Psychology of Food: A Biopsychosocial Perspective

 

Semester & Location:	Fall 2024 - DIS Stockholm
Type & Credits:	Elective Course - 3 credits
Major Disciplines:	Psychology, Sociology
Prerequisite(s):	One psychology course at a university level.
Faculty Members:	Michal Salamonik and Carlos Tirado (current students please use the Canvas Inbox)
Program Contact:	Department email address psy.cns@dis.dk
Time & Place:	Time: Tuesdays and Fridays 10:05-11:25 Room: D509

 

Course Description: 

Are we really what you eat, and if so, what does that mean? Food carries historical and cultural meanings: from some food pornographers and ethically-inspired vegans to the public health challenges of toxic food environments, diet culture, and malnourishment, we all have a relationship to food that surpasses mere physiology. This course will explore the psychological, neurocognitive, and sociocultural aspects of our relationship with food to understand its meaning in our everyday lives better. 

Learning Objectives

By the end of this course, students will be able to:

1. Analyze the psychological factors influencing food choices.
2. Evaluate the impact of cultural and social contexts on eating behaviors.
3. Recognize the connection between stress and eating patterns.
4. Identify the psychological dimensions of eating disorders.
5. Demonstrate critical thinking and research skills by exploring a topic of the team's (3-4 students) choice in the field of the psychology of food that is not covered in the below section, Lecture Topics.

Lecture topics: 

These specific topics will be presented by the course instructor and the guest lecturers: 

1. Origin of Food and Cooking
2. Sensory Systems and Food Perception
3. A Psychological Perspective on Eating
4. Emotional Eating and Stress
5. Eating Disorders: Psychological Perspectives
6. Veganism
7. Family Dynamics and Obesity in Children
8. Social and Cultural Influences on Food Choices 

 

Faculty

Carlos Tirado is a postdoctoral researcher in cognitive sciences at Linköping University, holding a PhD in experimental psychology from Stockholm University. His expertise lies in auditory perception, perceptual training, working memory, attention, and embodied cognition. In his work, he focuses in employing novel psychophysical and statistical methods.

Michal Salamonik is a postodctoral researcher in food, nutrition and culinary science at Umeå University, PhD in history from Södertörn University, Stockholm. Salamonik's expertise is in food history, culinary experiments, substitution and beverages. His main interest in global economic history and coffee history.

 

Guest Lecturers

Monica Siqueiros-Sanchez  obtained her PhD in Medical Science, from Karolinska Institutet (KI; Sweden). A clinical psychologist by training, she became interested in neurodevelopmental disorders during her clinical practice. She then went on to do her MSc in Developmental Psychopathology at Durham University, followed by her PhD at KI where she combined eye tracking and twin modelling to investigate the relative contribution of genes and environment to autistic and ADHD traits, oculomotor behavior, and the association between them. She recently completed her postdoctoral training at Stanford University where she used a combination of neuroimaging modalities and psychological assessments to characterize the effects of rare genetic variation on brain morphology to better understand neurodevelopmental disorders.  Her interests include socio-communicative skills, attention, neurogenetic syndromes, neurodevelopmental disorders, and white matter. With DIS since 2023.

Armando F J Perez Cueto Eulert

 

 

Field Studies

Check for the details in canvas calendar.

Evaluation

The course consists of lectures, discussions, assignments at home and in class for individuals and teams, as well as field studies. Students’ attendance at the classes, visits, and their active participation in the discussions are mandatory and taken into account in the evaluation. In discussions and assignments, students are required to demonstrate that they read and understood the required literature. They should be able to integrate their knowledge to discuss in-depth research questions and topics. Showing independent and critical thinking is expected.

1. Active participation (Individual) - constituted 20% of the total grade: Contribute meaningfully to discussion in class.
   
2. Observational Studies (Individual) constituted 15% of the total grade: Conducted research or observations related to the psychology of food outside the classroom setting, reflecting on real-world experiences.
3. Journal club (Team) - constituted 20% of the total grade:
4. Research presentation (Team) 15%: select an eating disorder and make a 10 minutes presentation about it.
5. Research paper(Team) 15%: this paper will be about colonial food. Around 2-3 pages.
6. Poster (Individual) 15%: choose a topic from the course,  that you haven't already explored in your research paper.

 

Grading

Assignment	Percent
Active participation	20%
Observational studies	15%
Journal club	20%
Research paper	15%
Poster	15%
Research presentation	15%
Total	100%

DIS Class Policies

Late to class:

• Students who are repeatedly late for class will receive a lower participation grade.
• Attendance is compulsory and will have an effect on your active participation score.
• Use of cell phones is not allowed during class (including field trips).
• NB: If your use of technology is due to a learning accommodation required for you to succeed in class, please discuss it with Academic Support or the instructor directly.

Readings

Required readings will be listed for each individual class, so please check the calendar to identify what you should read before class. Additional readings could be uploaded during the course.

Abbaszadeh, A., Saharkhiz, M., Khorasanchi, Z., Karbasi, S., Askari, M., Hoseini, Z. S., ... & Bahrami, A. (2021). Impact of a Nordic diet on psychological function in young students. Nutrition and Health, 27(1), 97-104.

Allen, A. P., Dinan, T. G., Clarke, G., & Cryan, J. F. (2017). A psychology of the human brain–gut–microbiome axis. Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 11(4), e12309.

Andersson, H. (2020). Nature, nationalism and neoliberalism on food packaging: The case of Sweden. Discourse, Context & Media, 34, 100329.

Block, J., Scribner, R., & DeSalvo, K. (2004). Fast food, race/ethnicity, and income: A geographic analysis. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 27(3), 211-217.

Boesveldt, S., Postma, E. M., Boak, D., Welge-Luessen, A., Schöpf, V., Mainland, J. D., ... & Duffy, V. B. (2017). Anosmia—a clinical review. Chemical Senses, 42(7), 513-523.

Brillat-Savarin, J. A. (1825). The physiology of taste; or, transcendental gastronomy. Online edition.

Chamberlain, K. (2004). Food and health: Expanding the agenda for health psychology. Journal of Health Psychology, 9, 467-481.

Chevalier, N. (2018). Iconic dishes, culture and identity: The Christmas pudding and its hundred years’ journey in the USA, Australia, New Zealand and India (Version 1). University of Sussex. https://hdl.handle.net/10779/uos.23456264.v1

Duram, L. (2005). Good growing: Why organic farming works. Lincoln, NE: University of Nebraska Press.

Fleming-Milici, F., & Harris, J. L. (2020). Adolescents’ engagement with unhealthy food and beverage brands on social media. Appetite, 146, 104501.

Fletcher, P. C., & Kenny, P. J. (2018). Food addiction: A valid concept?. Neuropsychopharmacology, 43(13), 2506-2513.

Forster, E., & Forster, R. (Eds.). (1975). The European diet from pre-industrial to modern times. New York: Harper & Row.

Gearhardt, A. N. (2011). Neural correlates of food addiction. Archives of General Psychiatry, 68(8), 808.

Guy, K. M. (2010). Culinary connections and colonial memories in France and Algeria. Food & History, 8(1), 219-236.

Isaacs, D. (2019). The evolutionary origin of disgust. Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health, 55(4), 385-386.

Jacobson, H. (2013). Whole: Rethinking the science of nutritionism. Dallas, TX: BenBella Books.

Karrebæk, M. S., Riley, K. C., & Cavanaugh, J. R. (2018). Food and language: Production, consumption, and circulation of meaning and value. Annual Review of Anthropology, 47, 17-32.

Messina, M., & Venter, C. (2020). Recent surveys on food allergy prevalence. Nutrition Today, 55(1), 22-29.

Newling, J. (2023). ‘Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown’: Lamb or kangaroo, which should reign supreme? The implications of heroising a settler colonial food icon as national identity. In R. Ranta (Ed.), 'Going Native?': Settler Colonialism and Food (pp. 173-199). Cham: Springer International Publishing.

Nowicka, P., & Flodmark, C. E. (2011). Family therapy as a model for treating child obesity. Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 16(3), 355-371.

Ozawa, H., Miyazawa, T., & Miyazawa, T. (2021). Effects of dietary food components on cognitive functions in older adults. Nutrients, 13(8), 2804.

Pilato, I. B., Beezhold, B., & Radnitz, C. (2022). Diet and lifestyle factors associated with cognitive performance in college students. Journal of American College Health, 70(7), 2230-2236.

Polivy, J., & Herman, C. P. (2002). Causes of eating disorders. Annual Review of Psychology, 53(1), 187-213.

Ranta, R. (2022). 'Going Native?': Settler Colonialism and Food. Cham: Springer International Publishing.

Rappaport, L. (2003). How we eat: Appetite, culture, and the psychology of food. Ontario, Canada: ECW Press.

Reddy, G., & van Dam, R. M. (2020). Food, culture, and identity in multicultural societies: Insights from Singapore. Appetite, 149, 104633.

Richter, N., & Hunecke, M. (2020). Facets of mindfulness in stages of behavior change toward organic food consumption. Mindfulness, 11(6), 1354-1369.

Rolls, E. (2011). Taste, olfactory and food texture reward processing in the brain and obesity. International Journal of Obesity, 35, 550-561. https://doi.org/10.1038/ijo.2010.155

Rosenfeld, D. L. (2018). The psychology of vegetarianism: Recent advances and future directions. Appetite, 131, 125-138.

Rost, S., & Lundälv, J. (2021). A systematic review of literature regarding food insecurity in Sweden. Analyses of Social Issues and Public Policy, 21(1), 1020-1032.

Schlintl, C., Zorjan, S., & Schienle, A. (2023). Olfactory imagery as a retrieval method for autobiographical memories. Psychological Research, 87(3), 862-871.

Shah, R. (2013). The role of nutrition and diet in Alzheimer disease: a systematic review. Journal of the American Medical Directors Association, 14(6), 398-402.

Shipley, M. T., Ennis, M., & Puche, A. C. (2008). The olfactory system. In A. L. Mendelsohn & S. L. Scher (Eds.), Neuroscience in medicine (pp. 611-622). New York: Springer.

Small, D. M., & Prescott, J. (2005). Odor/taste integration and the perception of flavor. Experimental Brain Research, 166(3-4), 345-357. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00221-005-2376-9

Spence, C. (2016). The neuroscience of flavor. In Multisensory flavor perception (pp. 235-248). Woodhead Publishing.

Säll, S. (2018). Environmental food taxes and inequalities: Simulation of a meat tax in Sweden. Food Policy, 74, 147-153.

Touré‐Tillery, M., Steinmetz, J., & DiCosola, B. (2022). Feeling judged? How the presence of outgroup members promotes healthier food choices. Psychology & Marketing.

Wildes, J. E., Emery, R. E., & Simons, A. D. (2001). The roles of ethnicity and culture in the development of eating disturbance and body dissatisfaction: A meta-analytic review. Clinical Psychology Review, 21(4), 521-551.

 

Disability and Resource Statement

Any student who has a need for accommodation based on the impact of a disability should contact the Office of Academic Support (email) to coordinate this.  In order to receive accommodations, students should inform the instructor of approved DIS accommodations within the first two weeks of classes.

Academic Regulations

Please make sure to read the Academic Regulations on the DIS website. There you will find regulations on the following:

• Course Enrollment and Grading
• Academic Expectations and Honor Code
  
  

   

 

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