Essay On Social Facilitation

Meals eaten with other people are larger than meals eaten alone. This phenomenon is called social facilitation. It is defined as an increase in a behaviour merely from the sight or sound of others engaged in the same behaviour (Lumeng, 2007). Applying this to the given scenario it would mean that Esma would eat more at the party than she would if she was eating by herself. The effect of the number of people in the group and how well Esma knew the people in the group would also have an impact on her food consumption. Meal duration may be an important factor in social facilitation effects (Pliner, 2006). However, as Esma is in the company of her male partner, she is more likely to eat less than if he was not present (Clendenen, 1994). This indicates that the relationship of dining companions is an important factor contributing to social facilitation. Trait empathy also has an impact on the social facilitation of eating. If Esma was to have very low levels of trait empathy, this would mean that she would eat how much she likes, regardless of being in a group situation as this would not effect her (Robinson, 2013).  Esma would eat more than the other people at the dinner table than compared to eating alone. The role of social facilitation is important to consider in social situations, especially at meal times. This is because it implies that the amount someone may eat, does not rely just on their abilities, but is also impacted by gaining social acceptance. While with family and friends Esma would eat more than with acquaintances (De Castro, 1994). De Casrto notes that this is possibly due to the "release of inhibitory restraints on intake" that occurs when people feel more comfortable around people they are most familiar with. The...

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...d eating with familiar others stimulated greater food intake than when eating alone with no distraction and when eating with strangers. Meals eaten with other people are larger than meals eaten alone. A potential explanation for these differential effects arises from the distracting effects of other activities on the development of satiation. Furthermore, eating with strangers extended the meal times which can be attributed to the social facilitation effect. This indicates that the relationship of dining companions is an important factor contributing to social facilitation. Trait empathy also has an impact on the social facilitation of eating. It can be noted that personality variables associated with social ingratiation were related to matching of intake, and that the suggested that matching of food intake can be reduced by priming feelings of social acceptance.