Effect of Self-control Trait on Attentional Bias of Food Cues and Its Intervention: Evidence from Eye Movements

Journal of Psychological Science ›› 2023, Vol. 46 ›› Issue (1) : 25-33.

PDF(1034 KB)
PDF(1034 KB)
Journal of Psychological Science ›› 2023, Vol. 46 ›› Issue (1) : 25-33.

Effect of Self-control Trait on Attentional Bias of Food Cues and Its Intervention: Evidence from Eye Movements

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Abstract

Attentional bias is the individual's selective attention to information outside. Some studies have found that the attentional bias to high-calorie food cues is one of the reasons for the generation and maintenance of irrational eating behaviors. Therefore, it is of great significance to explore the attentional bias of individuals to food cues for the maintenance of reasonable diet and healthy weight. In this study, the eye movement tracking technology and the dot-probe task were used to investigate the attentional bias of individuals with different self-control levels towards food cues and the intervention effect of modified point detection task on changing the intensity of attentional bias.To this end, a 2 (self-control level: high, low) ×2 (image type: image of high-calorie foods, image of low-calorie foods) mixed design was used in experiment 1. The image type was the within-subjects factor, and the self-control level was the between-subjects factor. The images (images of high-calorie foods, images of low-calorie foods and neutral images) were used as materials to explore the differences in attentional bias to food cues between high and low self controllers. In total of 60 participants (30 high self controllers, and 30 low self controllers) took part in the experiment 1. The materials were presented in the form of picture pairs, and the participants were required to respond to the detection points. The eye tracker recorded the orientation of the participants' first fixation, the time to first fixation, the first fixation duration and the total fixation duration. We found that participants with low self-control had a stronger attentional bias to high-calorie food cues. Specifically, participants with high self-control showed the attentional vigilance, early attentional maintenance, and general attentional avoidance in response to high-calorie food cues. Participants with low levels of self-control exhibited the attentional vigilance, early attentional maintenance, and general attentional maintenance. Attentional bias to high-calorie food cues may lead to irrational eating behaviors, so it is necessary to train attentional bias to high-calorie food cues in participants with low trait self-control. In experiment 2, a single factor experimental design was used. The images (images of high-calorie foods and images of low-calorie foods) were used as materials to explore the effect of attentional bias training on the intensity of attentional bias to food cues in participants with low self-control levels. In total of 30 participants (low trait self controllers) took part in the experiment. The results showed that the attentional bias training significantly reduced the first sight orientation, the first fixation duration and the total fixation duration of participants with low self-control level on high-calorie food cues. Besides, the detection speed was slowed down. Attentional bias training is an effective method to intervene the individual's attention bias to food clues. In conclusion, self-control trait affects the attentional bias of individuals to food cues, and the modified training mode of point detection task can effectively improve the attentional bias of participants to food clues.

Key words

self-control trait / attentional bias / attentional bias training / eye movement

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Effect of Self-control Trait on Attentional Bias of Food Cues and Its Intervention: Evidence from Eye Movements[J]. Journal of Psychological Science. 2023, 46(1): 25-33
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