Eating tends to be a very personal action; it can jeopardize the individual as it introduces outside foods into the body. One source that has been proven to be linked to pleasure for humans is food, and in the U.S. it is many times the source of fear as it has been said to be a fattener of human bodies or even as a carcinogen carrier (Rozin, 1990). The choice of food has been associated with cognitive associations, like that of knowledge and attitude, as opposed to other biological needs.
No matter the meaning and intricacy of the food choice, developmental psychologists have not yet given much attention to the study of how children may regard, learn about, and make sense of food (Shutts, Kinzler, & DeJesus, 2013). There has not been much time spent on the study of food choices in children. There are, however, current articles that state that children utilize many beneficial means to back their capacity to make proper food choices beginning in early age. This shows that children are able to learn, on their own, about things that are edible and things that are not. Past research has revealed that children will demonstrate disadvantages when it comes to food expertise. An example is from research done by Shutts, Kinzler, & DeJesus (2013) explaining that toddlers more times than not will choose to consume dangerous foods. By simply establishing models of individual, social, and environmental influences on food choices, there may be the possibility to promote healthy eating habits. Other studies have shown that food availability and economic resources to acquire food is a center determinant of food selection (Michela & Contento, 1986). Although, according to Ferguson, Contreras, and Kilburn (2014), children between the ages of 3 and 6 will choose foods depending on advertising, while older children make choices dependent upon their parents influence.
As humans we are considered omnivores, which means that our systems can handle a variety of foods. We are able to eat a wide range of different types of foods, there may still be some risks involved, since there is still the chance of consuming toxic foods or the possibility of eating an imbalanced diet (Rozin, 1990). Due to these reasons it is important that individuals learn what foods are healthy and edible and what is not, what amounts each can be ingested and with what. As an example, corn is an incomplete food, but is considered a good food, even though it is low in amino acids. If one were to eat corn and beans together then they would meet the need of amino acids and protein necessary.
Adequate food choice is very important and crucial to the survival of humans and so the issue arises as to what is edible and what is not. It is important that individuals are able to avoid toxins and learn to eat a balanced diet that must be learned early on in life. In the first 3 months of life people live off of milk or formula as their source of proper nutrition, but this can later create complex choices. The choices will contain both edible and dangerous items. People teach their children about food and food choices, but are they teaching them nutritiously healthy choices (Rozin, 1990)? Children struggle while learning what foods are edible and safe, but it is crucial to their health and well-being. This can create one parent-child issues through out early life, usually between the ages of 2 and 5 (Rozin, 1990). It has been shown that children in the younger years, between the ages of 3 and 6 are influenced by advertising of foods, as opposed to the older aged children whom are more influenced my parental and peer influence (Ferguson, Contreras, & Kilburn, 2014).
The influence that advertising has on the unhealthy choices of foods in children has been a topic of concern for many years. The American Psychological Association has advised that advertising could have harmful effects on children’s healthy eating (American Psychology Association, via Ferguson, Contreras, & Kilburn, 2014). Exposure to unhealthy food advertisements has proven to encourage younger aged children to make unhealthy food choices. There have been studies done proving that food choices and advertising influence children depending upon where they are developmentally. Parental influence seems to be more prominent in middle aged childhood and peer influence seems to more prominent in older childhood (Ferguson, Contreras, & Kilburn, 2014).
When a child is given the opportunity to choose their own food, what would be the biggest influence in their choice? It will be hypothesized that the majority of children will make food choices dependent upon their own opinion of the look, taste, or texture with little consideration to parental or advertising influence. Studies that were done with adults had shown that taste appeal or sensory appeal is a main factor when making food choices, dependent upon ones likes and dislikes (Michela & Contento, 1986). The belief that a food may be nutritious seemed to also play a role in the food choice process. Children might determine the foods they eat due to the colors of the food or how it looks. If the food is something that a child has had prior, they may determine whether they will eat it again due to texture and taste from their more recent experience. Some children may not choose specific foods that had been introduced during a traumatic period. For instance, if a child ate spaghetti then got sick shortly after causing them to vomit, they may feel negatively about this food. This situation creates a negative reaction to the food and may prevent them from choosing that food the next time it is offered.
Review of Literature Used as Research
Makings choices in food is something that is very crucial to the livelihood of all individuals. Understanding what influences and motives children’s choices in food can help to decrease childhood obesity as well as other health consequences due to lack of nutrients in the body. There are several things that could influence food choices in children, such as advertising and media messages, parental guidance or social influence, and taste, texture, and the look of specific foods (Ferguson, Contreras, & Kilburn, 2014; Michela & Contero, 1986; Rozin, 1990; Shutts, Kinzler, & DeJesus, 2013). The study would research the food choices made by children through questionnaires sent to families determining what motivates the choices of food by the children when on their own accord. It will be hypothesized that children will make their food choices dependent upon their own opinion of the look, taste, or texture with little consideration to parental or advertising influence.
The research article by Michela and Contero (1986) focused their research on three different aspects of food choices by children. Preference had previously been studied and was found to be a determining factor in children’s food choices. Michela and Contero (1986) wanted to incorporate the basis of cognitive and motivation in food choices, the influence of personal and environmental factors, and the differences in cognition levels in children and the impact it had on food choices. It was hypothesized that children were generally unaware of health or any consequences of foods besides the taste, or possibly environmental factors, as contributions to the choices made in their foods (Michela & Contero, 1986).
The study utilized a total of 107 elementary school children, aged from 5 to 13 years. The participants were 60 girls and 47 boys. Those that were from the suburban school were predominantly white and were middle class to upper-middle class; those from the urban school were split evenly between white and non-white students that were lower to middle class (Michela & Contero, 1986). Most of the students in the study were found to select foods they believed to be tasty or healthful. Michela and Contero (1986) sought additional evidence on the motivational aspect, which had shown that health concerns or foods thought be healthier were preferred and chosen more. This research put an emphasis on the importance of food choices by children and the reasons behind the choices they make.
The article by Rozin (1990) was written in order to draw attention to the importance that food, eating, and food choices have on society and developmental psychology. It was stated that individuals develop internalizations (likes and dislikes), category formation (edible or inedible), cognitive-affective relationship (disgust and contagion), communication of preferences, and transition to food independence (Rozin, 1990). It was explained that there are two models for how one might make their choice of foods in order to fix or prevent nutrient deficiencies. One of those models is innate recognition of the needed nutrient and the other is the general ability to eat what makes an individual feel better, or to avoid what may cause an individual to get worse. Rozin (1990) continues to explain that when it comes to learning it was not ever researched or clear who one learns to eat foods that will help in deficiencies or to prevent deficiencies, other than through guidance. As for internalization, it was believed that specific items would be accepted or rejected because of liking or disliking due to sensory aspects. Those aspects are taste, smell, and appearance. Rozin (1990) felt that most rejections and acceptances were motivated by reasons that would fall into multiple categories, such as milk could be considered tasty and beneficial. It was determined that there is not any research in this area which would be important to determine what motivates one to make the food choices they make.
The main point of Rozin’s (1990) article was to bring attention to how important food, eating, and food selection are in the social sphere in development. Food is at the center of life and remains a crucial role in one’s daily life. Many of the issues that are brought up in the study of food choice, such as internalization, are among the most fundamental in developmental psychology (Rozin, 1990). Since eating is important to human activity, food selection is particularly concerning when advertising is a major part of society. Since it has been determined that food choices are socially learned, it is important to determine all aspects of contributors when investigation the motivation and influence on food choices.
Ferguson, Contreras, and Kilburn (2014) chose to examine the influence that advertising, fictional media, and parents had on a child’s food choice. It had been determined that advertising played some role in the influence of food choices, yet it was unclear as to the degree of influence when paired with parental guidance. There were four different hypothesis in this study in order to determine a more accurate finding. The first hypothesis was that children age 3-5 that were exposed to unhealthy food advertising would be more apt to choose unhealthy foods, but middle aged children would not be influenced as much. The second hypothesis was that children exposed to fictional media would not be as influenced as with advertising. The third hypothesis was that the impact of advertising dropped in the older aged children, as they would be more able to process the media messages. The fourth and final hypothesis was that parental message moderated the impact advertising had on children food choices.
Ferguson, Contreras, and Kilburn (2014) found that advertising and fictional media had an influence on the younger aged children and their food choices, yet not with middle aged or older children. In middle aged children the parental message had the biggest influence on their food choices, as opposed to media message. The younger children were more susceptible to media messages when it came to food choices, but by middle age had diminished completely (Ferguson, Contreras, & Kilburn, 2014). This study focused on advertising and how it effects the food choices of children, but as it was found, the parental message had the most impact which shows us that social learning plays a large part in why a child chooses the foods they do.
A study done by Shutts, Kinzler, and DeJesus (2013) focused on how development of social cognition influences food choices. Focus was mostly on the influence that other people play in guiding a child’s choice in foods. There was a need to understand the patterns of success and failures in food choices made by children when left to their own devices (Shutts, Kinzler, & DeJesus, 2013). The study wanted to prove that social learning contributes greatly to eating and food choice in children of all ages. It was hypothesized that “social information indicative of cultural differences – in particular, the accent and language individuals speak – will have a profound impact on food choices” (Shutts, Kinzler, & DeJesus, 2014, p. 421). There were three factors that motivated the hypothesis of the authors. Those factors were that children follow the accent and language of others, cultures tend to differ dramatically in eating habits, and accent and language give dependable information about an individual’s social identity. Shutts, Kinzler, and DeJesus (2013) found that many times foods are rejected in children due to cultural influence, even if the foods have been introduced repeatedly. This shows that culture and our social setting plays a very important role in the choices a child makes when determining what to eat.
My Personal Opinion
According to the studies shared above, I feel that we can hypothesize that children will make choices in their foods based upon parental and cultural influences, taste and texture, and the look of specific foods, no so much due to advertising and media influence. Since this is the hypothesis that one can come to from the above research, it is imperative that, we, as parents not only teach our children then proper (healthy) choices in foods, but to be the example. It is crucial that we don’t just TELL them what to eat, we must also eat these foods that promote as healthy and good. As a child grows, they will learn more from out example than our words. Remember, for one to gain true health we must also incorporate exercise.
In order to make sure that we leave our children with a healthy routine and the knowledge of proper health we must not just tell them, we must live it. Be the healthy and positive example your children need. Would you want to teach your child bad habits that could take their life early on? Would you want your child to have to bury you at a young age because you couldn’t live by what you preached to them? Most likely not, I know I wouldn’t like either situation. I want my children to be heathy, strong, and be able to share their knowledge with their children and others in the world. I can’t save the whole world all at once, but I can help individuals learn how they can help others like I do. Simply saving one life and teaching them the right ways will always pay off and save more lives later on.
References:
Ferguson, C. J., Contreras, S., & Kilburn, M. (2014). Advertising and fictional media effects on healthy eating choices in early and later childhood. Psychology of Popular Media Culture, 3(3), 164-179. Doi:10.1037/ppm0000016
Michela, J. L., & Contero, I. R. (1986). Cognitive, motivational, social, and environmental influences on children’s food choices. Health Psychology, 5(3), 209-230. doi:10.1037/0278-6133.5.3.209
Rozin, R. (1990). Development in the food domain. Developmental Psychology, 26(4), 555-562. Doi:10.1037/0012-1649.26.4.555
Salkind, N. J. (2012). Exploring research (8th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.
Shutts, K., Kinzler, K. D., & DeJesus, J. M. (2013). Understanding infants’ and children’s social learning about foods: Previous research and new prospects. Developmental Psychology, 49(3), 419-425. Doi:10.1037/a0027551