Bias modification training can alter approach bias and chocolate consumption

Area of Science:

• Behavioral Science
• Cognitive Psychology
• Food Science

Background:

• Cognitive biases influence health behaviors.
• Bias modification training shows promise in altering these biases.
• Approach bias is a key factor in food consumption.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate if cognitive bias modification training can reduce approach bias for chocolate.
• To determine if this training affects subsequent chocolate consumption.

Main Methods:

• 120 women (18-27 years) were randomly assigned to approach-chocolate or avoid-chocolate training conditions.
• Participants trained to approach or avoid chocolate stimuli.
• Chocolate consumption was measured via a taste test.

Main Results:

• Training effectively altered approach bias in the predicted directions.
• Participants trained to avoid chocolate ate significantly less than those trained to approach it.

Conclusions:

• Approach bias modification can reduce unhealthy food consumption.
• This technique may be valuable for interventions targeting dietary habits.
• Results support dual process models of consumption driven by implicit processes.