Abstract
We explored a novel phenomenon where people in certain social contexts voluntarily consume high-calorie foods with the altruistic motive of making other people feel comfortable and pleasant. We hypothesized that people are likely to choose a high-calorie food, especially around others with whom they have communal relationships (e.g., friends), because of the desire to induce in others feelings of pleasantness rather than guilt. A field study at a café shows that this phenomenon emerges in the real world, and a scenario-based experiment supports our altruistic account with mediation analyses. The alternative explanation of a social acceptance account is ruled out.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 223-239 |
Number of pages | 17 |
Journal | Social Influence |
Volume | 13 |
Issue number | 4 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 2 Oct 2018 |
Keywords
- altruism
- decision making for others
- Indulgence
- social eating
- social influence