Eating, social motives, and self-presentation in women and men

Two studies were conducted to explore the notion that eating behavior can serve a role in impression management. In Experiment 1, male and female subjects ate a meal in the presence of an attractive male or female confederate. Both male and female subjects ate less in the presence of a partner of the opposite (vs. same) sex. Experiment 2 was a questionnaire study designed to clarify the results of Experiment 1 by learning what social motives are relevant in an interpersonal situation involving eating and how amount eaten serves each of these social motives. The results indicated that behaving in a socially desirable manner could account for the eating behavior of males while for females both being socially desirable and appearing feminine could have affected amount eaten. It was suggested that the conceptual approach of impression management theory can be useful in interpreting the results of these studies as well as understanding the “drive for thinness” found in females in our culture.