Christian Brittany M, Miles Lynden K, Kenyeri Sophie T, Mattschey Jennifer, Macrae C Neil
Department of Psychology, Concordia University Chicago.
School of Psychology, University of Aberdeen.
J Exp Psychol Appl. 2016 Mar;22(1):85-94. doi: 10.1037/xap0000067. Epub 2016 Feb 4.
While thinking about food is a ubiquitous facet of daily life, the perils of imaginary eating are well documented; food-related mental imagery elevates both cravings and consumption. Given the serious health issues that often arise from overeating and obesity, identifying strategies that can be used to combat the link between imagination and consumption is, therefore, of considerable theoretical and practical importance. Here we explored the possibility that a fundamental property of mental imagery-the visual perspective from which an event is viewed-may alter the appraisal of unhealthy foods. Specifically, because it is accompanied by attenuated sensorimotor activity, third-person (cf. first-person) imagery was expected to weaken the link between imagination and consumption. The results of 3 studies supported this prediction showing that third-person (cf. first-person) simulations decreased the mental representation, actual consumption, and willingness to pay for desirable items. Driving these effects was the natural reduction of sensory components furnished by third-person imagery. Together, these findings suggest that adoption of a third-person vantage point during mental imagery may be a viable and effective tactic for curbing consumption in everyday life.
尽管思考食物是日常生活中普遍存在的一个方面，但想象进食的危害已有充分记载；与食物相关的心理意象会增加渴望和食量。鉴于暴饮暴食和肥胖常常引发严重的健康问题，因此确定可用于对抗想象与进食之间联系的策略具有相当重要的理论和实际意义。在此，我们探讨了心理意象的一个基本属性——观察事件的视觉视角——可能改变对不健康食物的评价这一可能性。具体而言，由于第三人称（与第一人称相对）意象伴随着减弱的感觉运动活动，因此预计它会削弱想象与进食之间的联系。三项研究的结果支持了这一预测，表明第三人称（与第一人称相对）模拟减少了心理表征、实际食量以及对心仪物品的支付意愿。促成这些效应的是第三人称意象所提供的感官成分的自然减少。总之，这些发现表明，在心理意象过程中采用第三人称视角可能是日常生活中抑制食量的一种可行且有效的策略。
