No effects of explicit approach-avoidance training on immediate consumption of soft drinks

Abstract

Four experiments (n = 300) examined motivational effects of approach-avoiding training (AAT) procedures on consumption of sugary soft drinks, implicit preferences and explicit preferences. Experiments varied in the number of training trials, the implementation of approach-avoidance goals during the training, and the frequency and timing of the consumption measure. AAT had no effects on any measure, and Bayesian analyses provided substantial evidence for a null model of AAT effects. A manipulation check showed that AAT affected behavioral tendencies towards the drinks in line with the training procedure (Experiment 3). It is concluded that explicit training of approach and avoidance reactions to soft drinks is not an effective procedure to modify immediate consumption of that drinks. Possible reasons and differences to previous AAT studies are discussed.