The influence of social norms on hunger ratings and eating

Restrained and unrestrained eaters were exposed to fictitious hunger reports (high-hunger, low-hunger) of ostensible prior participants in the experiment. In the control condition, participants were not exposed to prior-participant reports. Participants rated their own hunger and then consumed cookies during a 'taste-test.' The fictitious hunger ratings of prior participants exerted a strong effect (p < 0.001) on actual participants' hunger ratings; however, food intake was not affected by the fictitious hunger ratings (or by the actual participants' hunger ratings). We discuss the disjunction between hunger ratings and eating, specifically whether (a) hunger reports were fabricated in response to social pressure or (b) eating is controlled by factors other than hunger. (C) 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.