The Psychology of Food Choices

Food is a medium through which a person can effectively construct a collective identity among a group of people. This implies that people are able to connect with one another through their food choices. These food choices are influenced and shaped by a multitude of factors. One notable factor is the psychology of preference and observation.

It has come to my attention that social connectivity among a group of individuals is rooted in similarity of food items. Of course, I cannot speak for everyone. Therefore this observation is limited to my personal experiences and examinations of others in my immediate surroundings. For example, my favorite meals are spaghetti and lasagna, and many of my close friends hold these meals in high regard as well. This similar association is found among other groups of friends that share food preferences for certain items. The most notable I can think of being coffees and salads. Why is it that people seem to gravitate towards others that demonstrate similar tastes in foods? Are these cliques influenced by food choices, or is it the other way around? If so, are we conscious of such a dynamic influence?

These concepts are explored in Richard Sheperd’s book The Psychology of Food Choice which outlines how psychological factors influence a person’s food choices. Sheperds asserts that an individual’s food selection is constructed by the observation of consumption habits.  These habits are learned and, with time, develop into an individual’s preferences for certain food items (6). This suggests that different people make different food choices based on the habits of others. Once these food choice have been made, people are then able to integrate themselves within the appropriate social groups.

This concept of careful observation affecting food ways is further illustrated in Melissa Salazar’s article “Salad Days: A Visual Study of Children’s Food Culture”.  Through the years of 2004 and 2005, Salazar observed student reactions to the implementation of salad bar programs in many elementary schools in northern California (22). Salazar claims that food choices are dependent on individual tastes and by watching others. This concept was seen by individual student plates. Salazar noticed that the students, instead of producing ordinary salads, preferred to separate their food items into piles (27). This demonstrates the psychology of food choice as the students portrayed a preference for certain food items over others. In the process, it is possible that the construction of one student’s “salad” was influenced by the food choices exhibited by other students who were possibly influenced by others.

What’s interesting is that the process can be reversed. Instead of one person being influenced by a group of people, a group can be influenced by the food choices a single individual. When I was in elementary school, I brought lunch from home on most occasions. Included within my lunches were Doritos and Fruit-Roll-Ups. Up until that point, students rarely brought these food items to school. Once it became known that I possessed these items on a regular basis, I began to draw immediate attention. Obviously the brands themselves were a cause of commotion, but no one ever asked for any of my food. The students accepted me into their groups, and they too began consuming more Doritos and Fruit-Roll-Ups as well. Ultimately, through this process, I became incorporated within a group whose identity transformed because it was influenced by the food choices of a single individual.

There are numerous factors that affect a person’s food choices. Preferences, wealth, accessibility. All of these factors and more contribute in determining what foods are readily consumed over others. This culmination ultimately results in the formation of habits that are learned and observed in a continuous loop.

Richard Sheperd and Monique Raats. The Psychology of Food Choice. Massachusetts: National

          Science, 2006. Print.