Food-cue affected motor response inhibition and self-reported dieting success: a pictorial affective shifting task.

Vera Krawietz,Andrea Kã¼Bler,Judith Stã¼Tzer,Annika P C Lutz,Claus Vã¶Gele,Adrian Meule

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00216

Vera Krawietz, Andrea Kã¼Bler + Show 4 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00216

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Abstract

Behavioral inhibition is one of the basic facets of executive functioning and is closely related to self-regulation. Impulsive reactions, that is, low inhibitory control, have been associated with higher body mass index (BMI), binge eating, and other problem behaviors (e.g., substance abuse, pathological gambling, etc.). Nevertheless, studies which investigated the direct influence of food-cues on behavioral inhibition have been fairly inconsistent. In the current studies, we investigated food-cue affected behavioral inhibition in young women. For this purpose, we used a go/no-go task with pictorial food and neutral stimuli in which stimulus-response mapping is reversed after every other block (affective shifting task). In study 1, hungry participants showed faster reaction times to and omitted fewer food than neutral targets. Low dieting success and higher BMI were associated with behavioral disinhibition in food relative to neutral blocks. In study 2, both hungry and satiated individuals were investigated. Satiation did not influence overall task performance, but modulated associations of task performance with dieting success and self-reported impulsivity. When satiated, increased food craving during the task was associated with low dieting success, possibly indicating a preload-disinhibition effect following food intake. Food-cues elicited automatic action and approach tendencies regardless of dieting success, self-reported impulsivity, or current hunger levels. Yet, associations between dieting success, impulsivity, and behavioral food-cue responses were modulated by hunger and satiation. Future research investigating clinical samples and including other salient non-food stimuli as control category is warranted.

Highlights

In western or westernized countries, highly palatable and high caloric food is omnipresent and accessible
OF STUDY 1 Study 1 showed that participants reacted faster in response to food than neutral targets
State food craving after the task, and impulsivity were unrelated to task performance

Summary

Introduction

In western or westernized countries, highly palatable and high caloric food is omnipresent and accessible. An important prerequisite for successful self-regulation are executive functions (Hofmann et al, 2012). Recent research has focused on three basic facets of executive functions: (1) working memory, (2) inhibition, and (3) cognitive flexibility (Hofmann et al, 2012; Diamond, 2013). Working memory refers to the maintenance and updating of relevant information, inhibition to withhold pre-potent impulses and cognitive flexibility involves mental set shifting, for example, changing perspectives or approaches to a problem and flexibly adjusting to new demands, rules or priorities (Hofmann et al, 2012; Diamond, 2013). Emerging evidence suggests that those executive functions support important mechanisms in achieving self-regulatory goals and that temporary reductions in executive functioning may be a common mechanism contributing to self-regulatory failure (Hofmann et al, 2012)

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