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Pandemic-time shifts in food purchasing behavior through the lens of Social Exchange Theory and Social Norms

Robinson, William Tyler
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1713370382138708

Abstract Details

2024, Master of Science, Ohio State University, Agricultural Communication, Education and Leadership.
The COVID-19 pandemic thoroughly disrupted the U.S. food supply chain, ushered in a new set of social norms, and reoriented how individuals interacted with each other. A need to find how severely these phenomena changed during and since the pandemic continues to exist. Existing literature suggests significant shifts in social norms and social exchange occurred because of the pandemic. But a gap in research exists in understanding the nuances of these shifts and their continued alterations. This study sought to understand food purchasing behavior changes during the pandemic and how social exchange and adherence to pandemic-time social norms were valued. This study also created a comprehensive chart creating a timeline through the pandemic of how social exchange and social norms shifted through the pandemic. Through this study, an investigation of food purchasing trends and experiences from before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic was conducted. To examine social exchange and social norms, a non-experimental quantitative study was conducted using Social Exchange Theory and Social Norms as guides. A convenience sample of 419 primary U.S. household food purchasers was taken via online survey offered on Amazon’s Mechanical Turk service. The results of this study indicate a significant relationship between time during the pandemic and adherence to social norms and willingness and desire of social exchange. Findings of this study suggest the pandemic caused temporary higher adherence to social norms and an eventual drop in social exchange. This study supported SN and SET through its findings of social norms adherence and social exchange changes in relation to social norms. Further research of the relationship between SET and SN during the pandemic and other crises should be conducted.
Joy Rumble (Advisor)
Kareem Usher (Committee Member)
Emily Buck (Committee Member)
187 p.
Agriculture; Behavioral Psychology; Behavioral Sciences; Communication; Economic Theory; Economics; Food Science; Sociology; Urban Planning
Social, Norms, Exchange, SET, SN, food, purchasing, behavior, pandemic, COVID-19, virus, interaction, psychology, sociology, social, grocery, groceries, restaurants, convenient, store, social norms, social exchange, food purchasing, food purchasing behavior,

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Robinson, W. T. (2024). Pandemic-time shifts in food purchasing behavior through the lens of Social Exchange Theory and Social Norms [Master's thesis, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1713370382138708

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Robinson, William. Pandemic-time shifts in food purchasing behavior through the lens of Social Exchange Theory and Social Norms . 2024. Ohio State University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1713370382138708.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Robinson, William. "Pandemic-time shifts in food purchasing behavior through the lens of Social Exchange Theory and Social Norms ." Master's thesis, Ohio State University, 2024. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1713370382138708

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

osu1713370382138708
194
© 2024, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by The Ohio State University and OhioLINK.