Amsterdam School of Communication Research (ASCoR), University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Amsterdam School of Communication Research (ASCoR), University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Appetite. 2020 Apr 1;147:104574. doi: 10.1016/j.appet.2019.104574. Epub 2019 Dec 23.
This study investigated whether unsuccessful dieters show heightened visual attention to food cues in TV content and how visual attention influences subsequent unhealthy food intake. This study adds to prior literature by investigating the influence of visual attention to food cues on food intake with actual media content (i.e., instead of isolated food cues such as pictures or words) and by differentiating between chronic dieters (i.e., restrained eaters) who vary in dieting success (i.e., perceived self-regulatory success [PSRS]). To get a more detailed insight into different processes of visual attention, two measures of attention (i.e., initial orientation and attention duration) were examined.
Unrestrained (n = 34) and restrained eaters (n = 28) varying in PSRS watched a talk show containing subtly depicted, palatable food cues. While watching, their visual attention to the food cues was measured with an eye-tracker. Unhealthy food intake was assessed afterwards in a taste test.
A two-way interaction between eating restraint and PSRS on initial visual orientation was found: unsuccessful restrained eaters' initial orientation to food cues was faster compared to that of successful restrained eaters. There were no significant findings on attention duration. Furthermore, visual attention did not predict unhealthy food intake.
Unsuccessful restrained eaters' fast initial orientation, but no longer attention duration, suggests that self-regulation may be important at early stages of visual attention. Future research on this topic should continue to differentiate between initial orientation and attention duration, as well as between more and less successful restrained eaters. The lack of findings on unhealthy food intake suggest that food cues embedded in actual media content might have less influence on eating behavior compared to isolated food cues.
本研究旨在探讨不成功节食者在电视内容中对食物线索的视觉注意力是否增强，以及视觉注意力如何影响随后的不健康食物摄入。本研究通过使用实际媒体内容（即，不是孤立的食物线索，如图片或文字）来调查对食物线索的视觉注意力对食物摄入的影响，并通过区分在节食成功方面存在差异的慢性节食者（即，有控制饮食的人）来扩展之前的文献，从而对视觉注意力对食物摄入的影响进行研究。为了更详细地了解视觉注意力的不同过程，研究考察了两种注意力测量指标（即初始定向和注意力持续时间）。
不节食者（n=34）和节食成功者（n=28）根据 PSRS 差异分为不同的节食者，观看包含微妙描绘的美味食物线索的脱口秀节目。在观看过程中，使用眼动追踪器测量他们对食物线索的视觉注意力。之后，在味觉测试中评估不健康食物的摄入量。
发现进食约束和 PSRS 之间存在双重交互作用，对初始视觉定向的影响：不成功的有控制饮食者对食物线索的初始定向比成功的有控制饮食者更快。在注意力持续时间方面没有发现显著的结果。此外，视觉注意力并没有预测不健康食物的摄入量。
不成功的有控制饮食者的快速初始定向，而不是注意力持续时间，表明自我调节可能在视觉注意力的早期阶段很重要。未来关于这一主题的研究应继续区分初始定向和注意力持续时间，以及区分更成功和不太成功的有控制饮食者。关于不健康食物摄入的结果表明，嵌入实际媒体内容中的食物线索可能对饮食行为的影响比孤立的食物线索要小。
