Constructing Food Choice Decisions

Background Food choice decisions are frequent, multifaceted, situational, dynamic, and complex and lead to food behaviors where people acquire, prepare, serve, give away, store, eat, and clean up. Many disciplines and fields examine decision making. Purpose Several classes of theories are applicable...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Annals of behavioral medicine 2009-12, Vol.38 (Suppl 1), p.37-46
Main Authors: Sobal, Jeffery, Bisogni, Carole A.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Behavior
Choice Behavior
Decision Making
Family Medicine
Feeding Behavior - psychology
Food Preferences - psychology
General Practice
Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice
Health Psychology
Humans
Medicine
Medicine & Public Health
Models, Psychological
Original Article
Social Behavior
Studies
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Summary:Background Food choice decisions are frequent, multifaceted, situational, dynamic, and complex and lead to food behaviors where people acquire, prepare, serve, give away, store, eat, and clean up. Many disciplines and fields examine decision making. Purpose Several classes of theories are applicable to food decision making, including social behavior, social facts, and social definition perspectives. Each offers some insights but also makes limiting assumptions that prevent fully explaining food choice decisions. Methods We used constructionist social definition perspectives to inductively develop a food choice process model that organizes a broad scope of factors and dynamics involved in food behaviors. Results This food choice process model includes (1) life course events and experiences that establish a food choice trajectory through transitions, turning points, timing, and contexts; (2) influences on food choices that include cultural ideals, personal factors, resources, social factors, and present contexts; and (3) a personal system that develops food choice values, negotiates and balances values, classifies foods and situations, and forms/revises food choice strategies, scripts, and routines. The parts of the model dynamically interact to make food choice decisions leading to food behaviors. Conclusion No single theory can fully explain decision making in food behavior. Multiple perspectives are needed, including constructionist thinking.
ISSN:0883-6612
1532-4796
DOI:10.1007/s12160-009-9124-5