Psych

Front 1

*Social learning theory*

Back 1

Emphasises the impact that observing other people has on our own attitudes and behaviour

Front 2

Parental modelling

Back 2

Parents attitudes to food inevitably have an effect on their kids because they control the food bought and served in the home. However research suggests an association between parent’s and children’s attitude to food generally. For example, a study reported consistent correlations between parents and their children in terms of snack food intake, eating motivations and body dissatisfaction.

Front 3

Media effects

Back 3

A study found that the media have a major impact both on what people eat, and also their attitudes to certain foods. However, the researchers also state that many eating behaviours are limited by personal circumstances such as age and income. Therefore people appear to learn from the media about healthy eating but must place this information within the broader context of their lives

Front 4

Evaluation

Back 4

The importance of social learning(SL) in attitudes to food were demonstrated in a study of 10-12 year olds which found a significant positive correlation between peer influence and disordered eating. The ‘likeability’ of peers was considered the most important factor in this relationship.
The role of SL is also supported by a study of mothers and daughters that found that the best predictors of the daughters’ eating behaviour were the mothers’ dietary restraint and their perception of the risks of the daughter becoming over weight

Front 5

*Cultural influences*

Back 5

Nxt section

Front 6

Ethnicity

Back 6

Research suggests that bodily dissatisfaction and related eating concerns and disorders are more characteristics of white women than black or Asian women.
A study found that for all ethnic groups, the longer the time spent in Australia, the more the women reported attitudes and eating behaviours similar to women born in Australia (‘acculturation effect’)

Front 7

Social class

Back 7

A number of studies have found that body dissatisfaction, dieting behaviour and eating disorders are more common in higher-class individuals.
For example a study of 7000 US adolescents found that higher-class females had more of a desire to be thin, and were more likely to diet to achieve this, than their lower class counterparts.

Front 8

Evaluation
Ethnicity

Back 8

Although some research has found that a preoccupation with dieting and disordered eating are more common among white females than black or Asian women, other studies have found the complete opposite.
For example a study found that the incidence of bulimia was greater among Asian school girls than among their white counterparts.
Similarly another study found more evidence of a ‘drive for thinness’ among black girls than among white girls.

Front 9

Evaluation
Social class

Back 9

A study found that in a sample of American students, higher social class was related with greater satisfaction with their weight and lower rates of weight control behaviours such as vomiting. Other studies have found no relationship between social class and weight dissatisfaction, the desire for thinness and eating disorders.

Front 10

**Mood and eating behaviour**

Back 10

Nxt section

Front 11

Binge eating :(

Back 11

Some explanations of eating behaviour, particularly of binge-eating see it as a temporary escape from negative mood (such as sadness or anxiety)
Binge eating- research has shown that people with BN complain of anxiety prior to a binge. Self-monitoring studies have shown that one hour before a binge, bulimic individuals, had more negative mood states than an hour before a normal snack or meal. The same patter appears to hold for sub-clinical populations. A study found that binge days were characterised by generally low mood compared to non-binge days, but there was no difference in mood before and after a binge. This suggests that although low mood may make binge-eating more likely it doesn’t alleviate the low mood state.

Front 12

Comfort eating

Back 12

A study found that those watching a sad movie ate 36% more popcorn than those watching an upbeat film, but the upbeat film ate a lot more grapes. The researcher claimed that people who feel sad or depressed want to jolt themselves out of the dumps therefore they’re more likely to go for a snack that tastes good to give them a sudden rush of euphoria, happy people want to extend their mood so choose healthy foods.

Front 13

Evaluation
Binge eating :(

Back 13

Questioning the reinforcement of binge-eating - A number of studies have found that a period of lowered mood or anxiety precedes an episode of binge-eating, suggesting that depressed mood somehow causes the onset of binge eating. Whilst a binge may offer immediate satisfaction, any reinforcement is brief at best, and many studies show a drop in mood straight after a binge which makes it difficult to see how the binge is reinforced

Front 14

Evaluation
Comfort food

Back 14

Chocolate has long been seen as the ultimate comfort food. Our attitude towards it appears to be influenced by claims that it can lift our mood. However a recent study found that, although chocolate has a slight antidepressant effect for some people, when consumed as an emotional strategy, it is more likely to prolong rather than alleviate the negative mood, particularly if used repeatedly.

Front 15

A03

Back 15

Gender bias
Low generalisability
Cultural differences

Front 16

Gender bias

Back 16

Most studies in this area have focussed on women’s attitudes to eating behaviour. However studies have shown that in men, homosexuality is more of a risk factor in the development of disordered eating attitudes and behaviour, including body dissatisfaction, higher levels of dieting, and a greater incidence of bulimic symptoms than in heterosexual men.

Front 17

Cultural differences

Back 17

A study from 4 cultures which asked PPs about the diet-health link, consumption of healthy foods and satisfaction with the healthiness of their own diets. They found that in all areas except beliefs about the importance of diet for health, they found substantial cultural differences.

Front 18

Low generalisability

Back 18

The research discussed comes from clinical, sub-clinical and non-clinical groups. This puts limitations on the degree to which we can generalise from one group to another, and therefore the degree to which these studies offer a universal understanding of causal factors in eating behaviour