Self-presentational conflict in social eating situations: a normative perspective

This study explored the degree to which people adhere to norms for "appropr iate" eating behavior in social situations. Of particular inter est was how people determine what is appropriate behavior when they an faced with conf licting: norms within a given situation. Participants tasted cookies while alone or while observed by the experimenter. Further more, participants wer e assigned to either a "no norm" condition in which they were given no indi cation of how much other people in the study had eaten, an "inhibition norm " condition in which they were led to believe that others had eaten minimal ly, or an "augmentation norm" condition in which they were led to believe t hat others in the study had eaten a lot. When they were alone, participants were influenced by the norms; but when they were observed, they ate minima lly, regardless of the norms to which they were exposed. It seems that a no rm for minimal eating superseded a matching norm which prescribes that peop le should use the intake of their peers as a guide For appropriate behavior . Implications of these Findings and limitations of the study were discusse d. (C) 2001 Academic Press.