Social influences on food preferences and feeding behaviors of vertebrates.

This chapter reviews research, almost all completed during the last 20 years, on the role of social factors in the development of food preferences, food aversions, and feeding behaviors in vertebrates. The evidence clearly demonstrates the importance of socially acquired information, particularly information extracted from adults by juveniles, in shaping the development of food preferences and feeding behaviors of both birds and mammals. Topics discussed include: social factors in the acquisition of food preferences (prenatal effects, effects while nursing, effects after weaning), social factors in the acquisition of feeding behaviors (field observations, laboratory analyses) and social influences on human feeding behavior. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)