Examining the influence of perceived social consensus information on weight prejudice across development

Children and adults display weight prejudice. Social consensus theory (Sherif & Sherif, 1967) proposes that perceived beliefs of others are strong determinants of individuals' own prejudice. However, less research has examined the impact of social consensus information on weight prejudice. The social-cognitive developmental theory of prejudice proposes that young children develop prejudice, which increases until middle childhood, then declines into adolescence and adulthood. However, it is unclear whether this applies to weight prejudice. Thus, the current study examined the developmental course of weight prejudice in children and adults. It also examined the influence of social consensus information on weight prejudice and whether beliefs about the controllability of weight moderate the impact of social consensus information on this prejudice. Participants ages 4- to 6-years (n = 45), 8- to 10-years (n = 40), and college students (n = 40) were randomly assigned to receive positive social consensus information (i.e., experimental condition) or no consensus information (i.e., control condition). Participants' feelings of dislike toward overweight individuals, intentions to interact with overweight peers, and weight-related stereotypes were examined before and after they received social consensus information. Results showed that individuals in the experimental condition reported less dislike toward overweight peers after the manipulation, were more likely to be willing to interact with overweight peers after the manipulation, and rated overweight hypothetical peers less negatively after the manipulation. In support of the social-cognitive developmental theory of prejudice, results showed that weight prejudice at baseline was highest in 4- to 6-year old children, followed by 8- to 10-year old children, followed by college students. Last, beliefs about the controllability of weight did not moderate the relation between receiving social consensus information and weight prejudice for any of the weight prejudice measures. Results suggest that social consensus information is an effective strategy to reduce weight prejudice.