IS THE EFFECT OF A SOCIAL MODEL ON EATING ATTENUATED BY HUNGER

Two experiments were conducted to assess the effect of social influence pressures on eating in indivudals differing in initial hunger; we assumed that conformity to a model would decline as hunger increased. In the first experiment, subjects' eating conformed closely to the model's eating, with subjects eating very little when the model ate very little, even after 24 h of food deprivation. In a second experiment, the conformity effect again dominated the results, even after lengthy deprivation. We discuss the implications and limitations of this powerful modelling effect on eating. © 1991.