Eating Behaviour from the Perspective of Fast Food in-takers

Description

Mouma Nag, Atanu Kumar Dogra, and Pritha Mukhopadhyay (Department of Psychology, University of Calcutta, Kolkata, West Bengal)

Fast food craving is a rising concern and it is a conditioned response resulting from its association with stronger conditioned stimuli such as visual presentations of the fast food in digital media, and easy availability of resources. However, the likelihood of being inclined to this craving in relation to the beckoning of strong conditioned stimuli of attractive visual presentations is increased due to impulsive and compulsive personality trait. The present research intends to explore these behavioural components of craving, a form of conditioning. In order to conduct the research, six female non-obese as per Body Metabolic Index, pursuing bachelor’s degree and undergraduate participants aged between 18-25 years were selected from urban and semi-urban areas of West Bengal. In the first place, the study included participants by purposive sampling based on their own identification of affinity towards fast food and some initial questions were asked to measure their inclination. A semi-structured interview was conducted to know the reasons for their affinity towards fast food and submitted to thematic analysis. It was found that the potency of affinity toward fast food as a conditioned behaviour increases while it is associated with the immediate reward of appealing fast-food advertisements as an act of impulsive behaviour. Once the person is repeatedly exposed to the immediate reward of advertisements of fast food as a path to alleviate their stress, they are conditioned to perform that act of watching fast food videos or ordering fast food as an act of compulsivity.