therefore are not likely to choose snacks which would cause them to experience sudden euphoria
Support for mood and criticism
Garg observed 38 participants making food choices when watching a film. Those who watching the sad film consumed 36% more popcorn than those watching the funny movie
Parker et al found that although chocolate can temporarily lift a mood it is more likely to prolong a negative mood rather than alleviate it
Binge eating and moods
Research has also shown that people with bulimia often report w low mood before binge eating. Wegner et al tested this by asking students to record their eating patterns and mood states for two weeks. Low moods often preceded a binge day but moods didn’t get better after the binge! So comfort eating doesn’t alleviate the low mood state
Problems with eating behaviour research
- often low sample sizes
- gender bias
- difficult to generalise
- modified by genes?
