The academic literature analyzing the behavior and interactions among commensals at a table generally resorts to experimental settings with volunteer decision makers or focuses on receipts issued at actual restaurants. The experimental approach widens the potential scope of the phenomena that can be analyzed but is subject to observer effects, with decision makers being aware of the fact that their actions are being monitored. The approach using receipts is not subject to observer effects but limited in its scope by lacking interactions with the commensals and the data that can be collected. In the current article, we make extensive use of a data set collected by restaurant personnel following specific instructions. They gathered information on a number of decisions made at the table throughout the whole meal without the commensals being aware that they are being monitored. As a result, we are able to examine empirically the importance that the choices of the first-person ordering (the leader) may have for the decisions made by the other commensals at the table. In particular, we study the similarity of orders—in terms of dishes, drinks, and prices—between the table leader and the other commensals. Our results reveal that table leaders, both male and female, have a considerable influence on the choices made by other commensals under a variety of different scenarios. We also describe the differences arising when males and females act as table leaders, as well as the influence that specific payment arrangements have on the ordering behavior of the commensals.

分析餐桌上共生者之间的行为和互动的学术文献通常采用自愿决策者的实验设置，或者侧重于实际餐厅的收据。实验方法扩大了可以分析但受观察者影响的现象的潜在范围，决策者意识到他们的行为正在受到监控。使用收据的方法不受观察者效应的影响，但由于缺乏与共生物和可以收集的数据的交互，其范围受到限制。在当前文章中，我们广泛使用了餐厅工作人员按照特定说明收集的数据集。他们收集了整个用餐过程中在餐桌上做出的许多决定的信息，而共生者并不知道他们正在受到监控。因此，我们能够凭经验检验第一人称排序（领导者）的选择对桌上其他共生者做出的决定可能具有的重要性。特别是，我们研究了餐桌领导者和其他共生者之间在菜肴、饮料和价格方面的订单相似性。我们的结果表明，无论是男性还是女性，餐桌领导者在各种不同场景下对其他共生动物的选择都有相当大的影响。我们还描述了男性和女性担任餐桌领导时出现的差异，以及特定支付安排对共生者订购行为的影响。