Factors Contributing For Food Choices - 2823 Words

Factors Contributing to Food Choices Anshrea Crosby David Whyte Shannon Frost Professor Robert T. Haines Experimental Psychology 320.002 May 4, 2015 Abstract The purpose of this study is to determine which factors cause people to choose the food that they eat the most. We hypothesized that the reason people eat certain foods is due to a number of different reasons. The factors explored in this study were time, quickness, cost, taste, environmental factors, and convenience. The data for this study was collected by administering surveys to college students in two experimental psychology classes. Each student was given an informed consent form and survey to complete and turn back in to the researcher. The results of the study†¦show more content†¦Several researchers have examined the reasoning behind eating habits. They believe that if the reasoning behind eating habits was determined and known, then possibly bad eating habits could be decreased. High school students and college students especially need to be cautious of the food they are consuming. Bad food choices may not affect them now, but will play a huge role in the future. Nutritional intake during adolescence is important for growth, long-term health promotion, and the development of lifelong eating behaviors. The total nutrient needs are higher in adolescence than during any other time in the life cycle because of rapid growth and development (Casey, Neumark-Sztainer, Perry Story, 1999). In a study conducted by Cheryl Perry, Dianne Neumark-Sztainer, Mary Anne Casey, and Mary Story, the researchers analyzed adolescents’ perceptions about factors influencing their food choices and eating behaviors. The study included 141 males and females in two schools located in St. Paul, Minn. These participants were in 21 focus groups and were divided into these groups based off of gender and classification. The focus groups were held in the school setting with each group in a different classroom. The participants were audiotaped, and the tapes were transcribed verbatim to ensure systematic analysis of