title: The effect of weight controllability beliefs on prejudice and self-efficacy.
abstract: An experiment was conducted to test for the presence of prejudice towards obesity and whether weight controllability beliefs information reduces this prejudice and impacts on a person's own healthy eating self-efficacy. The experiment randomly allocated 346 participants (49 males) into one of three conditions: controllable contributors toward obesity condition (e.g., information about personal control about diet and exercise); uncontrollable contributors toward obesity condition (e.g., information about genes, factors in society); and a control condition with no information given. Prejudice was present in 81% of the sample. High prejudice was predicted by low self-efficacy for exercise and weight. Weight controllability beliefs information had no significant effect on prejudice levels or exercise or healthy eating self-efficacy levels. Future research directions are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Psychology/School of Behavioural, Cognitive and Social Sciences, University of New England , Armidale , Australia.
authors.forename: Einar B
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-2065-1989
authors.initials: EB
authors.lastname: Thorsteinsson
authors.affiliation: Psychology/School of Behavioural, Cognitive and Social Sciences, University of New England , Armidale , Australia.
authors.forename: Natasha M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Loi
authors.affiliation: Psychology/School of Behavioural, Cognitive and Social Sciences, University of New England , Armidale , Australia.
authors.forename: Dana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Breadsell
keywords: Exercise; Obesity; Prejudice; Self-efficacy; Weight management