In this commentary, we re-examine the use of a mouse-tracking method for revealing attribute processing speed difference in dietary self-control (Sullivan et al. 2015; Lim et al., 2018). Through re-analyses of Sullivan et al. (2015)’s data and a simulation study, it can be shown that the attribute-angle correlations in the empirical data, which were used to estimate processing speeds, are attributed primarily to their common correlations with choice. The simulation study further suggests that when we account for the choice-mediated attribute-angle correlations, the data patterns used for supporting the original hypothesis can be produced by implementing a plausible alternative mechanism unrelated to processing speeds. The mouse-tracking method therefore fails to provide clear evidence for processing speed difference as a cognitive mechanism of self-control. Researchers should be cautious when using the mouse-tracking method to estimate attribute processing speeds.
