title: The role of explicit and implicit self-esteem in peer modeling of palatable food intake: a study on social media interaction among youngsters.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This experimental study investigated the impact of peers on palatable food intake of youngsters within a social media setting. To determine whether this effect was moderated by self-esteem, the present study examined the roles of global explicit self-esteem (ESE), body esteem (BE) and implicit self-esteem (ISE).
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants (N = 118; 38.1% boys; M age 11.14±.79) were asked to play a computer game while they believed to interact online with a same-sex normal-weight remote confederate (i.e., instructed peer) who ate either nothing, a small or large amount of candy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Participants modeled the candy intake of peers via a social media interaction, but this was qualified by their self-esteem. Participants with higher ISE adjusted their candy intake to that of a peer more closely than those with lower ISE when the confederate ate nothing compared to when eating a modest (β = .26, p = .05) or considerable amount of candy (kcal) (β = .32, p = .001). In contrast, participants with lower BE modeled peer intake more than those with higher BE when eating nothing compared to a considerable amount of candy (kcal) (β = .21, p = .02); ESE did not moderate social modeling behavior. In addition, participants with higher discrepant or "damaged" self-esteem (i.e., high ISE and low ESE) modeled peer intake more when the peer ate nothing or a modest amount compared to a substantial amount of candy (kcal) (β = -.24, p = .004; β = -.26, p<.0001, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Youngsters conform to the amount of palatable food eaten by peers through social media interaction. Those with lower body esteem or damaged self-esteem may be more at risk to peer influences on food intake.
authors.affiliation: Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Kirsten E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Bevelander
authors.forename: Doeschka J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Anschütz
authors.forename: Daan H M
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Creemers
authors.forename: Marloes
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kleinjan
authors.forename: Rutger C M E
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Engels
mesh_terms: D001828:Body Image; D002648:Child; D004435:Eating / Q000523:psychology*; D002149:Energy Intake; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D010379:Peer Group; D012649:Self Concept; D012919:Social Behavior; D061108:Social Media