more studies showing social norms Flashcards
vegetables for breakfast
Haycraft mcleod 2024-
A major barrier when discussing giving children vegetables for breakfast was both parental and childrens social norms around the subject- they believed it wasnt a norm to eat such for breakfast and a reason why they would not feed their children vegetables for breakfast-
shows us directly how norms can influence what we chose to eat.
compared to China where vegtebales for breakfast are sociall acceptable and normal, children are open to eating vegetbales for breakfast (Bian and Markmen 2020)
teamates
Plateau, Haycraft, Scott 2019=
Teammates are an important source of influence on athlete eating attitudes and
behaviours and these influences can be protective against, or engender an increased risk for,
disordered eating
short term eating-
Higgs (2019) discusses how descriptive social-normative messaging can positively influence short-term dietary choices and healthy food intake. The study suggests that people are more likely to choose healthier options when they believe that others are doing the same
norm based messaging
In experimental settings, norm-based messaging has shown to be effective in altering dietary behavior. For example, presenting participants with statements such as “most people choose fruits and vegetables” has been found to encourage healthier food choices (Higgs, 2019). Such findings suggest that leveraging social norms can be a powerful tool for promoting healthier eating habits.
negatves of norm research-
Despite the evidence supporting the role of social norms in shaping eating behaviors, several limitations warrant consideration. Many studies rely on controlled laboratory experiments, which may lack ecological validity and fail to capture the complexity of real-world dining contexts (Lipschitz & Herman, 2010). For instance, individuals might behave differently in experimental settings than in everyday life, where competing factors such as stress or time constraints also influence food choices.
Robinson 2013- 14/15 studies on norms, confederates, done on university students- cant generalise to population
Additionally, while norm-based messaging has proven effective in some cases, its impact may diminish over time or vary across cultural contexts (Higgs, 2019).
Some research suggests people use norms in unfamiliar settings to judge what is appropriate (social commparison theory)- Festinger 1974- However other research-
For example, Gligorić et al. (2021) observed that food choice mimicry is more pronounced in familiar settings, such as dining with friends, than in anonymous contexts, such as crowded cafeterias. This suggests that the strength of social norms depends on interpersonal dynamics and the salience of group identity.
restraint eaters
Vartanian et al., 2020-
High intake norms influenced how much restraint eaters ate more than non restraint eaters- (more reponsive)
- this high intake norm gave restraint eaters permission to indulge and o over their cognitive boundries of restriction!
different norms
Roth 1999-
Social Norms Framework:
The researchers propose that social influences on eating can be understood as people adhering to two key norms:
Norm of Minimal Eating: Eating less in social contexts where one feels observed or judged, likely driven by impression management and societal expectations.
Matching Norm: Eating in alignment with the behavior of others, particularly in co-action or shared eating contexts, as a form of social modeling.
homophily
Research indicates that individuals often form social connections with others who share similar characteristics, a phenomenon known as homophily. This principle suggests that people are inclined to associate with those who are similar to themselves in various attributes, including behaviors and health-related factors.
ANNUAL REVIEWS
Mctherson et al., 2001
In the context of obesity, studies have demonstrated that social networks significantly influence individuals’ body weight. For instance, a study by Christakis and Fowler (2007) found that when an individual becomes obese, the likelihood of their friends also becoming obese increases by 57%. This effect extends to siblings and spouses, indicating that social ties play a crucial role in the spread of obesity within social networks.
The interplay between homophily and social influence suggests that individuals who are obese may be more likely to form and maintain relationships with others who are also obese. This clustering can reinforce behaviors and norms related to diet and physical activity, making it challenging for individuals within these networks to adopt healthier lifestyles. Understanding these social dynamics is essential for developing effective interventions aimed at promoting healthy behaviors and addressing the obesity epidemic
critical analaysis
One key critique is that many studies rely on artificial settings, such as laboratory experiments, which may not reflect real-world eating behaviors. For example, participants may be more aware of being observed and adjust their eating behaviors accordingly, a phenomenon known as the Hawthorne effect (Higgs, 2015). This limits the ecological validity of some findings.
B. Overemphasis on Short-Term Effects
Research often focuses on immediate or short-term influences of social norms, such as meal-to-meal eating decisions, while long-term impacts are less well understood. For instance, while participants might mimic the eating habits of their peers in a single meal, it is unclear whether such behaviors persist over time and influence habitual dietary patterns (Robinson et al., 2014).
C. Variability in Response
The impact of social norms is not uniform across individuals. Personality traits, cultural factors, and personal values can moderate the effect of norms on eating behaviors. For example, people with high self-control or strong intrinsic motivation to eat healthily may be less influenced by unhealthy social norms (Stok et al., 2014). Additionally, cultural differences in collectivism versus individualism can shape how much individuals conform to group eating behaviors, limiting the generalizability of findings across populations.
D. Overlooking Other Influences
While social norms are important, they are only one of many factors influencing eating behavior. The interaction between social norms and other determinants, such as physiological hunger, stress, or environmental cues (e.g., food availability), is often underexplored. Research that isolates social norms without accounting for these factors may overestimate their influence.
