Hayley Giffin

Presentation Title

Culture and Food Rejection:  The Influence of Social Cost and Morality on Rejection Behaviors

Abstract

This research investigates the role of culture in social food rejection behaviors, examining factors such as self-construal, perceived social cost, morality, and context-dependence. We hypothesized that individuals from independent cultures would be more likely to reject food in social situations compared to those from interdependent cultures, and that this relationship would be mediated by perceived social cost and moderated by social context. In two studies, Asian American and European American participants (total N=434) considered hypothetical scenarios involving food rejection in restaurant and dinner party settings. Participants reported on willingness to reject food, perceived social costs and benefits, moral beliefs, and demographic information. Asian Americans were less inclined than European Americans to consider rejecting food, particularly in the restaurant scenario, but that this effect was not dependent on the type of social relationship in question. Perceived social cost and benefit also predicted food rejection but did not differ by culture. Moral beliefs, especially Authority, Loyalty, and Purity, were associated with cultural background and food rejection. These findings illuminate how culture shapes food behaviors through social psychological processes. By situating food rejection within a cultural framework, this research advances understanding of how people navigate the social complexities surrounding food and eating.