CeDEx
Centre for Decision Research and Experimental Economics

CeDEx Seminar - Nick Bardsley (University of Reading)

Location
A39 Sir Clive Granger Building
Date(s)
Wednesday 24th May 2017 (14:00-15:00)
Description
Food Norms in Schools: Probing Pluralistic Ignorance with Behavioural Games

Abstract

We use behavioural games to identify peer-group food norms, preferences, and beliefs about others’ preferences, amongst adolescents at a UK comprehensive school. The method developed allows us to test for ‘pluralistic ignorance’, whereby individuals privately reject a norm but believe that others generally accept it. Pupils systematically under-rate the attractiveness of ‘healthy’, and over-rate that of ‘unhealthy’, foods. The bias is consistently in the direction of pupils’ norms. Pluralistic ignorance is evidenced in several cases. The findings suggest potential for changing behaviour by publicising the distribution of preferences.

Centre for Decision Research and Experimental Economics

Sir Clive Granger Building
University of Nottingham
University Park
Nottingham, NG7 2RD

telephone: +44 (0)115 951 5458
Enquiries: jose.guinotsaporta@nottingham.ac.uk
Experiments: cedex@nottingham.ac.uk