Social influence on eating
Subtitle: anormative approach.
Published: 2004
Language: eng
Number of pages: 40
Description: This study explored the degree to which people adhered to one of two possible norms for "appropriate" eating behaviour: the norm to avoid eating excessively (AEE), and its variant, the norm to eat minimally (EM). Participants ate cookies after being exposed to the behaviour of remote confederates eating at three levels (minimal, excessive and intermediate). It was predicted that participants' eating scores would be bimodally distributed with the modes at or just below the two amounts chosen to represent minimal and excessive eating. Instead, the modal amount eaten was greater than the maximum limit set for avoiding excessive eating. Results are discussed in the context of the conformity literature, which has shown that in the presence of a non-unanimous majority, conformity to group norms drops dramatically. The possibility that the large variability in past amounts eaten disinhibited eating by obliterating any perceived consistency in the confederates' intake is considered.
Notes: Advisers:  Peter Herman; Patricia Pliner.

Thesis (M.A.)--University of Toronto, 2004.

Electronic version licensed for access by U. of T. users.

Source: Masters Abstracts International, Volume: 43-03, page: 1008.

MICR copy on microfiche (1 microfiche).