Department of Pediatrics, Division of Behavioral Medicine, State University of New York at Buffalo, Farber Hall, Room G56, 3435 Main Street, Building #26, Buffalo, NY 14214-3000, USA.
Ann Behav Med. 2009 Dec;38(3):205-12. doi: 10.1007/s12160-009-9145-0.
Behavioral economics offers a framework to understand choice among alternatives. There is no research on the interrelationship between food and social activity in overweight and non-overweight children.
The purpose of this study is to test the substitutability of food and social interactions using behavioral economic methods in overweight and non-overweight youth.
Fifty-four (24 males and 30 females) overweight and non-overweight youth aged 9 to 11 years old were tested using a behavioral choice paradigm which involved participants responding to earn points exchangeable for food and/or social activity.
Youth substituted food for social activities when the cost of social time with an unfamiliar peer increased (p < 0.05) and substituted food for social activities with an unfamiliar peer when the cost of food increased (p < 0.05). However, when interacting with a friend was the alternative, participants did not substitute food for social interactions.
Social interactions can serve as a substitute for food in both lean and overweight youth.
行为经济学提供了一个理解选择替代物的框架。目前还没有关于超重和非超重儿童中食物和社交活动之间相互关系的研究。
本研究旨在使用行为经济学方法测试超重和非超重青少年中食物和社交互动之间的可替代性。
54 名（24 名男性和 30 名女性）9 至 11 岁的超重和非超重青少年参与了一项行为选择范式测试，他们通过回答问题来赚取可用于购买食物和/或社交活动的积分。
当与不熟悉的同龄人的社交时间成本增加时，青少年会用食物代替社交活动（p<0.05）；当食物成本增加时，青少年会用食物代替与不熟悉的同龄人的社交活动（p<0.05）。然而，当与朋友互动是替代方案时，参与者不会用食物代替社交互动。
社交互动可以作为超重和非超重青少年的食物替代品。
