Food Preferences in a Stressful Situation

Abstract

Over 800 soldiers in eight phases of paratrooper training were asked to indicate their immediate preferences for each of 50 Foods. Questionnaires designed to assess stress-arousal, or anxiety, were also administered. On a priori grounds, and later confirmed by the results from the anxiety questionnaires, four phases of training were classified as stressful (e.g., immediately before first jump from airplane) and four were considered non-stressful (e.g., graduation) or representing recovery from stress (e.g., after first jump from airplane). Preferences for desserts, and to a lesser extent for fruits and juices, were significantly higher during the non-stressful phases, but preferences for main dishes showed the opposite effect, higher during stress than under no-stress. The absolute shifts in preferences for any class of foods were in no case higher than 0.24 sale points, and the differences between stress and non-stress phases did not seem to be of much practical importance.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Aug 01, 1962
Accession Number
AD0282975

Entities

People

  • Joseph M. Kamen

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms
  • Biomedical
  • Human Systems

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Aircrafts
  • Airplanes
  • Appetite
  • Cardiovascular Physiological Phenomena
  • Engineering
  • Food
  • Meals
  • Nervous System
  • New York
  • Paratroopers
  • Psychology
  • Psychophysiology
  • Sympathetic Nervous System
  • Trainees
  • Training
  • Vegetables
  • Warfare

Fields of Study

  • Psychology

Readers

  • Aerial Delivery - Logistics and Supply Chain Management.
  • Gender and Food Studies
  • Psychological Intervention/Treatment for Stress, Anxiety, PTSD, and Related Emotional and Cognitive Health Symptoms.