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MARGHERITA GUIDETTI

Professore Associato
Dipartimento di Comunicazione ed Economia

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Pubblicazioni

2023 - Can a heterogeneous gastronomic environment reduce food neophobia? It depends on political orientation [Articolo su rivista]
Guidetti, Margherita; Ferretti, Fabrizio; Cavazza, Nicoletta
abstract

This paper reports an empirical study investigating the negative relationship between the perceived exposure of individuals to a heterogeneous gastronomic environment and their level of food neophobia, over and above the known individual antecedents. In addition, considering the social roots of food neophobia, we tested whether participants’ political orientation moderated this relationship. Our results confirmed these hypotheses: liberals’ food neophobia decreased with increasing gastronomic heterogeneity, but this was not true for conservatives. The implications of these findings are important in both theory and practice as they highlight a contextual factor that may reduce food neophobia, an individual orientation that has a negative impact on both health and the environment.

2023 - The role of disgust as an emotional barrier to colorectal cancer screening participation: a systematic review and meta-analysis [Articolo su rivista]
Scaglioni, G.; Guidetti, M.; Cavazza, N.
abstract

Objective: Worldwide colorectal cancer (CRC) screening rates are suboptimal. This systematic review and meta-analysis examine the role of disgust in CRC screening avoidance. Design: A systematic literature search was conducted. In all, 46 studies were included in the review. Among these, 16 studies were compared with a meta-analytical approach in order to 1) estimate the effect size of state disgust on screening intention and attendance; 2) examine whether methodological characteristics moderate the effect of state disgust on screening behaviour; 3) estimate the effect sizes of trait disgust and type of exam kit on state disgust. Results: In the reviewed studies, state disgust was often associated with CRC screening and especially with CRC screening avoidance. The meta-analysis confirmed low-to-moderate negative effects of state disgust on screening intention and attendance. Population sampling strategy was the only significant moderator of the effect of state disgust on screening attendance, i.e. studies that used convenience (versus random/representative) samples found a significantly lower effect size. Trait disgust and type of exam kit exerted a large and a moderate-to-large positive effect, respectively, on state disgust. Conclusions: Disgust can boost CRC screening avoidance. Further studies and interventions must be designed to help patients in overcoming this emotional barrier.

2023 - Veg*ns’ and omnivores’ reciprocal attitudes and dehumanization: The role of social dominance orientation, ingroup identification, and anticipated reproach [Articolo su rivista]
Guidetti, Margherita; Graziani, Anna Rita; Cavazza, Nicoletta
abstract

Two studies compared omnivores’ and veg*ns’ attitudes and dehumanization tendencies toward each other and identified the social psychological factors explaining them. Study 1 (N = 208, Italians) showed that veg*ns’ hold less positive attitudes toward omnivores than the reverse, and attributed to them less human uniqueness and nature; these differences were explained by veg*ns’ stronger identification with the ingroup and higher perceptions of reproach from the outgroup, even if omnivores’ higher levels of social dominance orientation worsened their attitude toward veg*ns. Study 2 (preregistered, N = 200, mostly from UK) overall replicated Study 1 findings at the explicit level. Interestingly, omnivores’ and veg*ns’ implicit attitudes were equally positive (but less positive than self-reported attitudes) and not predicted by the same mediators associated with the explicit measures. This work suggests that neither veg*ns nor omnivores hold negative attitudes toward each other: they were both positive or neutral toward the outgroup, even if at the explicit level this positivity is greater for omnivores.

2023 - When a Politician Disappoints: The Role of Gender Stereotypical Expectations in Post-Scandal Judgment [Articolo su rivista]
Guidetti, M.; Graziani, A. R.; Scaglioni, G.; Cucchi, S.; Cavazza, N.
abstract

This study examines how evaluations of male and female politicians are worsened by corruption scandals that disappoint expectations of honesty. Participants evaluated a fictitious politician before and after watching a video about a corruption scandal involving that politician. The manipulated variables were the politician’s sex and whether they shared participants’ political affiliations. Results showed that a female politician affiliated with the participants’ preferred party was the most damaged by the scandal because she had the highest expectations of honesty placed upon her.

2022 - Breastfeeding and bottle-feeding mothers: negative stereotypes and intergroup bias. [Abstract in Atti di Convegno]
Guidetti, M.; Carraro, L.; Castelli, L.
abstract

2022 - Dining with liberals and conservatives: The social underpinnings of food neophobia [Articolo su rivista]
Guidetti, M.; Carraro, L.; Cavazza, N.
abstract

Although food and politics seem to be distant domains, socio-political ideology and food neophobia (i.e., reluctance to eat unfamiliar food) may be related. Conservatives' high threat sensitivity and the inherently threatening nature of novel foods (the existential explanation), along with conservatives' negative attitudes toward minority outgroups (e.g., foreigners) and the role of the latter in introducing novel foods to a culture (the social explanation), led us to expect that socio-political ideology would predict food neophobia over and above their common roots. Across two correlational and two experimental studies (N = 627), socio-political ideology emerged as a strong predictor of food neophobia. In addition, the findings did not support the existential explanation, while confirming the social explanation of the ideology- food neophobia link: Conservatives seem more neophobic than liberals not because of their higher threat sensitivity but rather because they hold more negative attitudes toward foreigners who are associated with those foods.

2022 - VEG*NS’ AND OMNIVORES’ RECIPROCAL ATTITUDES: THE ROLE OF SOCIAL DOMINANCE ORIENTATION, INGROUP IDENTIFICATION, AND ANTICIPATED REPROACH [Abstract in Atti di Convegno]
Guidetti, Margherita; Graziani, Anna Rita; Cavazza, Nicoletta
abstract

Previous research has investigated the existence of and reasons for the commonplace prejudice omnivores hold against vegetarians and vegans (“veg*ns”), with only a couple of recent studies also examining the other way round. Two studies, ran in different contexts, aimed to assess and compare omnivores’ and veg*ns’ attitudes toward each other and to identify the social psychological factor explaining them. Study 1 (N = 216, Italian) showed that veg*ns’ attitudes toward omnivores were more negative than the reverse and that this difference was fully explained by veg*ns’ stronger identification with the ingroup and higher perceptions of reproach from the outgroup, even if omnivores’ higher levels of social dominance orientation (SDO) worsened their attitude toward the outgroup. Study 2 (N = 200, mostly from UK) aimed to confirm these findings in a different context, also measuring implicit attitudes. Results replicated Study 1 findings at an explicit level. Interestingly, veg*ns’ and omnivores’ implicit attitudes toward each other were equally positive and were not predicted by the same mediators associated with explicit attitudes, i.e., ingroup identification, anticipated reproach and SDO. The implications of the results for both theory and practice are discussed.

2021 - CIBO, GIUDIZIO SOCIALE, STEREOTIPI DI GENERE E SOCIAL MEDIA: GLI EFFETTI DEL FOODPORN SU INSTAGRAM [Abstract in Atti di Convegno]
Guidetti, Margherita; Graziani, Anna Rita; Cavazza, Nicoletta
abstract

I social media sono spesso usati come strumenti di impression management e diversi studi hanno indagato gli effetti di foto, informazioni di profilo e selfie sul giudizio sociale. Anche il cibo ha una grande potenzialità espressiva: le persone si formano un’impressione degli altri in base a quello che mangiano e a loro volta usano il cibo per autopresentarsi. La distinzione tra cibi stereotipicamente maschili e femminili sembra essere particolarmente saliente e informativa. Presentiamo due esperimenti in cui abbiamo esplorato gli effetti del foodporn sul giudizio sociale manipolando tra i partecipanti le foto di piatti (maschili vs femminili vs controllo nello Studio 1, animali vs vegetali nello Studio 2) pubblicate su un profilo Instagram di un target fittizio (uomo vs donna). Il primo studio (N = 195) conferma che semplicemente postare la foto di un piatto stereotipico sul proprio profilo Instagram può produrre un’impressione corrispondente negli osservatori e quindi influenzare il desiderio di un incontro reale. L’obiettivo del secondo studio era di verificare se i pregiudizi reciproci già emersi tra onnivori e veg*ni, considerati come categorie, si estendano anche ai singoli individui, e di esplorare il ruolo degli stereotipi di genere. Abbiamo quindi confrontato (tra partecipanti onnivori vs veg*ni, N = 175) i profili IG di un uomo vs una donna descritti come onnivori vs vegani e accompagnati da foto di prodotti animali vs vegetali. I risultati suggeriscono una preponderanza degli stereotipi di genere rispetto alle dinamiche intergruppi: solo i primi influenzano gli atteggiamenti e le intenzioni comportamentali dei partecipanti, migliori nei confronti di uomini onnivori e donne vegane. Nel complesso, questi studi mostrano che le foto di piatti che le persone condividono così spesso sui propri profili social hanno una straordinaria capacità comunicativa, soprattutto in relazione alle impressioni di femminilità e mascolinità. Saranno discusse le implicazioni teoriche e pratiche.

2021 - Children’s inequality aversion in intergroup contexts: The role of parents’ social dominance orientation, right-wing authoritarianism and moral foundations [Articolo su rivista]
Guidetti, M.; Carraro, L.; Castelli, L.
abstract

Although children are overall sensitive to inequality and prefer fair allocation of resources, they also often display ingroup favouritism. Inquiring about the factors that can shape the tension between these two driving forces in children, we focused on the role of parents. Extending the limited literature in this field, the present work examined whether individual differences in 3-to 11-year-old White children’s (N = 154, 78 boys) evaluations of fair versus pro-ingroup behaviours in an intergroup context vary as a function of both mothers’ and fathers’ social dominance orientation (SDO), right-wing authoritarianism (RWA), and moral foundations. Parents completed a questionnaire. Children were presented with a scenario in which two ingroup members distributed candies to two other children, one White and one Black, either in an egalitarian way or displaying a clear ingroup favouritism. Afterwards, their attitudes towards the two ingroup members who had distributed the candies were assessed through both an Implicit Association Test and explicit questions. Although children displayed on average an explicit preference for the fair over the pro-ingroup target, this preference did not emerge at the implicit level. Most importantly, both children’s explicit and implicit attitudes were related to mothers’ SDO, indicating that at increasing level of mothers’ SDO children’s inequality aversion tended to drop. Overall, these results emphasize the relevance of mothers’ support for social hierarchy in relation to the way in which children balance the two competing drives of equality endorsement and pro-ingroup bias.

2021 - Finally, the chance to eat healthily: Longitudinal study about food consumption during and after the first COVID-19 lockdown in Italy [Articolo su rivista]
Caso, D.; Guidetti, M.; Capasso, M.; Cavazza, N.
abstract

With the COVID-19 outbreak, structural constraints and social psychological factors changed the dietary habits of many people. This two-wave longitudinal study performed in Italy aimed to explore people's perceptions of changes in healthy and unhealthy food consumption before and during the first lockdown and the possible persistence of such changes after its official end, as a function of the number of people cohabiting, negative emotion activation, and individual eating styles. A total of 728 Italian adults completed self-reported food consumption measures and related psychological variables at both time points. In the lockdown period, participants reported an increase in healthy food consumption and involvement in cooking and a decrease in the consumption of junk food. This general pattern was stronger for both young and restrained eaters. The intensity of negative emotions and the number of cohabitants were not associated with the examined behaviour. In the post-lockdown period, the new consumption pattern acquired during the confinement was partially discontinued: participants cut down their healthy food consumption as well as their involvement in food preparation, but they continued to reduce their junk food intake. These results suggest that people's food consumption patterns can easily improve when the situation is favourable (e.g., more time and opportunities for cooking healthy meals) and offer an interesting theoretical contribution to understanding the factors useful in promoting healthy eating, in the event of a future outbreak.

2021 - Men and Women Defending Themselves from Political Scandals: Gender Stereotypes and Proneness to Forgive Scandalous Politicians [Articolo su rivista]
Cucchi, S.; Graziani, A. R.; Guidetti, M.; Cavazza, N.
abstract

Many studies have highlighted the role of gender stereotypes in impressions of politicians. In general, a politician’s image benefits from behaving consistently within gender stereotypes. The present study tested whether this also applied to different image restoration tactics employed by male versus female politicians after a scandal. We assessed participants’ evaluation of a fictitious male or female politician soon after a scandal and then after his or her defence. We used a 3 × 2 experimental design to compare the effectiveness of three defensive tactics involving different degrees of assertiveness vs. submissiveness as a function of a politician’s gender. All tactics were overall effective in improving the damaged reputation of the fictitious politician but, as expected, using the excuse of mitigating circumstances (submissive) was more beneficial to female politicians while diffusing responsibility by accusing another person (assertive) was more beneficial to male politicians, both in terms of global attitude and stereotypical evaluations (communality and agency, respectively). The tactic of mortification and requests for forgiveness did not have different effects by gender. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

2020 - Come si mangia in quarantena: L’alimentazione emotiva durante l’emergenza coronavirus. [Abstract in Atti di Convegno]
Caso, D.; Guidetti, M.; Capasso, M.; Cavazza, N.
abstract

2020 - Conservatori verso il verde: nuove epidemie, dieta sostenibile e moral framing [Abstract in Atti di Convegno]
Guidetti, Margherita; Valmori, Alessia; Roda, Giorgio; Carraro, Luciana
abstract

2020 - Food for Boys and Food for Girls: Do Preschool Children Hold Gender Stereotypes about Food? [Articolo su rivista]
Graziani Anna, Rita; Guidetti, Margherita; Cavazza, Nicoletta
abstract

Family meals are occasions for socializing children to gender roles and the symbolic meaning of food and eating. One of the relevant symbolic meaning of food concerns its gender connotation: Meat, especially red meat, is considered the quintessential male food, whereas fruit, vegetables, dairy, desserts, and fish are considered typical female food. These food-gender associations have been mainly investigated in adulthood; only a few studies involved children. The present study examined preschool children’s explicit and implicit food-gender stereotypes, their stereotypical food likings, and mothers’ influence in the transmission of such stereotypes. A group of 137 Italian preschool children (4–6 years-old) performed two tasks: (a) an Implicit Association Test (IAT) measuring the association between meat and vegetable dishes and male and female faces and (b) a “waiter’s game” in which they assigned images of different foods to men, women, boys, and girls depicted on cards. Moreover, they were asked to indicated their likings for the food employed in the waiter’s game. Mothers were given a questionnaire assessing gender-based stereotypes about food and eating habits. The results showed that boys already associated meat with men and vegetables with women at the implicit level and expressed a preference for masculine foods. Such stereotyping did not emerge at the implicit level for girls or at an explicit level for either girls or boys. Moreover, mothers’ attitudes and behaviors predicted, at least in part, their children’s food-gender explicit stereotypes but not children’s implicit stereotypes. Stereotyped food likings were predicted by children’s explicit stereotypes.

2020 - Impression formation via #foodporn: Effects of posting gender-stereotyped food pictures on instagram profiles [Articolo su rivista]
Cavazza, N.; Graziani, A. R.; Guidetti, M.
abstract

Previous studies suggested that food may have gender connotations and plays an important role in impression formation. Since sharing food images through social networks is becoming more and more common, the aim of the present study was to examine whether such images influence observers' judgements of a target. Specifically, we hypothesised that posting images of gender-stereotyped dishes would affect impression formation as a function of their congruence with the sex of the profile owner. In a 2 × 3 study, we varied the sex of the owner of a fictitious Instagram profile, and the image-set composition (masculine dishes vs feminine dishes vs neutral images). Subsequently, we measured the perceived femininity/masculinity, gender-stereotyped traits, and the desire to interact with the profile owner. Results confirmed that food pictures can communicate a profile owner's characteristics, showing that posting masculine dishes dampened women's femininity and the attribution of feminine traits to the target, irrespective of gender, and indirectly reduced participants' intention to meet both targets through the lower attribution of feminine traits (i.e., communion). Moreover, posting gender-congruent food images promoted the congruent gendered impression in observers (i.e., femininity for the woman and masculinity for the man) and in turn increased the desire to interact with him/her. These findings contribute to the understanding of the socio-psychological functions at the basis of sharing one's own eating/cooking experiences on social networks, showing that this behavior has an informational role for observers.

2020 - Overindulging in food: How overeating may increase women’s preference for stereotyped activities and objects [Articolo su rivista]
Graziani, Anna Rita; Guidetti, Margherita; Cavazza, Nicoletta
abstract

Two experiments were designed to examine how transgressing the gender-based norm of restricting food intake (i.e., the “eating lightly” social norm), provoked in women the desire to engage in stereotypically feminine activities, such as watching a romance movie or wearing feminine items in order to balance the negative consequences of overindulging in food. Study 1 (N = 110) showed that after recalling an overeating episode (vs. remembering a situation in which they were able to control their food ingestion), women (but not men) experienced negative emotions that increased their desire to watch romance movies. Study 2 (N = 123) showed that an imagined overeating experience was perceived by women as an unfeminine behavior. This perception in turn induced negative emotions that increased the likelihood of preferring feminine objects. Finally, for these women, the choice of feminine objects improved their self-ascribed femininity. Our results contribute to the understanding of overeating as an identity-relevant behavior for women—able to generate psychological consequences beyond the food domain.

2020 - Scelte alimentari. Foodies, vegani, neofobici e altre storie [Monografia/Trattato scientifico]
Cavazza, Nicoletta; Guidetti, Margherita
abstract

Loretta segue la dieta dell’ananas, Guido deve controllare il colesterolo, Martina è diventata vegana, Francesco è celiaco, Rakid rispetta le usanze della sua religione, Cinzia mangia solo cibo biologico con la garanzia che i lavoratori siano stati pagati equamente. In questa frammentazione, che tutti noi sperimentiamo nel quotidiano, diventa arduo condividere lo stesso pasto. Fruttariani, vegani, crudisti, macrobiotici… Com’è diventato il nostro rapporto con il cibo? E che cosa raccontano di noi le nostre scelte alimentari?

2019 - Conservatori e progressisti a tavola: le radici sociali della neofobia alimentare. [Abstract in Atti di Convegno]
Guidetti, M.; Carraro, L.; Cavazza, N.
abstract

2019 - Gender stereotypes about food in pre-school children. [Abstract in Atti di Convegno]
Graziani, Anna Rita; Cavazza, Nicoletta; Guidetti, Margherita
abstract

There is a large body of literature showing a close connection between food and gender stereotypes (Vartanian, Herman, Polivy, 2007). Meat, especially red meat, is considered the quintessential male food and consuming it, especially in social occasions, represents a tool to affirm men’s virility (Vartanian, 2015). Fruits, vegetables, dairy products, desserts and fish, on the other hand, are considered a typical feminine food, and choosing such foods represents a way for women to increase their femininity in the eyes of their co-eaters (Vartanian et al., 2007). The literature review shows that the food gender stereotypes has been mainly investigated in adulthood, whereas there are few studies involving children. The aim of the present study is to verify whether pre-school age children already express gender stereotypes related to food both explicitly and implicitly. Furthermore, we have verified whether mothers, with their attitudes and behaviours towards food, can influence this association. 137 children (4-6 years) participated in the study by completing two tasks: in the first they had to associate images of different foods with images of men, women, children and girls. In the second, they had to complete a IAT measuring the association between foods (meat and vegetables) and male and female faces. Mothers were given a questionnaire that explored gender stereotypes about food and their eating habits. The results show that male children already associate meat with men and vegetables to women and that generally mothers with their behaviours and attitudes seem to influence this association. The theoretical and practical implications will be discussed.

2019 - Il ruolo dei genitori nella trasmissione delle differenze individuali correlate all’ideologia politica. [Abstract in Atti di Convegno]
Carraro, L.; Guidetti, M.; Castelli, L.
abstract

2018 - Captatio Benevolentiae: Potential Risks and Benefits of Flattering the Audience in a Public Political Speech [Articolo su rivista]
Cavazza, N.; Guidetti, M.
abstract

Given that flattery is a form of impression management and a persuasive tool in interpersonal communication, two experiments investigated the effect of a (fictitious) political candidate praising the audience during a meeting. The flattery was addressed to the social category to which participants belong (direct flattery condition) or to another social category (observed flattery condition). The flattering message (vs. control condition) employed in the context of a public speech induced a more positive candidate evaluation on both the members of the flattered audience and the observers. The effect was not mediated by degree of message scrutiny, nor by suspicion of source ulterior motives, and it was not moderated by the level of identification with the audience. This suggests that the compliment to the audience leads the members of the flattered category to reciprocate liking and the observers to transfer the source’s attitude recursively (TAR effect). Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

2018 - Quando la cena diventa pesante: Le conseguenze degli stereotipi di genere a tavola. [Relazione in Atti di Convegno]
Graziani, Anna Rita; Cavazza, Nicoletta; Guidetti, Margherita
abstract

According to a widespread gender-based stereotype, women are expected to «eat lightly» and when they eat small amount of food appear more feminine than when they eat a lot. However, while many studies focused on the relationship between gender stereotypes and the amount of food eaten from observers’ point of view, less attention has been paid to the consequences women experience after an overeating episode. In the present contribute we review some of the recent studies focused on the psychological and behavioral consequences of an overeating episode.

2018 - Validation of the revised Food Neophobia Scale (FNS-R) in the Italian context [Articolo su rivista]
Guidetti, M.; Carraro, L.; Cavazza, N.; Roccato, M.
abstract

Measuring individuals' level of food neophobia, i.e., the reluctance to eat novel food, is a critical task since it negatively affects diet variety and quality. Using structural equations models, the revised Food Neophobia Scale (FNS-R) was validated with a sample of 711 Italian adults. After deleting 4 items characterized by both low face validity and a suboptimal association with the other items, and after correcting statistically for the acquiescent response-set, the resulting 6-item, fully balanced FNS-R showed a good construct validity. Moreover, it showed the expected positive correlations with General Neophobia and with Disgust Sensitivity. Finally, it resulted invariant across participants’ genders, age classes, and levels of education, and across methods of administration (paper-and-pencil and on-line). Strong points and possible developments of the study are discussed.

2017 - An exploration of the differential effects of parents' authoritarianism dimensions on pre-school children's epistemic, existential, and relational needs [Articolo su rivista]
Guidetti, M.; Carraro, L.; Castelli, L.
abstract

Research on adult populations has widely investigated the deep differences that characterize individuals who embrace either conservative or liberal views of the world. More recently, research has started to investigate these differences at very early stages of life. One major goal is to explore how parental political ideology may influence children's characteristics that are known to be associated to different ideological positions. In the present work, we further investigate the relations between parents' ideology and children cognitive processing strategies within the framework of political ideology as motivated social cognition (Jost et al., 2003) and the dual process model of political ideology (Duckitt et al., 2002). Specifically, epistemic (implicit attitudes toward order vs. chaos), existential (negativity and threat bias), and relational needs (conformity measure) were assessed in pre-school children (N = 106; 4-6 years). For each child at least one parent completed both the Social Dominance Orientation (SDO) and the Right Wing Authoritarianism (RWA) measures. Interestingly, results indicated that mothers' and fathers' responses had unique associations with children's socio-cognitive motivations, and different findings emerged in relation to the two facets of parental authoritarianism, namely dominance (i.e., SDO) and submission (i.e., RWA). More specifically, children's existential needs appeared to be more related to mothers' RWA scores, whereas children's epistemic needs appeared to be more related to fathers' SDO. Finally, parents' RWA and SDO scores appeared to have opposite effects on children's relational needs: children's conformity increased at increasing levels of mothers' RWA and decreased at increasing levels of fathers' SDO. Overall, however, results were relatively weak and several links between the responses of parents and their children were not significant, suggesting caution in drawing strong conclusions about the impact of parents' ideology. Limitations and future developments will be discussed.

2017 - Overeating May Influence Movie Choice: Restoring Gender Identity When Threatened by Food Consumption. [Abstract in Atti di Convegno]
Graziani, Anna Rita; Cavazza, Nicoletta; Guidetti, Margherita
abstract

The present study showed that an overeating experience is perceived by women, as a negative and threatening experience, which leads them to restore their gender identity by engaging in a stereotypically feminine activity, such as watching a romance movie.

2017 - Portion size tells who I am, food type tells who you are: Specific functions of amount and type of food in same- and opposite-sex dyadic eating contexts [Articolo su rivista]
Cavazza, Nicoletta; Guidetti, Margherita; Butera, Fabrizio
abstract

Previous research has shown that women eating small portions of food (vs. eating big portions) are perceived as more feminine, whereas men eating large portions are perceived as more masculine. The specific type of food items have also been shown to carry connotations for gender stereotyping. In addition, matching the co-eater's food quantity is also a means to ingratiate him or her. Thus, a potential motivational conflict between gender identity expression and ingratiation arises when people eat in opposite-sex dyads. Scholars have, thus far, focused their attention on one of these two dimensions at a time, and rarely in relation to the co-eaters’ sex. The present study investigated, through a restaurant scenario, the way in which women and men, when asked to imagine having lunch in dyads, combine food choice and quantity regulation as a function of the co-eater's sex. Results showed that participants use the quantity dimension to communicate gender identity, and the food type dimension to ingratiate the co-eater's preferences by matching her/his presumed choice, following gender-based stereotypes about food. In opposite-sex dyads, dishes that incorporate the two dimensions were chosen above the expected frequency.

2016 - CONCERN FOR PERSONAL REPUTATION WITHIN GROUPS: THE EFFECT OF ACCOUNTABILITY AND FEAR OF SOCIAL EXCLUSION [Articolo su rivista]
Pagliaro, Stefano; Cavazza, Nicoletta; Guidetti, Margherita; Alparone, Francesca Romana; Giannella, Valeria Amata
abstract

Literature shows that concern for personal reputation varies as a function of both individual and contextual factors, with entitativity of the group to which a person belongs emerging as a key antecedent of individual’s concern for personal reputation. The present research focuses on a further antecedent of the phenomenon, that is, accountability to the group. We presented participants with a high entitative ingroup and ma- nipulated accountability (vs. anonymity) of their response to other in-group members. Results showed that being accountable to the ingroup determines higher concern for personal reputation, and this relation is mediated by the fear of social exclusion.

2016 - Il cibo come veicolo di identità: quando mangiare troppo influenza la preferenza per un genere cinematografico [Abstract in Atti di Convegno]
Graziani, Anna Rita; Cavazza, Nicoletta; Guidetti, Margherita
abstract

L'associazione tra assunzione di cibo e percezione di mascolinità o femminilità è stata ampiamente dimostrata e discussa in letteratura. Gli studi mostrano in modo inequivocabile che, a differenza degli uomini, le donne (e la loro femminilità) sono giudicate sulla base della quantità di cibo ingerito. Tuttavia, la maggior parte degli studi si è concentrata sul rapporto tra gli stereotipi di genere e la quantità di cibo consumato dal punto di vista dell'osservatore, meno attenzione è stata rivolta alle conseguenze che le persone sperimentano dopo un episodio di eccesso di cibo. Lo scopo del presente studio è di verificare come l'eccesso di cibo in una situazione pubblica sia percepito dalle donne, ma non dagli uomini, come un’esperienza minacciosa che le spinge a ripristinare la propria identità di genere attraverso un'attività stereotipicamente femminile come guardare un film romantico. I 110 partecipanti allo studio hanno compilato un questionario nel quale è stato chiesto loro di ricordare un episodio in cui durante un pranzo o una cena al ristorante avevano ecceduto mangiando troppo (vs. un episodio in cui avevano mangiato la quantità di cibo necessaria per sentirsi sazi ma non appesantiti) e di esprimere la preferenza verso diversi generi di film (romantico, commedia, azione e thriller). Dai risultati emerge che le donne, dopo aver ricordato un episodio di eccesso di cibo (rispetto a una situazione in cui erano in grado di controllare la loro assunzione di cibo) mostrano un maggior desiderio di vedere un film romantico rispetto agli altri generi. Inoltre, le emozioni negative legate all'esperienza eccesso di cibo (eg., disagio, colpa o vergogna) mediano l'effetto dell’eccesso di cibo sul desiderio di guardare un film romantico. La stessa strategia di ripristino non si osserva negli uomini. Questi risultati offrono un contributo teorico ma anche applicativo.

2016 - Perceived Disagreement and Heterogeneity in Social Networks: Distinct Effects on Political Participation [Articolo su rivista]
Guidetti, Margherita; Cavazza, Nicoletta; Graziani, Anna Rita
abstract

Although the coexistence of conflicting opinions in society is the very core of democracy, people’s tendency to avoid conflict could keep them away from political discussion and participation. On the other hand, being exposed to diverse political views could motivate citizens to participate. We conducted secondary analyses on two 2013 ITANES (Italian National Election Studies) probability samples in order to test the hypotheses that perceived network disagreement (between an individual and her/his discussion partners) and heterogeneity (among discussants holding different political opinions) exert independent and opposite effects on political participation through motivation and knowledge. Results converged in showing that disagreement dampened, while heterogeneity encouraged, political participation (voting, propensity to abstain in future, offline and online activism, and timing of vote decision) by decreasing or increasing, respectively, political interest and, in turn, knowledge.

2016 - Social influence processes on adolescents’ food likes and consumption: the role of parental authoritativeness and individual self-monitoring [Articolo su rivista]
Guidetti, Margherita; Cavazza, Nicoletta; Conner, M.
abstract

This cross-sectional study investigated how parents and friends influence adolescents’ food likes and consumption. 709 adolescent-parent and 638 adolescent-friend dyads completed a questionnaire, allowing us to compare target-parent and target-friend resemblances both on food likes and consumption, while distinguishing between cultural influence and dyadic unique influence. In addition, we identified two psychosocial predictors of resemblance, namely parenting style and adolescents' self-monitoring. As expected, results indicated that authoritative parenting style increased target-parent resemblance in food likes (directly) and consumption (indirectly), and self-monitoring orientation increased target-friend resemblance in food likes (directly) and consumption (indirectly). We also showed that target-friend resemblance was more culture-based than target-parent resemblance, suggesting that parental influence is more specific to the dyadic relation than is peer influence.

2016 - What is that 2?: Advertisements of follow-up formula and their perception by pregnant women and mothers in Italy [Articolo su rivista]
Cattaneo, A.; Pani, P.; Carletti, C.; Guidetti, M.; Mutti, V.; Guidetti, C.; Knowles, A.; Barbiero, C.; Montico, M.; Locatelli, M.; Conti, S.; Pellegrini, E.; Papa, O.; Nespoli, A.; Bettinelli, M. E.; De Gioia, C.; Lelli, M.; Mascheroni, R.; Cetin, I.; Pileri, P.; Gatti, R.; Pompilio, G.; Ortenzi, V.; Stronati, L.; Giusti, A.; Spadea, A.; Rinaldi, I.; Galluzzo, L.; Vadacca, P.; Sarta, S.; Nibali, S. C.; Crisafulli, R.; Nibali, R. C.; Corrado, F.; Garraffa, M.; Di Pasquale, M.; Gallo, M. C.
abstract

Background: In most European countries advertisements of infant formula are forbidden, while those of follow-on formula are allowed. Recent researches carried out in Australia and Great Britain have suggested that advertisement of toddler formula is used by the producing industry as a line extension to promote infant and follow-on formulas. Objectives: The objective of the study is to assess how advertisements of follow-on formulas are perceived by pregnant women and mothers in Italy. Materials and Methods: The study was carried out in 8 cities of the North, Centre and South of Italy and had two components: 1) a quantitative analysis of 562 self-administered questionnaires for mothers of children under 3 years of age, to explore their exposure to and perception of formula advertisements; 2) a qualitative analysis of 80 in-depth semi-structured interviews to 80 pregnant women, in their 32-36 weeks of gestation with no other children, on their understanding and perception of two advertisements for follow-on formulas. Results: Asked in the self-administered questionnaires whether they had ever come across advertisements of infant formulas, 81% of mothers reported that they had, despite the fact that such advertisements are prohibited by law. The qualitative interviews to pregnant women showed their inability to identify the advertised products at first glance due to the ambiguity of the numeral 2 and the presumed age of the portrayed babies; this confusion did not disappear after careful observation of the advertisements and reading of the text. Conclusions: Advertisements of follow-on formulas are perceived by many pregnant women and mothers as promoting infant formulas.

2015 - Advertisements of follow-on formula and their perception by pregnant women and mothers in Italy [Articolo su rivista]
Cattaneo, Adriano; Pani, Paola; Carletti, Claudia; Guidetti, Margherita; Mutti, Valentina; Guidetti, Cecilia; Group, Alessandra Knowles1 on behalf of the Follow on Formula Research
abstract

Abstract Objective To assess how follow-on formula milks for infants aged 6–12 months are presented to and understood by mothers. Design A quantitative and qualitative cross-sectional study including (1) an analysis of advertisements in three magazines for parents; (2) in-depth semistructured qualitative interviews to pregnant women on their perception of two advertisements for follow-on formula and (3) self-administered questionnaires for mothers to explore their exposure to and perception of formula advertisements. Participants Eighty pregnant women 32–36 weeks of gestation with no previous children and 562 mothers of children <3 years old. Setting Maternal and child health centres in eight cities of Italy. Results Advertisements of formula (n=89) represented about 7% of all advertisements in the three magazines, the majority (58%) being for follow-on formula. Advertisements were parent-oriented, aimed at helping parents solve health problems of their babies or at eliciting good feelings, or both. The qualitative interviews to pregnant women showed inability to define the advertised products at first glance due to the ambiguity of the numeral 2 and the presumed age of the portrayed baby; this inability did not disappear after carefully viewing the advertisements and reading the text. When asked in the self-administered questionnaires whether they had ever come across advertisements of infant formula, 81% of mothers reported that they had, despite the legal inexistence of such advertisements, and 65% thought that it was for a product to be used from birth. Conclusions Advertisements of follow-on formula are perceived by pregnant women and mothers as promoting infant formula.

2015 - Come le mamme italiane interpretano le pubblicità del latte artificiale [Articolo su rivista]
Cattaneo, Adriano; Pani, Paola; Carletti, Claudia; Guidetti, Margherita; Mutti, Valentina; Guidetti, Cecilia; Knowles, Alessandra; il Gruppo di ricerca sulle formule di proseguimento, E
abstract

Marketing of breastmilk substitutes is associated with reduced rates and shorter duration of breastfeeding in favour of formula feeding. This multicentre study confirms the inability for women to define the advertised products for the correct target population due to the ambiguity of information reported on. Furthermore, the 81% of women reported that they had come across advertisements of infant formula, despite these advertisements being prohibited by law. Advertisements of follow-up formula are perceived by pregnant women and mothers as promoting infant formula.

2015 - Ingredients of gender-based stereotypes about food: Indirect influence of food type, portion size and presentation on gendered intentions to eat [Articolo su rivista]
Cavazza, Nicoletta; Guidetti, Margherita; Butera, Fabrizio
abstract

The association between certain foods and masculinity or femininity has been widely discussed in different disciplines. However, extant research has yet to clarify which are the critical dimensions lending this gender connotations to food and thus impacting on the willingness to eat it. We present a study on the role of food type, portion size, and dish presentation as potential factors constituting the gender-based stereotype about food, and their indirect or mediated effect on the intention of men and women to eat certain feminine/masculine stereotyped foods. We manipulated the three features cited above in a 2 (food type: Caprese vs. hamburger) x 2 (portion size: small vs. big) x 2 (presentation: elegant vs. rough) full factorial design. Results confirmed a model of moderated mediation: the Caprese salad, the small portion and the elegantly presented dish (in respect to the hamburger, the big portion and the roughly presented dish) tend to be considered “feminine food”, and thus women expressed a more pronounced intention to eat it than men. The implications of the findings for both theory and practice are discussed.

2015 - The gender-based stereotype about food is on the table. Food choice also depends on co-eater’s gender [Articolo su rivista]
Cavazza, Nicoletta; Guidetti, Margherita; Butera, Fabrizio
abstract

Previous research has shown that different foods are stereotypically associated with gender and that eating in a role-congruent way fulfills an impression management function. On the other hand, other studies revealed that adapting one’s food consumption to that of the co-eaters is a means to gain social approval as well. In the present study, we bridge these two distinct lines of research by studying what happens when the two norms (conforming to the gender-based stereotype and imitating the co-eater) conflict, that is with opposite-sex co-eaters. Results indicated that the tendency to match the co-eaters’ supposed consumption generally appeared over and above one’s gender-congruent choice. In addition, as expected, gender differences also emerged: while men were always willing to adapt to the co-eaters, women’s intention to eat the feminine food was independent from the co-eaters’ gender.

2015 - Who Cares for Reputation? Individual Differences and Concern for Reputation [Articolo su rivista]
Cavazza, Nicoletta; Guidetti, Margherita; Pagliaro, Stefano
abstract

Reputation is highly important within groups as it provides a number of benefits, both instrumental (including access to valuable resources and the likelihood to influence others) and symbolic ones (e.g., satisfaction of fundamental esteem needs). In the present paper, we proposed and found that the degree to which people are concerned about their reputation is sensitive to personality differences. We found evidence that prevention focus and others’ approval as contingency of self-worth predict concern for reputation via self-monitoring orientation (mediation model). Results are discussed in terms of reputation management, and future research avenues are proposed.

2014 - Antecedents of Concern for Personal Reputation: The Role of Group Entitativity and Fear of Social Exclusion [Articolo su rivista]
Cavazza, Nicoletta; S., Pagliaro; Guidetti, Margherita
abstract

In three studies we tested whether concern for personal reputation varies as a function of the entitativity of the community or group to which individuals belong. The first correlational study (N ¼ 135) showed that perceived group entitativity was positively correlated with concern for personal reputation expressed by its members. The second 2 2 factorial design experiment (N ¼ 104) confirmed that, regardless of the kind of group, the level of manipulated entitativity enhances individuals’ concern for repu- tation. Finally, the third 2 2 factorial design experiment (N ¼ 98) indicated that this link is fully mediated by the fear of social exclusion. This research contributes to defining conditions influencing reputation management processes.

2014 - Fake online reviews: a study on eWOM influence when suspicions arise [Articolo su rivista]
Cavazza, Nicoletta; Guidetti, Margherita
abstract

Online reviews are widespread and can strongly affect consumer choice. However, the audience may know that these tools can be used and counterfeited for propaganda goals. We present an experiment 2 (falsity suspicion vs. control condition) x 2 (valence order: positive reviews first vs. negative reviews first) factorial design aimed at exploring what happens when people get suspicious about reviews’ authenticity. As expected, results showed that suspicion hinders careful information processing. In addition, it affected restaurant evaluation by increasing the number of positive reviews hypothesized as fake, which in turn reduced positive reviews perceived as useful, dragging the judgement toward the negative pole (partial mediation). The implications are discussed.

2014 - Healthy at home, unhealthy outside: Food groups associated with family and friends and the potential impact on attitude and consumption [Articolo su rivista]
Guidetti, Margherita; Cavazza, Nicoletta; Graziani, Anna Rita
abstract

Two studies were conducted to investigate adolescents' tendency to associate healthy food with family and junk food with friends, at both an explicit and implicit level. Study 2 also explored whether family and peer influences on food attitudes and consumption can be exerted through these mere associations, testing the moderating effect of social identity. Overall, results confirmed that our participants tended to associate healthy food with family and junk food with friends, both deliberatively (at the explicit level) and automatically (at the implicit level). In addition, these mere associations predicted food consumption frequency, either directly (fruit-family) or indirectly through attitude (snacks-friends), for participants highly identified with the corresponding reference group. The present research contributes to a deeper understanding of the social meaning of food by focusing on the associations of different food types with different social contexts and provides suggestions for improving health education and prevention programs.

2014 - Swearing in Political Discourse: Why Vulgarity Works [Articolo su rivista]
Cavazza, Nicoletta; Guidetti, Margherita
abstract

An experimental study investigated the effect of politicians’ profanity and gender on their perceived and actual persuasiveness. Results showed that a candidate’s use of swear words increased the perception of language informality and improved the general impression about the source. The latter effect was particularly strong for male candidate, as female candidate was already evaluated positively, irrespective of her cursing. In addition, though the manipulation of the politician’s vulgarity did not directly affect participants’ self-reported likelihood of voting for him or her, an indirect effect through language informality and impression about the candidate emerged. On the contrary, profanity use reduced perceived persuasiveness of the message, suggesting that the influence of swearing could be automatic and unaware. Theoretical implications are discussed.

2012 - The transmission of attitudes towards food: Two-fold specificity of similarities with parents and friends [Articolo su rivista]
Guidetti, Margherita; M. T., Conner; A. J., Prestwich; Cavazza, Nicoletta
abstract

Objectives. The present study explored whether similarity of students’ food attitudes with those of their parents and friends varies as a function of both the food and type of measurement. We expected greater resemblance with parents for attitudes towards fruit and for implicit attitudes and greater resemblance with friends for attitudes towards snacks and for explicit attitudes.Design. We compared the resemblance in implicit and explicit attitudes towards fruit and preference for sweet over savoury snacks between target-parent and target-friend pairings. The parental-peer mutual influence effect was separated from cultural effect by comparing real and random dyads.Methods. Target participants were 85 students who recruited one parent and one best friend each. All participants completed online two Implicit Association Tests and rated their liking for fruit and sweet/savoury snacks.Results. Our target participants’ attitudes towards fruit were predicted by those of their parents rather than friends, with this relationship being detected through implicit but not explicit measures. Conversely, target participants’ preference for sweet over savoury snacks was predicted with those of their friends but not parents, with this relationship being detected through explicit but not implicit measures.Conclusions. Young adults’ resemblance to parents and friends, in terms of food attitudes, seems specific both to the food type and to the attitude measure, suggestingthat parents’ influence concerns healthy food and is exerted at an implicit attitude level; whereas friends’ influence concerns junk food and is exerted at an explicit attitude level.The theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

2011 - Looking for the “right” amount to eat at the restaurant: Social influence effects when ordering. [Articolo su rivista]
Cavazza, Nicoletta; Graziani, Anna Rita; Guidetti, Margherita
abstract

Two studies are presented showing that the social facilitation of eating has its roots in the phase of ordering food, both in an ecologically valid context (a real restaurant) and in a simulated context (a mock scenario). In both studies people ordered a number of dishes as a function of their co-eater group size.We contend that this is due to the activation of the ‘‘social meal’’ script assuming a normative nature. In line with our hypothesis, participants’ self-monitoring orientation moderated the effects of group size on the amount of food people ordered.

2010 - De gustibus: l’influenza sociale nella costruzione dei repertori alimentari [Articolo su rivista]
Guidetti, Margherita; Cavazza, Nicoletta
abstract

La presente rassegna si propone di fare il punto sulla conoscenza oggi disponibile circa il ruolo delle influenze che genitori e pari esercitano sulla formulazione degli atteggiamenti verso il cibo e la messa in atto dei comportamenti alimentari nell’infanzia e nell’adolescenza. Dopo aver brevemente delineato i processi di acquisizione degli atteggiamenti e dei comportamenti alimentari, illustriamo i processi attraverso i quali si esercita l’influenza dei genitori sui figli (trasmissione dei geni, restrizione del campo di esperienza alimentare, modellamento, pratiche e stili parentali), quella dei figli sui genitori e quella fra pari, discutendo gli esiti in cui tali processi sfociano. La rassegna si conclude con l’indicazione delle direzioni di approfondimento per la ricerca in questo ambito.

2008 - La psicologia a tavola [Traduzione di Libro]
Guidetti, M.
abstract

2008 - Structure of the relationship between parents' and children's food preferences and avoidances: An explorative study [Articolo su rivista]
Guidetti, Margherita; Cavazza, Nicoletta
abstract

The aims of the present research were to uncover the underlying structure of the relationship between parents’ and children’spreferences and avoidances in the food domain, and to determine whether this structure revealed any differences as a function ofchildren’s age. Two hundred and eighty-two parent–child dyads (children aged 10–20) completed a self-administered questionnaire oneating attitudes and practices. The results led to a descriptive model of the connection between parents’ and children’s food repertories,made of four overlap and four autonomy areas. This structure was then compared with the structure that emerged from random pairs ofan adult and a child/adolescent. Our findings showed that parents’ repertory had an anchoring function in the formation of that of theirchildren, not only in terms of imitation, but also in terms of influencing the direction of differentiation and innovation. As far as thesecond aim of our study is concerned, only two out of eight areas (that of parent preferences limitation, and that of child autonomousavoidances) differed in relation to the children’s age. The theoretical and practical impact of these results is discussed.