Summary
A study shows that women’s preference for raw broccoli can be influenced by observing others’ facial expressions while eating the vegetable. Negative expressions lead to a decrease in liking ratings, highlighting the potent influence of food dislikes on eating behaviors. This research helps understand the role of social modeling in shaping food preferences, potentially extending to children’s acceptance of vegetables.
Key Facts
- Adults’ liking of raw broccoli decreases when they observe negative facial expressions of others eating the vegetable.
- The study was conducted mainly on women to explore any potential gender-based differences in social modeling effects.
- The findings suggest that exposure to parents’ food dislikes can impact children’s acceptance of vegetables.
Research Overview
Humans often draw conclusions about behaviors based on observing others. In the context of eating, people use each other as guides to determine what and how much to eat, referred to as social modeling. A UK study investigated how observing others’ facial expressions while eating raw broccoli affected young women’s liking and desire to eat the vegetable. The research revealed that while negative facial expressions reduced women’s liking of the vegetable, they didn’t affect the desire to eat it.
Method and Findings
Dr. Katie Edwards from the Aston University School of Psychology led the study where over 200 women watched videos of different individuals consuming raw broccoli with positive (smiling), neutral, and negative (disgust-like) facial expressions. It was observed that watching others eating broccoli with negative expressions significantly reduced the vegetable’s liking ratings. However, positive facial expressions did not have the reciprocal effect, most likely because avoiding any food perceived as disgusting is critical to prevent consuming something potentially harmful or bad tasting.
Future Research Directions
Many aspects need further exploration, like understanding the impact of facial expressions indicating enjoyment on food liking. While the study primarily focused on adult women, the researchers conjecture that the findings could also apply to children. As children are generally less inclined towards vegetables, observing parents showing disgust while eating vegetables could negatively influence their vegetable acceptance. Future research should monitor adults’ actual vegetable intake and examine the effect of observing live food consumption on eating behavior.
About the Research
The author of this news is Deborah Pirchner and the source is Frontiers. The findings of this research will appear in Frontiers in Psychology.
As a psychiatrist, I find this study very enlightening as it showcases the power of non-verbal cues in influencing behavior. It underlines the fact that our attitudes towards food, and possibly many other aspects of behavior, are shaped not only by personal preferences but also by social influences. This can have significant implications for how we approach the issue of healthy eating, emphasizing the importance of creating a positive environment around healthy food choices.
Dr Michael Johnson, MD, Cure of Mind