The Role of Learning in Food Preferences Flashcards
Researchers believe that most of our food preferences are acquired through experiences and we learn what might be good to eat or should be avoided from our role models and our environment.
What are the two social influences for food preference?
- social learning theory
- conditioning
Social learning theory:
-Family and same sex/ age peers are powerful influences on food preferences.
-Children observe and imitate eating behaviour and food preferences of family and other children bc they are seen as role models.
-Imitation is especially likely if:
1) the individual identifies with the role model due to shared characteristics OR want to be like them.
2) the individual sees friends/ family rewarded for their eating behaviour (e.g. receiving praise) VICARIOUS REINFORCEMENT
- Media? Advertisement? Unhealthy food = fun = vicarious reinforcement (celebrity endorsements for such food - identification)
Conditioning:
- Preferences also affected by conditioning - shaped by consequences of eating behaviour
- Operant conditioning: children more likely to prefer to repeatedly eat foods if directly rewarded for eating them, e.g. being praised by a parent for eating vegetables
- Similarly, if the child is punished for eating certain foods - less likely to eat them again in the future
What is the cultural influence for food preference?
Cultural norms
Cultural norms:
- Vabo and Hansen argued that what and how much to eat is shaped by learning around the family table and culture. These can be powerful enough to overcome innate aversions.
- Affects meat eating, e.g. (Chinese people eat all parts including liver, kidney etc (offal) vs. USA eat certain parts (e.g, leg meat))
- Learnt cultural norms also define what is a ‘proper meal’. E.g. older generation considered meat and two vegetables a proper meal instead of junk food.
A strength is that there is research evidence to support the role of parent influences.
Olivera et al found a positive correlation between a mother’s food intake for most nutrients and her preschool children’s food intake for most nutrients. This shows that mothers have a significant influence on eating behaviour of children - children tended to imitate their eating preferences. Also practical applications to real life - parental attitudes + eating behaviour should be targeted to improve children’s diets. Validates role of learning from parents in food preferences and can be applied to improve diets,
A strength is that there is research evidence to support the role of peer influences.
Birch conducted a study where for four consecutive lunchtimes, children were seated next to other children who preferred a different vegetable to the one they preferred. At the end of the four days, these children showed a change in their vegetable preference and this was still evident at a follow up several weeks later. This demonstrates the impact of peers on eating behaviour as children learn their eating preferences through observation and imitation of peers they identify with. Increases validity of learning theory.
A weakness is that the learning explanation is deterministic.
Bc it proposes that eating behaviour is controlled by the environment and the foods that people eat around us. It therefore ignores the notion of free will and the fact that our decisions of what we eat is affected by our own thoughts and beliefs rather than being completely reliant upon our external influences. For example, despite meat/animal products being common and accepted in cultures and often a significant part of cultural practises - veganism and vegetarianism has gained popularity bc of moral objections to eating meat and animal based products due to environmental concerns. This shows that free will can override the influence of culture on eating behaviour. Moreover, those with health concerns may avoid food that those around them eat-> negative outlook on eating behaviour.
A weakness is that there is an alternative explanation for food preferences from the evolutionary explanation.
The evolutionary explanation argues that eating habits are a product of evolution. People may prefer eating meat / sweet not due to conforming to cultural norms or imitating role models, but rather due to being genetically bred to prefer them. For example, Steiner found babies who have not had experience with food still have a preference for sweet food, which shows that this preference is not learnt and must be innate, which contradicts learning theory. Therefore the learning explanation is incomplete because it does not account for evolutionary factors and therefore reduces in validity.
