Year

2025

Season

Spring

Paper Type

Master's Thesis

College

College of Arts and Sciences

Degree Name

Master of Science in Psychological Science (MSPS)

Department

Psychological and Brain Sciences

NACO controlled Corporate Body

University of North Florida. Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences

Committee Chairperson

Anita Fuglestad

Second Advisor

Angela Mann

Department Chair

Lori Lange

Abstract

Food rewards are defined in terms of the value of a food to the individual at the time of ingestion. In classrooms, teachers may use food rewards to encourage academic achievement and appropriate classroom behavior (Hoffman et al., 2009). The use of unhealthy food rewards increases children’s desires for sweets and nonnutritive foods, which can pose risks for health and obesity-related outcomes, compared to healthier alternatives. Different characteristics, such as teaching style, classroom structure, teaching efficacy and teaching eating behavior, can be related to teacher’s use of different types of rewards. The goal of this study was to investigate the frequency of teacher’s use of rewards (food and nonfood tangible rewards) and their purpose (learning engagement and behavior management), as well as their relation to teacher characteristics. Teachers completed online questionnaires through Prolific. Questionnaires measured teacher’s use of rewards (frequency, type, purpose) and teacher characteristics (autonomy-supportive or controlling teaching style), classroom structure (mastery or performance approach), teaching efficacy, and teacher emotional eating. Results of the study showed that teacher’s use of nonfood rewards is more frequent than food rewards for both learning and behavior within one academic year. Additionally, teaching style (low autonomy-support), teaching efficacy and emotional eating were significant predictors of food rewards for learning only. Overall, this study sheds light on potential teacher characteristics that are related to teacher's use of food and other nonfood rewards in the classroom. The study helps build on the knowledge of the frequency of reward use in classroom, varying by reward type and purpose.

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