Modern Technology and Pressure Affects the Eating Habits

Modern Technology and Pressure Affects the Eating Habits of College Students By: Jessica Laso Sponsor: Dr. Ruby R. Dholakia

Reason for Research Project Personal struggle with food and weight management in college. Became active in educating myself about nutrition, cooking, and exercise. Research initially began as a study about food advertising but was fascinated by articles on social influence and consumer behavior in food-related activities.

Literature Review – Eating Habits • The amount of food a person consumes increases as the number of people that person eats with increases. (Mc. Ferran, 2010) • Females tend to follow social cues rather than their hunger level when eating while men are not influenced by the eating habits of those around them. (Hermans, 2010) • A person eats more when the eating companion eats more, and less when the eating companion eats less. (de Castro, 1989) • An individual tends to eat less when eating alone unless that person is distracted. (Hetherington, 2006)

Literature Review - Pressure • Overlapping obligations in college causes most students to indicate high stress levels. (Hudd, 2000) • Students under higher levels of stress are more likely to engage in unhealthy eating habits. (Hudd, 2000) • The more an individual has to do in a day, the more their energy is depleted. As energy depletes, people tend to make less thoughtful decisions. (Baumeister, 2002) • Those under pressure looks for more things that will satisfy them immediately and think less of future consequences. (Baumeister, 2002)

Literature Review – Modern Technology • Purchases of smart phones, laptops, and tablets have increased in past few years. (Zmags, 2012) • Modern technology has made several everyday tasks easier and more convenient. (Wales, 2009) • The Internet provides a sense of anonymity and relaxes social cues and pressure. (Christopherson, 2006) • Anonymity can be viewed as privacy and fosters a feeling of freedom from judgment. (Lapidot-Lefler, 2011) • Anonymity takes away an individual’s feeling of accountability. (Lapidot-Lefler, 2011)

Literature Review - Anonymity • Studies show behavior can change as a result of online anonymity. (Christopherson, 2006) • Women find anonymity more appealing than men. (Christopherson, 2006) • Those who feel anonymous because of the Internet tend to act more impulsively. (Lapidot-Lefler, 2011) • Anonymity increases anti-normative behavior. (Christopherson, 2006)

Research Questions How has the convenience and features of modern technology affected the way in which college students order and eat food? How has the anonymity from online ordering affected the quality and quantity of the food being ordered? Are ordering and eating habits affected by the lack of social pressure in online delivery and ordering services? What differences are found between the ordering habits of students under different levels of stress?

Hypotheses Ordering and consuming food anonymously reduces social pressure, leading individuals to make decisions without external influence. • Students are more likely to eat more food as well as eat unhealthier food in the presence of others than when eating alone. • Females are more likely to change order decision if their order information were to be published (publicly known/broadcast). • Social pressure is likely to facilitate worse eating habits than high levels of stress.

Methodology - Survey A structured questionnaire was created for research purposes. 21 questions asked for details about the student’s most recent meal, method of ordering, quality and portion of the food, and other factors related to the meal. A Facebook group was created to ask students to participate in an online survey. $15 Dunkin Donuts gift cards were offered as prizes for participating. Survey questionnaire was accessed through a link in the Facebook group to Surveymonkey. com.

Methodology - Interview I recruited three students that use Hungry. Rhody. com to interview one-on-one about that student’s experience with online food ordering. Questions asked about the student’s reasons for using the website, frequency of use, details on the student’s most recent order, and differences found in ordering food in person. Interviews were conducted in a private study room at the URI library or in the Memorial Union lobby. On the average, it took 30 minutes to complete the interview.

Survey Results • 80 Survey Respondents • 28% Male, 72% Female

Survey Results Amount of People Eaten With • Alone (30. 8%) • 1 – 3 Others (48. 7%) • > 3 Others (20. 5%) Order Method • Cooked Food at Home (33. 3%) • Ordered Food Face-to-Face (56. 4%) • Ordered Food by Phone/Drive-Thru/Online (10. 3%) * Very few people used non face-to-face ordering, therefore, I could not test my hypothesis about the effects of anonymous ordering.

Survey Results Stress Level • Less Than Average (13. 7%) • Average (39. 7%) • More Than Average (46. 6%) Health Level of Meal • Less Than Average (20. 7%) • Average (33. 8%) • More Than Average (45. 5%) Portion Size of Meal • Less Than Average (11. 1%) • Average (61. 7%) • More Than Average (27. 2%) Would Change Order if They Could • Yes (50. 0%) • No (50. 0%)

Survey Results Health Level of Meal Would Change Meal Order if Details Were Published Male: • Less Than Average (23. 8%) • Average (33. 3%) • More Than Average (42. 9%) Male: • No (95. 0%) • Yes (5. 0%) Female: • Less Than Average (19. 2%) • Average (32. 7%) • More Than Average (48. 1%) Female: • No (89. 0%) • Yes (11. 0%)

Interview Results • Three Interview Participants • Two Female and One Male Freshmen • Ordered food online on average once a week using Hungry. Rhody. com • Meal choice showed consistency because participants order the same things over and over again

Conclusion • Survey showed very few URI students use online food ordering or any other method of non face-to-face ordering. • The interviews suggest ordering food online promotes repetitive behaviors. • Because of the demographics of survey participants, I was limited in testing and drawing conclusions about my research questions. • “Just because something doesn’t do what you planned it to do doesn’t mean it’s useless. ” – Thomas Edison

Special Thanks Dr. Ruby Roy Dholakia Devin Sheenan Cuong Alan Serei Eng Carolyn Hames and Deborah Gardiner Staff at the URI Research Department All survey and interview participants

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