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Gender and age differences in food cognition
L Rappoport1, G R Peters, R Downey
1Dept. of Psychology, Kansas State University, Manhattan 66506.
Appetite
|February 1, 1993
Summary
Gender and age significantly influence food cognition, affecting perceptions of pleasure, health, and convenience. These differences highlight cognitive and affective factors shaping food attitudes across demographics.
Area of Science:
- Food cognition
- Consumer behavior
- Psychology
Background:
- Food choices are influenced by complex cognitive and affective factors.
- Understanding demographic differences in food evaluation is crucial for targeted strategies.
- Previous research suggests potential variations in how individuals perceive food attributes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate gender and age differences in food cognition.
- To examine how pleasure, health, and convenience dimensions influence food attitudes.
- To identify cognitive and affective sources of demographic variations in food preferences.
Main Methods:
- Three studies were conducted involving discriminant and factor analyses.
- Data collection included evaluative ratings of meals and snacks, preference indicators, and free association techniques.
- Participants included 248 individuals, 336 college students, and 96 individuals aged 18-86.
Main Results:
- Significant gender and age differences were found in ratings of pleasure, health, and convenience.
- Males and females differed in how they grouped foods based on pleasure and health criteria.
- Females rated healthy meals higher on health, pleasure, and convenience compared to males.
Conclusions:
- Food cognition is significantly shaped by gender and age.
- Perceptions of food attributes like convenience can differ between genders.
- These findings underscore the importance of cognitive and affective factors in demographic-related food attitudes.