The effect of weight controllability beliefs on prejudice and self-efficacy

Publication Year
2016

Type

Journal Article
Abstract

An experiment was conducted to test for the presence of prejudice towards obesity and whether weight controllability beliefs information reduces this prejudice and impacts on a person’s own healthy eating self-efficacy. The experiment randomly allocated 346 participants (49 males) into one of three conditions: controllable contributors toward obesity condition (e.g., information about personal control about diet and exercise); uncontrollable contributors toward obesity condition (e.g., information about genes, factors in society); and a control condition with no information given. Prejudice was present in 81% of the sample. High prejudice was predicted by low self-efficacy for exercise and weight. Weight controllability beliefs information had no significant effect on prejudice levels or exercise or healthy eating self-efficacy levels. Increasing self-efficacy for exercise and weight my help reduce prejudice towards obese individuals.

Journal
PeerJ
Volume
4
Pages
e1764
Type of Article
Journal Article
Full text

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Type of Prejudice/Bias
Country
Method
Setting