I eat more healthily than you: Food choices for the self and for others

Abstract

The present study investigated self-other biases in actual eating behavior based on the observation of behavioral standards for three different eating situations. To capture the complexity of real life food choices within a well-controlled setting, an ecologically valid fake food buffet with 72 different foods was employed. Sixty participants chose a healthy, a typical, and an unhealthy meal for themselves and for an average peer. We found that the typical behavioral standard for the self was more similar to the healthy than to the unhealthy behavioral standard. Moreover, there was evidence for asymmetrical behavioral standards for the self and peer: Participants chose more calories and more high-caloric food items for a peer than for themselves, indicating a self-other bias. This comparatively positive self-view is in stark contrast to epidemiological data indicating overall unhealthy eating habits and demands future examinations of its consequences for behavior change.