social influences on eating behaviour week/lecture 7 essential reading

Question 1

Cruwys et al., 2016
The social psychology of disordered eating: The situated identity enactment model

Answer 1

• Social-psychology model of disordered eating is needed to explain how sociocultural factors are psychologically represented and subsequently reflected in an individuals cognitions and behaviour
  
  • 3 central elements shape disordered eating
    ○ Social norms
    ○ Social identity
    ○ Social context
  • These 3 elements integrate within a situated identity enactment (SIE) model
  • SIE model
    ○ States that social context determines salience of both social norms and social identities
    ○ Social norms influence disordered eating behaviour but only to extent they are consistent in content of a persons social identities
  • Need for, and potential value of, theory-derived social interventions

Question 1

Robinson et al., 2013 - social influences on eating

Answer 1

• Review of research on effect of social context on food intake and food choice and assess implications for nutritional interventions
  
  • Social context influences eating via multiple mechanisms including identity signalling and self-presentation concerns
  • Social factors may be influential on nutrition because following others behaviour is adaptive and social norms inform individuals about behaviours likely to be optimal

Question 2

Higgs 2015
Social norms and their influence on eating behaviours

Answer 2

• Social norms are implicit codes of conduct guiding appropriate action
  
  • Eating norms are followed as they provide info about safe foods and facilitate food sharing
  • Norms influence behaviour as following them is associated with social judgements
  • Norm following more likely when there is uncertainty about what constitutes correct behaviour and when there is greater shared identity with the norm referent group
  • Social norms may affect food choice and intake by altering self-perceptions or by altering sensory/hedonic evaluation of foods
  • Same neural systems that mediate rewarding effect of food are likely to reinforce the following of eating norms