title: The effect of effort and weight controllability on perceptions of obese individuals.
abstract: We examined the impact of offset controllability (capability of losing weight) and offset effort (efforts to lose weight) on judgments of an obese target. Participants (n = 216) read about an obese person whose body weight was controllable/uncontrollable, and who did/did not put in effort to eat healthily and exercise. Effort played a more important role than controllability in evaluations of the target. Targets who put in effort to be healthy were ascribed fewer obesity stereotypes, evoked less disgust, and were considered to have a more acceptable lifestyle. These findings extend attribution theory and have implications for strategies to reduce weight bias.
authors.affiliation: a UNSW Australia.
authors.forename: Melissa J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Black
authors.forename: Nicole
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sokol
authors.forename: Lenny R
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Vartanian
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001290:Attitude; D015444:Exercise / Q000523:psychology; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D007600:Judgment; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009042:Motivation; D009765:Obesity / Q000523:psychology*; D012928:Social Desirability; D013240:Stereotyping; D015431:Weight Loss; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: attribution theory; controllability; effort; obesity; stigma