AQA A2 Psychology Unit 3 Eating Behaviour: Evolutionary Explanations Of Food Preference Notes

A2 Psychology Unit 3 Eating Behaviour: Evolutionary Explanations Of Food Preference Notes

What You Need To Know:

• Evolutionary explanations of food preference

Evolutionary Explanations Of Food Preference:

Evolutionary explanations focus on the role of food preference in survival and reproductive fitness. We have evolved favourable attitudes towards particular foods, and these influence food preference.

We are predisposed to learn to associate foods with contexts and consequences:

• Prevents us eating harmful things, thus increasing survival chances.
• Reduces the likelihood of eating life-threatening foods again.

Neophobia (fear of new things):

• Children (especially young ones) tend to reject new foods in favour of those that are familiar.
• Sweet and salty foods are preferred to those that are bitter and sour.
• Predispositions towards food change as we grow older, hence neophobia reduces:

- Initially, access to food is controlled by adults so neophobia is less useful.

- Neophobia heightens with increasing independence, serving a protective function.

- Neophobia reduces in…