Social Psychology Self-Study Report: My Eating Behavior

By Kathi Kuboyama

For this self-study report, I selected a target behavior that I wanted to modify which was reducing my calorie intake by replacing foods high in calories with low calorie items. By observing and evaluating my behavior I was able to provide some possible solutions to this behavior. I have gained a lot of insight from doing this project.

Gathering, Organizing & Memorizing Health Information

The purpose of this self-study is to observe and evaluate my health in the area of my food behavior through the three levels of social psychology- the affective, cognitive and psychomotor levels. In order to do this, I need to define the specific behavior and cite where improvement can occur. I would try to think of possible solutions to modify my behavior. Self monitoring and record keeping are good ways of making accurate predictions.

There were many topics I considered choosing such as reducing the amount and type of intake of preservatives and chemicals; reducing the frequency, amount and type of intake of junk foods; and controlling my emotional involvement with eating or cravings. All of these topics interested me but they did not appeal or motivate me. I wanted to modify my eating behavior since dorm life helped me to gain ten pounds in three months. I tried to figure out why I was gaining so much weight and I realized it was due to the high calories found in the cafeteria food. I decided to do my paper on reducing my calorie intake.

Initially, I had just planned to reduce my calorie intake by eliminating a meal or a dish in order to stay within my desired calorie amount. I consulted friends who were conscious about eating properly and I did some research at the library to familiarize myself with dieting. I found that this may actually be harmful to my body since I would be depriving it of needed food. I decided to modify my diet by reducing my calorie intake. In doing this, I would replace my intake of foods high in calories with foods low in calories. This may prove to be more realistic. I did not encounter any problems about my search behavior. I felt motivated to modify my eating behavior because I wanted to better my lifestyle and had very little resistance in starting this self-modification project.

Justifying Health Information Facts As Personal Beliefs

I needed to evaluate my thoughts and attitudes toward this project. It was important to understand and incorporate the three levels of social psychology. The affective level deals with the individuals feelings, moods, needs and motives. I can also be explained in terms of an individuals internalized motives. This desire results in emotional arousal. For example, I want to eat that pie or I dont feel like sticking to my diet today. The cognitive level deals with our thinking, ideals, reasonings, and understandings. We are affected by the environment and the people that surround us. I may have thoughts such as I dont want to diet or I can eat that. The sensory motor or psychomotor behavior deals with our senses. It deals with the activities our body automatically has control of. Our senses and actions can be both internal or external. For example, I may see a plate of food and I may get a feeling of hunger. The sight of the plate with food on it is an external stimulus. The sensation of hunger is internal. I included a brief expansion of the three levels of social psychology because I felt it was important to understand these concepts. These concepts work together to best explain my behavior. The new information that I read and heard about made me aware of the types of food I was eating. I didnt realize that some of the foods that I was eating was so high in calories. This surely proved to be false. Many health foods are low in fat, sodium, etc. but this does not mean that it is low in calories too.

In order to improve my eating behavior I first needed to observe my undesired behavior. It was important for me to be aware of how, when, what and why behavior occurs under different circumstances. The problem I have is eating food just because its there. I am not conscious of what I am eating and how much calories it may have. I eat it because it tastes good.

Desire To Change

The desire to change was the first step to my modification plan. I needed to consider my lifestyle and how it needed to be changed. The goals I have are to lower my weight and become conscious of the types of foods that I eat. Having the desire to change can hopefully motivate me to achieve my goal. I told my family and friends about my desire to modify my eating behavior. I did this so they could give me encouragement and it would discourage them from flaunting tempting foods in front of me. I tried taking smaller bites while eating and I tried chewing more slowly so I would enjoy my food. By just talking about my modification plan, I became more conscious about my behavior and I interested some friends in modifying their own behavior.

Integrating Health Information Facts Into My Daily Life

The new information did have an impact on my life. Since eating was a big part of my life, I decided to change the types of foods I was eating. I kept a note pad with me so whenever I ate something I would record the date, time, and type of food I was eating. At the end of the day I would look at my charts to see how much calories I consumed in that day. This record keeping was my base line data.

Explanation Of Baseline

I found that my lunches tended to be high in calories and not very nutritional. My dinners were also high in calories because they were solid meat. I noticed that on the weekends I tended to eat a lot of fast foods. Fast foods are very high in calories because of the way they are cooked.

By recording my feelings, thoughts, and actions toward my eating behavior, I felt that this has helped to improve my knowledge of myself and my eating behavior. I could identify with my mistakes and try to find possible solutions for them.

Modification Plan

My next stop was to create a plan that would modify my behavior. By looking at my baseline data I tried to stay away from fast food places by eating at home or packing a meal. If I did choose to go to a fast food place, I would try to look for something low in calories such as a salad or something that wasnt deep fried. I tried reducing the amount of fats and sugar in the recipes I prepared. When cooking my dinner I tried to choose a method that required little fat such as boiling, steaming, or microwaving. I compiled a calorie chart of many of the everyday types of food I eat. I found this information from the books that I had borrowed. I typed them in alphabetical order so it would be more organized. When I was encountered with a food choice I would look at my list to see what would be a better choice. Generally certain types of foods are lower in calories such as green or leafy vegetables. Goods that tend to be high in calories are greasy or fatty foods. Smooth and thick foods like sauces and shakes are also high in calories. Sometimes I came across items that were not on my list so I tried to find a type of food it closely resembled.

Final Outcome

I did come across a few problems along the way. Several times I was tempted to eat foods that I knew were high in calories. Once in a while I would fall but I know that it should be expected. My data was not accurate at all times because sometimes I would forget to write down everything I ate. One problem I ran into was being more hungry than I usually am. This could be due to the thought that I have to watch what I eat. In order to reduce these binges and breakdowns I should try planning low calorie snacks like celery sticks so I can eat them when I feel hungry.

Ideally, I would like to see myself continuing this diet. I became more conscious and interested in the types of foods I was consuming. This project helped my to be a smarter shopper and consumer. Taking care of your body is very important because being healthy gives you more energy and spirit. I would also like to continue keeping records of what and how much I eat. It helped my to identify and correct my mistakes.

I know realistically I may not always stick to this diet but I hope I will naturally by conscious about the types of foods I eat. I have gained much self-awareness about my own behavior, namely my eating behavior. I have learned not only about myself but what Social Psychology is all about.

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