Blaming McDonald's: Anthropomorphized Temptation, Failed Self-Control, and Support for Paternalistic Intervention

• Main Authors: Hur, Julia D, Hoffman, Wilhelm, Koo, Minjung
• Format: Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Subjects: Anthropomorphism; Cognition & reasoning; Intervention; Self control
• ISSN: 0098-9258

This abstract discusses the relationship between anthropomorphism, self-control failures, and support for paternalistic interventions. The researchers conducted four studies to examine how anthropomorphizing a tempting object affects the attribution of responsibility for self-control failures and the endorsement of interventions.The first study found that anthropomorphizing a tempting object increased the delegation of responsibility to the object's manufacturer and decreased self-accountability. The second study extended this effect to societal levels, showing that anthropomorphism increased the delegation of responsibility for childhood obesity to fast foods. The third study found that anthropomorphizing the tempting object increased support for paternalistic interventions that regulate the object. The fourth study further confirmed these findings, showing that anthropomorphism increased the perceived effectiveness of a paternalistic intervention and increased support for it.Overall, the findings suggest that anthropomorphizing a tempting object leads to a shift in responsibility attribution and increases support for paternalistic interventions. These findings have implications for understanding how people attribute responsibility for self-control failures and how interventions can be designed to prevent such failures in the future.