Consumption in Context - Study 1
Description
The study consists of a 2 x 2 ANOVA between-subjects design where both context dependence (context dependent vs. context independent) and social cue (present vs. absent) were manipulated. Because participants were responding online, serving intentions were used as the dependent variable in lieu of actual serving behavior. Intentions were used as a proxy for actual behavior as they are highly correlated when measured specifically (see Trafimow, 2000 for a review). First level of context dependence was temporarily manipulated using the method developed by Kühnen et al. (2001). Using this method, participants were asked to list the ways they are similar (different) to their family and friends to increase (decrease) their context dependence then asked to describe themselves in 10 phrases as a manipulation check. Afterwards, participants were given a scenario where they are hungry and arrive at a party with a snack table. They were then shown a picture of a table featuring a bowl and a sign saying “Please take some pretzels.” In the absent social cue condition the table also featured an exemplar plate with a large (150g) serving of pretzels on the plate. The photos were identical except with the exemplar plate edited out of the “absent” condition. Participants were then asked how many pretzels they would take in this scenario on a sliding scale (1 – 100). Questions pertaining to dietary restraint, BMI and time spent exercising were then asked to ensure no significant covariates exist. Additionally, a manipulation check was done to ensure the social nature of the cue.