Abstract
The aim of this study was to investigate whether food-related thought suppression results in an attention bias for food cues. Fifty-nine female students took part in the experiment. All completed a modified exogenous cueing task containing pictures of foods and toys with a similar valence (presentation duration: 250 ms and 1050 ms). Half of the participants were instructed to suppress thoughts about food and the other half was given control instructions, prior to completing the exogenous cueing task. No evidence was found for an enhanced cue validity effect for food cues after food-related thought suppression. Hence, the preliminary results do not provide support for the hypothesis that thought suppression is sufficient to yield an attention bias. Since the study was the first to employ an exogenous cueing task to study the attentional processing of food cues, replication is warranted.
Highlights
The past two decades, research has increasingly acknowledged the role of cognitive processes in the aetiology and maintenance of eating problems and weight control behaviours (Faunce, 2002; Lee & Shafran, 2004)
Hypersensitivity for food cues was demonstrated in various research samples (Lee & Shafran, 2004)
These studies have been criticised on their methodology and more research is needed to investigate the precise cognitive processes involved in attention biases
Summary
The past two decades, research has increasingly acknowledged the role of cognitive processes in the aetiology and maintenance of eating problems and weight control behaviours (Faunce, 2002; Lee & Shafran, 2004). These studies are embedded within one of the leading theories on eating pathology: Cognitive Theory (CT). According to CT, the structure of thinking is organised by so-called schemata. A schema is a knowledge structure, involved in directing attention, perception, and deciding how information is processed (Neisser, 1976; Williamson, Muller, Reas, & Thaw, 1999). Schemata are believed to involve an overconcern with weight, shape, and eating
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
