Paper Topic:

Social Psychology

Healthy Eating in College Students , Self-Schemas

This study was among the first of its kind . It aimed to test whether college students who had `self-schemas ' for healthy eating actually consumed a healthier diet than those who did not . First , it set up what a `self-schema ' is and why it is important to the study , then it assessed nutrition diaries , and finally , evaluated the results . The results have proven having a self-schema is a key point towards behavior

Students in this study who had a self-schema about healthy eating were likely to

have a better diet . Researchers found that those with a healthy eating schema consumed more fiber and less fat , but found no significant different in cholesterol or sugar intake In general , those with a health eating schema had a healthier diet What this means is that the students ' beliefs significantly affected their behavior

This study does have its limitations . The sample size was only 49 participants , all college-age , and all female . The researchers have suggested that instead of a healthy-eating schema , what they have actually encountered was a dieting-schema . College-aged females are frequently concerned with weight . Many are on their own for the first time , many are dating , and many are concerned about their appearance For this reason , the `healthy eating ' the researchers are seeing could be simply an attempt to control one 's weight and therefore , appearance

To get around this particular problem , researchers would have to repeat the study with a larger sample size that included males , and people of different ages . It is impossible , from the data given , to say that it is exactly the healthy eating schema that is causing the behavior

Researchers did note , however , that there are no significant differences in BMI or not be the schema at work . Unless many other variables were noted - such as intake of vitamins and minerals , and more - and these variables were noted over a longer period of time , it is impossible to say which schema is really at work

The concern with the possible dieting schema is that students may have false beliefs about healthy eating , which lead them to eat better in certain areas (for example , low saturated fat intake , as found in both groups , but to eat in an unhealthy way in others (for example , low fiber intake , also found in both groups . Diets are not necessarily a healthy way to lose weight , and since eating habits form early on , what college students are eating and why is a concern to researchers

In general , the conclusion is that dieting and healthy eating are related , in some ways researchers suspect that some students dieted previously , but that they chose to eat healthy rather than diet by the time they completed the study . Alternate studies have looked at a student 's guilt over eating , amount of exercising , body image , and more These studies are better suited to finding diet schemas , while this one primarily looked at healthy eating instead of dieting

However , whatever schema is at...

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