3
Food Choice
This chapter asks, “Why do people eat what they eat?” Much research
has addressed the complex factors involved in food choice. This chapter
explores three main psychological perspectives. First it examines develop-
mental models of food choice with their focus on exposure, social learning,
and associative learning. Second, it examines research which has drawn upon
cognitive theories, with their emphasis on motivation, and social cognition
models. Finally it explores the psychophysiological perspectives. In partic-
ular, it assesses the role of metabolism, the hypothalamus, the impact of
drugs and neurochemicals on hunger and satiety, the impact of chemical
senses on food choice, and the role of stress in determining either under-
or overeating. The boundary model of eating behavior, with its focus on
body dissatisfaction and the impact of dieting, is explored in chapter 7.
This chapter covers the following:
- Developmental models of food choice
- Cognitive models of food choice
- Psychophysiological models of food choice
There is consistent evidence that newborn babies innately prefer certain
foods. In studies using facial expressions and sucking behavior as an index
of preference, babies have been shown to prefer sweet-tasting substances
(Desor, Maller, and Turner, 1973) and salt (Denton, 1982), and to reject
bitter tastes (Geldard, 1972). In adults there is also some evidence for a
“sweet tooth,” as those who eat higher quantities of sweet snacks also consume
more fruit compared to vegetables (Wansink et al., 2006). Beauchamp and
Moran (1982) reported, however, that 6-month-old babies who were
accustomed to drinking sweetened water drank more sweetened water than
those babies who were not. It seems that even the apparently inherent