How Movie Characters’ Eating Influences Viewers’ Eating: Effects of Unconscious Goal Contagion and Satiation

Can watching a movie eating scene unconsciously activate or deactivate an eating goal? A scene from a popular comedy was manipulated to end with a character continuing to eat (ongoing) or finish eating (completed). Viewers ate more after watching the ongoing version compared to the completed version, but only among those manipulated to identify with a character. Viewers were more likely to choose savory food after viewing the ongoing version, but sweet food after viewing the completed version. The results extend the notion of media influence on unconscious goal contagion and satiation to movie eating, and raise the possibility that completing a goal can activate a logically subsequent goal. Implications for understanding media influence on health behaviors are discussed.