Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Measures of Central Tendency02:16

Measures of Central Tendency

21.5K
The "center" of a data set is also a way of describing location. The two most widely used measures of the "center" of the data are the mean (average) and the median. The words "mean" and "average" are often used interchangeably. The substitution of one word for the other is common practice. The technical term is "arithmetic mean" and "average" is technically a center location. However, in practice among non-statisticians,...
21.5K
What is Central Tendency?01:14

What is Central Tendency?

17.8K
Descriptive statistics describe or summarize relevant characteristics of a sample and aid in the analysis of data of interest. When analyzing large quantities of data and developing an inference, one needs to identify a value representative of the entire data set. Characteristics such as central tendency, extreme values, range of measurements, or the most repeated value can help better understand the data.
The central tendency is the most conventionally used data characteristic. It is a...
17.8K
Automatic Processing and Automatic Social Behavior01:28

Automatic Processing and Automatic Social Behavior

265
Automatic processing refers to the cognitive operations that occur without conscious intent or awareness, playing a fundamental role in shaping social cognition and behavior. These processes enable individuals to navigate complex social environments efficiently by relying on mental shortcuts and pre-existing knowledge structures known as schemas. One of the most influential mechanisms underlying automatic processing is priming, which subtly activates mental representations through exposure to...
265
Central Tendency: Analysis01:10

Central Tendency: Analysis

535
Measures of central tendency are tools used in biostatistics to identify the average or center of a dataset. They offer a single representative value for understanding and summarizing data distribution.
The mean is one such measure, calculated by totaling all values in a dataset and dividing by the number of values. For instance, the mean blood pressure reading (120, 130, 140, 150) would be 135. However, the mean can be affected by extreme values or outliers.
The median, another measure,...
535
Obesity01:24

Obesity

1.4K
The Body Mass Index (BMI) is a numerical value derived from a person's weight and height, used to categorize individuals into weight ranges. It is calculated using the formula: weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared. Obesity is a health condition characterized by excessive accumulation of adipose tissue that poses health risks, often diagnosed with a BMI ≥ 30. This excess fat storage occurs when surplus dietary calories are converted into triglycerides and stored in...
1.4K
Fixed Action Patterns01:06

Fixed Action Patterns

17.7K
A fixed action pattern (FAP) is a specific, hard-wired sequence of behaviors that occurs in response to an external stimulus, called a sign stimulus. The behavior is “fixed” because it is essentially unchangeable—proceeding similarly across individuals of a species every time it occurs.
17.7K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Catecholamine precursor modulation of human exploration: Evidence from a large gender-balanced sample.

PLoS computational biology·2026
Same author

Dopamine and Temporal Discounting: Revisiting Pharmacology and Individual Differences.

The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience·2025
Same author

Salivary extracellular vesicle-derived microRNAs are related to variances in parameters of obesity, taste and eating behaviour.

Molecular metabolism·2025
Same author

Erotic cue exposure increases neural reward responses without modulating temporal discounting.

Imaging neuroscience (Cambridge, Mass.)·2025
Same author

Balancing excitation and inhibition: The role of neural network dynamics in working memory gating.

Imaging neuroscience (Cambridge, Mass.)·2025
Same author

Ultra-processed food consumption affects structural integrity of feeding-related brain regions independent of and via adiposity.

npj metabolic health and disease·2025

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 12, 2026

Movement Retraining using Real-time Feedback of Performance
08:16

Movement Retraining using Real-time Feedback of Performance

Published on: January 17, 2013

13.9K

Retraining automatic action tendencies in obesity.

Nora Mehl1, Lara Mueller-Wieland2, David Mathar3

  • 1Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Stephanstr. 1a, 04103 Leipzig, Germany; MaxNetAging Research School, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Konrad-Zuse-Str. 1, 18057 Rostock, Germany.

Physiology & Behavior
|April 3, 2018
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Individuals with obesity show a bias towards approaching food. This study found that a training program successfully reduced unhealthy food approach tendencies in those with obesity and enhanced healthy food approach in normal-weight individuals.

Keywords:
Approach biasApproach-avoidance taskCognitive bias modificationEating behaviorObesity

More Related Videos

Corticospinal Excitability Modulation During Action Observation
12:33

Corticospinal Excitability Modulation During Action Observation

Published on: December 31, 2013

9.4K
Multidisciplinary Approach to Obesity Management: A Case Report
05:10

Multidisciplinary Approach to Obesity Management: A Case Report

Published on: May 30, 2025

1.3K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Feb 12, 2026

Movement Retraining using Real-time Feedback of Performance
08:16

Movement Retraining using Real-time Feedback of Performance

Published on: January 17, 2013

13.9K
Corticospinal Excitability Modulation During Action Observation
12:33

Corticospinal Excitability Modulation During Action Observation

Published on: December 31, 2013

9.4K
Multidisciplinary Approach to Obesity Management: A Case Report
05:10

Multidisciplinary Approach to Obesity Management: A Case Report

Published on: May 30, 2025

1.3K

Area of Science:

  • Psychology
  • Behavioral Science
  • Neuroscience

Background:

  • Eating behavior in obesity shares similarities with addictive disorders, characterized by difficulties in inhibiting problematic eating.
  • Individuals with obesity often exhibit an approach bias, a tendency to move towards, rather than away from, problematic stimuli like food.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate approach biases towards healthy and unhealthy food in normal-weight and obese individuals.
  • To assess the retrainability of these biases and their differential effects across weight groups.

Main Methods:

  • A 3-day Approach-Avoidance Task (AAT) training was administered to 60 participants.
  • Participants used a joystick to implicitly approach healthy food images and avoid unhealthy food images.
  • Approach tendencies were measured before and after training.

Main Results:

  • Obese individuals demonstrated stronger approach tendencies towards food pictures compared to normal-weight individuals prior to training.
  • One training session diminished unhealthy food approach tendencies in obese individuals, with effects persisting.
  • Normal-weight participants showed enhanced approach tendencies towards healthy food over the training days.

Conclusions:

  • Automatic approach tendencies related to food can be modified through targeted training.
  • This retraining capability offers potential avenues for developing new obesity treatments.
  • Further research should explore control conditions and neutral stimuli to refine these findings.