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Question 20

Fitness social media and teenage pre-workout supplement consumption study

Researchers wanted to investigate the impact of fitness-focused social media content ("Gymtok") on the consumption of high-caffeine pre-workout supplements among teenage gym-goers.

They conducted a meta-analysis on studies published between 2018 and 2025 involving participants aged 14–19 years, assessing how short-form video endorsements of pre-workout supplements (specifically the practice of "dry-scooping"—consuming the dry powder without water) by fitness creators influenced dietary choices and preparation habits.

The meta-analysis included short-form video clips, sponsored content, and transformation challenges by domestic and international fitness influencers, while excluding traditional print magazines, television ads, and adult-targeted clinical supplement marketing.

The researchers compared data on influencer-endorsed pre-workouts with standard instructional exercise videos. 14 studies on supplement ingestion and 8 studies on standard exercise instruction met the criteria.

Two methodologies were analyzed:

  • Experimental evidence: Teenagers were exposed to 15-second social media clips showing popular fitness creators "dry-scooping" pre-workout versus control videos of creators demonstrating standard stretching routines. When allowed to prepare their own pre-workout shortly after, participants exposed to the dry-scooping videos were 40% more likely to attempt dry-scooping than the control group.
  • Non-experimental evidence: Surveys assessed daily hours spent watching fitness content on video-sharing platforms and weekly frequency of pre-workout consumption. Analysis revealed a strong positive correlation (r=0.52r = 0.52r=0.52) between screen time on fitness platforms and the weekly frequency of pre-workout use.

Using research evidence, explain how far learning theories can account for the findings of the study into fitness social media and teenage supplement consumption behavior.

[6]
Markscheme

Content Questions

  1. A Level
  2. /Psychology
  3. /Content

205 exam-style questions on Edexcel A Level Psychology Content, covering Main features of classical conditioning, Pavlov (1927) salivation in dogs, Main features of operant conditioning, Properties of reinforcement, Behaviour modification and shaping, Main features of social learning theory, Social learning stages, Bandura (1961, 1963) Bobo doll experiments, Bandura (1965) vicarious reinforcement, Learning theories and phobias, Treatments for phobias, Individual differences, and Developmental psychology. Each one has a worked solution and a mark scheme showing where the marks go.

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