Construal Level, Eating Behavior, and Perceived Social Norms

Abstract

This study was designed to determine whether construal level affects people’s susceptibility to social norms that influence their eating behavior. This was determined by manipulating participants to either a high-level construal or low-level construal condition, which has been found to influence their self-control. There were 140 participants who were conditioned to either construal level using a Why/How task and then answered questions based on hypothetical social scenarios, which measured their susceptibility to social norms. Participants also completed a Behavior Identification form which served as a manipulation check. Results showed that there were no significant differences in scores on the measure of susceptibility to social norms between high and low-level construal conditions. However, there were also no significant differences on the Behavior Identification Form between conditions, meaning the construal level manipulation was not effective in changing the mindset of the participants. In the future, this procedure may be more effective in a laboratory setting in order to ensure a controlled setting. A laboratory setting may also cause the manipulation to be more effective. Research on self-control, eating behavior, and social norms is important for the medical field and can help people who may be struggling with conditions affecting their eating behavior or social abilities.