scholarly journals Situating desire: Situational cues increase desire for food through eating simulations

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Esther K. Papies ◽  
Aart van Stekelenburg ◽  
Monique A. M. Smeets ◽  
Liesbeth Zandstra ◽  
Garmt Dijksterhuis
Keyword(s):  
Eating Behaviour ◽  
Indirect Evidence ◽  
Grounded Cognition ◽  
Human Food ◽  
Situational Cues ◽  
Food Images ◽  
Physiological Indicator

How do situations influence food desire? Although eating typically occurs in rich background situations, research on food desire often focuses on the properties of foods and consumers, rather than on the situations in which eating takes place. Here, we take a grounded cognition perspective and suggest that a situation that is congruent with consuming a food increases simulations of eating it, which, in turn, affect desire, and the expected and actual liking of the food. We tested this idea in four pre-registered experiments (N = 524). Participants processed an image of a food presented in a congruent situation, an incongruent situation, or no background situation. Compared to the incongruent situation, the congruent situation increased expected liking of the food and desire, and this was partially or fully mediated by eating simulations. The congruent situation also increased salivation, a physiological indicator of preparing to eat. However, there was only weak and indirect evidence for congruence effects on actual liking of the food when tasted. These findings show that situational cues can affect desire for food through eating simulations. Thus, background situations play an important but understudied role in human food desires. We address implications for research using food images, and for applications to promote healthy and sustainable eating behaviour.

Embodiment of emotion and its situated nature

2018 ◽  
pp. 528-552
Author(s):  
Evan W. Carr ◽  
Anne Kever ◽  
Piotr Winkielman
Keyword(s):  
Social Contexts ◽  
Cognitive Networks ◽  
Grounded Cognition ◽  
Affective Processing ◽  
Emotional Information ◽  
Situational Cues ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Mind ◽  
Emotional Concepts ◽  
Emotion Concepts

Social functioning requires emotion. We must be able to recognize, interpret, and generate emotions across a variety of social contexts. But how are emotions conceptually represented in the mind? Embodiment (or grounded cognition) theories propose that processing of emotional concepts is partly based in one’s own perceptual, motor, and somatosensory systems. We review evidence for this account across a variety of domains, including facial expression perception, interpretation of emotional language, somatic involvement in affective processing, and “mirroring” of others’ actions. We also contrast embodiment theories with more traditional “amodal” frameworks, which represent emotional information as abstract language-like symbols in cognitive networks. Overall, we argue that a comprehensive account of emotion concepts requires considering their embodiment. Simultaneously, we highlight that embodiment is flexible and dynamic, especially within the social environment. This means that when and how emotion concepts are embodied critically depends on situational cues and current representational needs.

scholarly journals The Role of Attentional Bias in Excessive Food Consumption

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Dayna Mercer
Keyword(s):  
Attentional Bias ◽  
Eating Behaviour ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Emotional Stimuli ◽  
Distraction Effect ◽  
Low Calorie ◽  
Food Images ◽  
Trait Factors ◽  
High Calorie

<p>New Zealand obesity rates have reached epidemic proportions. Excessive eating not only harms individual health, but also the NZ economy; health-related costs soar with rising obesity rates. The need to understand possible mechanisms driving excessive eating behaviour is now crucial. One cognitive mechanism thought to contribute to excessive eating is an attentional bias towards food stimuli. We propose this bias would be similar to the attentional bias that is consistently shown with emotional stimuli (e.g. erotic and mutilation images). In this thesis I examined attentional biases towards food stimuli and how they relate to both state (hunger) and trait (waist circumference) factors. In Experiment 1, I investigated the existence of a food-related attentional bias and whether this bias is stronger towards high calorie food images, compared to low-calorie and non-food images (household objects). Participants were asked to fast for 2 hours (to promote self-reported hunger) before completing a distraction task. This task has repeatedly shown an attentional bias to high arousal emotional images (erotic and mutilation scenes). On each trial, participants had to determine whether a target letter was a ‘K’ or an ‘N’, while ignoring centrally-presented distractors (high calorie, low calorie and household object images). Compared to scrambled images, all image types were similarly distracting. We found no support for the existence of an attentional bias towards food stimuli; nor did we find a significant association between the bias and either state or trait factors. Experiment 2 sought to conceptually replicate Cunningham & Egeth (2018) who found significant support for the existence of a food-related attentional bias. Participants completed a similar task. However, distractor relevance was manipulated by incorporating both central and peripheral distractors, to increase ecological validity. Additionally, participants were asked to fast for longer (4 hours) to increase self-reported hunger. Despite a significant distraction effect (participants were more distracted on distractor present vs. distractor absent trials) and distractor-location effect (participants were more distracted by central vs. peripheral distractors), participants did not exhibit an attentional bias towards food stimuli. Furthermore, no significant associations between the bias and either state or trait factors were found. Thus, food stimuli do not appear to rapidly capture attention the way that emotional stimuli do, at least not in this task. Future research is needed to clarify the role of cognitive mechanisms in excessive eating behaviour.</p>

scholarly journals The Role of Attentional Bias in Excessive Food Consumption

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Dayna Mercer
Keyword(s):  
Attentional Bias ◽  
Eating Behaviour ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Emotional Stimuli ◽  
Distraction Effect ◽  
Low Calorie ◽  
Food Images ◽  
Trait Factors ◽  
High Calorie

<p>New Zealand obesity rates have reached epidemic proportions. Excessive eating not only harms individual health, but also the NZ economy; health-related costs soar with rising obesity rates. The need to understand possible mechanisms driving excessive eating behaviour is now crucial. One cognitive mechanism thought to contribute to excessive eating is an attentional bias towards food stimuli. We propose this bias would be similar to the attentional bias that is consistently shown with emotional stimuli (e.g. erotic and mutilation images). In this thesis I examined attentional biases towards food stimuli and how they relate to both state (hunger) and trait (waist circumference) factors. In Experiment 1, I investigated the existence of a food-related attentional bias and whether this bias is stronger towards high calorie food images, compared to low-calorie and non-food images (household objects). Participants were asked to fast for 2 hours (to promote self-reported hunger) before completing a distraction task. This task has repeatedly shown an attentional bias to high arousal emotional images (erotic and mutilation scenes). On each trial, participants had to determine whether a target letter was a ‘K’ or an ‘N’, while ignoring centrally-presented distractors (high calorie, low calorie and household object images). Compared to scrambled images, all image types were similarly distracting. We found no support for the existence of an attentional bias towards food stimuli; nor did we find a significant association between the bias and either state or trait factors. Experiment 2 sought to conceptually replicate Cunningham & Egeth (2018) who found significant support for the existence of a food-related attentional bias. Participants completed a similar task. However, distractor relevance was manipulated by incorporating both central and peripheral distractors, to increase ecological validity. Additionally, participants were asked to fast for longer (4 hours) to increase self-reported hunger. Despite a significant distraction effect (participants were more distracted on distractor present vs. distractor absent trials) and distractor-location effect (participants were more distracted by central vs. peripheral distractors), participants did not exhibit an attentional bias towards food stimuli. Furthermore, no significant associations between the bias and either state or trait factors were found. Thus, food stimuli do not appear to rapidly capture attention the way that emotional stimuli do, at least not in this task. Future research is needed to clarify the role of cognitive mechanisms in excessive eating behaviour.</p>

scholarly journals The Psychology of Desire and Implications for Healthy Hydration

2020 ◽  
Vol 76 (Suppl. 1) ◽  
pp. 31-36
Author(s):  
Esther Katharina Papies
Keyword(s):  
Eating Behaviour ◽  
Grounded Cognition ◽  
Psychological Processes ◽  
Cognitive Mechanisms ◽  
Sweetened Beverages ◽  
Sugary Drinks ◽  
Current Article ◽  
Theory Research ◽  
Desire To Eat

This article discusses the cognitive mechanisms underlying the motivation to consume sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) and outlines implications for developing healthy hydration habits. While the detrimental health consequences of consuming SSBs are well understood, the psychological processes underlying the motivation to consume them are understudied. To address this gap, the current article applies a grounded cognition theory of desire and motivated behaviour, which can be used as a framework to understand and potentially change the motivation for SSBs and healthier alternatives, such as water. The grounded cognition theory of desire argues that people represent foods and drinks through potentially rewarding simulations, or re-experiences, of consuming them. These simulations, in turn, can increase desire and motivated behaviour. In line with this theory, research on eating behaviour shows that people think about attractive food in terms of what it feels like to eat it and in terms of relevant eating situations and that these simulations predict the desire to eat. Similarly, emerging research on SSBs shows that people represent these beverages in terms of the sensory and rewarding experiences of drinking them, more so than water, and especially if they consume them often. These simulations, in turn, predict the desire for sugary drinks and actual consumption. This has implications for attempts to increase healthy hydration: in order to facilitate healthy choices, the immediate pleasure to be gained from consuming a healthy beverage should be emphasized, rather than its long-term benefits. Repeatedly facilitating healthy drink choices in similar situations can ultimately contribute to the development of healthy hydration habits.

Efficacy of Crisis Intervention

Crisis ◽  
1999 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 78-85 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Reisch ◽  
Petra Schlatter ◽  
Wolfgang Tschacher
Keyword(s):  
Crisis Intervention ◽  
Intervention Program ◽  
Suicide Ideation ◽  
Indirect Evidence ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Term Therapy ◽  
Contributing Factors ◽  
Step Therapy ◽  
Long Term Therapy ◽  
The Impact

This study assesses the efficacy of the treatment approach implemented in the Bern Crisis Intervention Program, where particular emphasis is placed on the remediation of suicide ideation and suicidal behavior, and depression, fear, and phobia are generally considered to be contributing factors. Four questionnaires addressing psychopathology, emotional well-being, social anxiety, and personality were administered prior to and after the treatment of 51 patients over a period of 2 to 3 weeks. The reduction of symptoms contributing to suicidal ideation and behavior was interpreted as indirect evidence of an antisuicidal effect of the program. Significant improvements were found in the psychopathology ratings, with depression and anxiety showing the largest reductions. The impact on personality and social phobia, however, was only moderate, and on average patients still exhibited symptoms after attending the program. This residual symptomatology points to the necessity of introducing a two-step therapy approach of intensive intervention targeted at the precipitating causes of the crisis, augmented by long-term therapy to treat underlying problems.

To intend or to be willing? The prediction of unhealthy eating behaviour amongst adolescents

2008 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. H. Gerrits ◽  
J. B. F. De Wit ◽  
R. G. Kuijer ◽  
D. T. D. De Ridder
Keyword(s):  
Eating Behaviour ◽  
Unhealthy Eating

Clones and the Human Food Chain

2008 ◽  
Vol 38 (3) ◽  
pp. 48
Author(s):  
GREG FEERO
Keyword(s):  
Food Chain ◽  
Human Food ◽  
Human Food Chain

Prevalence of Factor V Leiden Mutation in Non-European Populations

1997 ◽  
Vol 77 (02) ◽  
pp. 329-331 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guglielmina Pepe ◽  
Olga Rickards ◽  
Olga Camacho Vanegas ◽  
Tamara Brunelli ◽  
Anna Maria Gori ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Factor V Leiden ◽  
Indirect Evidence ◽  
Factor V ◽  
Factor V Leiden Mutation ◽  
The World ◽  
Fv Leiden ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Low Prevalence ◽  
European Populations ◽  
Apparently Healthy

SummaryA difference in the prevalence of venous thromboembolism (TE) in major human groups has been described and an uneven distribution of FV Leiden mutation over the world has recently been reported.We investigated FV Leiden mutation in 584 apparently healthy sub#jects mostly from populations different from those previously investi#gated: 170 Europeans (Spanish, Italians), 101 sub-saharan Africans (Fon, Bariba, Berba, Dendi), 115 Asians (Indonesians, Chinese, Tharus), 57 Amerindians (Cayapa), 84 Afroamericans (Rio Cayapa, Viche), and 57 Ethiopians (Amhara, Oromo).The mutation was detected in only 1/115 Asian (Tharu) and in 5/170 Europeans (4 Italians, 1 Spanish).These data confirm that in non-Europeans the prevalence of FV mutation is at least 7 times lower than in Europeans and provide indirect evidence of a low prevalence not only of the FV Leiden gene but also of other genes leading to more severe thrombophilia. Finally, findings from the literature together with those pertaining to this study clearly show a marked heterogeneity among Europeans.

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