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Social norms and reference groups relating to eating behaviours and body weight judgements
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Clohessy, Sophie (2022) Social norms and reference groups relating to eating behaviours and body weight judgements. PhD thesis, University of Warwick.
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Official URL: http://webcat.warwick.ac.uk/record=b3877445
Abstract
People use others to inform their own eating behaviours and weight judgements. This thesis aimed to understand perceptions of social norms and reference groups in relation to eating behaviours and weight judgements.
Chapter 1 describes the key concepts and background information to understand the context of the current PhD thesis. It begins by introducing the concept of social norms. Followed by a summary of research studies that have investigated social influences on eating behaviours in general. Next, it discusses the key reference groups that people compare their eating behaviours with and considers social media as a reference group for eating behaviours. It presents research that suggests colleagues are an important reference group for eating behaviours.
Chapter 2 presents a systematic review investigating factors affecting eating behaviours in the office-based workforce. Findings suggest colleagues influence people’s eating behaviour at work. Based on this, I employed a broader approach and explored some fundamental research questions; How do people make weight judgements? and who do they make weight judgements with? These questions formed the basis of studies in this thesis.
Chapter 3 discusses the implications of the systematic review findings and considers colleagues as an important reference group for body weight judgements. It considers what is known about who people compare themselves with to make a weight judgement and what is known about reference groups more generally. Next, a summary of theories of how people make body weight judgments and an introduction to rank based judgements. Then, a summary of the key points covered in chapters one, two and three. Finally, an outline of the objectives and aims of the thesis, as well as an overview of the thesis structure.
Chapter 4 provides an overview and background to the methods utilised in this thesis. First, an overview of study design, participant recruitment, and participant characteristics included within each of the studies are presented (studies 1-7). Then, a description of the research methods used within the thesis and discussion of the rationale for the methods used in each study and finally a chapter summary.
Chapter 5 examines whether people use perceived rank of weight with others to inform weight judgements and explored reference group composition. Three studies suggest people use rank with others to make a weight judgement, explaining the cognitive mechanisms behind how people make weight judgements. Friends and people the same gender are important reference groups for weight judgements.
Chapter 6 investigates whether people’s judgments are sensitive to the rank position of a judged stimuli among other stimuli or if they are sensitive to the mean in a comparison context. Judgments of weight in context appear to be sensitive to the rank position of weight relative to the weights of others.
Chapter 7 explored perceptions of restrained eating in reference groups (Instagram/UK population). Two studies utilised a rank-based approach as an underlying mechanism to explain people’s judgements towards their restrained eating, results were inconclusive.
Chapter 8 discusses theoretical and practical implications of all findings. People use rank to make judgements about weight. Findings support rank-based models of human judgment, offering insight into the exact mechanisms by which people judge weight of themselves and others.
| Item Type: | Thesis (PhD) | ||||
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| Subjects: | G Geography. Anthropology. Recreation > GT Manners and customs Q Science > QP Physiology R Medicine > RA Public aspects of medicine R Medicine > RC Internal medicine |
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| Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH): | Food habits, Food habits -- Social aspects, Social norms, Body weight -- Psychological aspects, Human behavior -- Nutritional aspects | ||||
| Official Date: | January 2022 | ||||
| Dates: |
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| Institution: | University of Warwick | ||||
| Theses Department: | Warwick Manufacturing Group | ||||
| Thesis Type: | PhD | ||||
| Publication Status: | Unpublished | ||||
| Supervisor(s)/Advisor: | Meyer, Caroline ; Walasek, Lukasz | ||||
| Format of File: | |||||
| Extent: | xv, 169 pages : illustrations, charts | ||||
| Language: | eng |
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