Food-related attentional bias. Word versus pictorial stimuli and the importance of stimuli calorific value in the dot probe task
Objective: The primary aim of this study was to extend previous research on food-related attentional biases by examining biases towards pictorial versus word stimuli, and foods of high versus low calorific value. It was expected that participants would demonstrate greater biases to pictures over wor...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Journal Article |
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Elsevier BV
2014
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| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/37639 |
| _version_ | 1848755104044285952 |
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| author | Freijy, T. Mullan, Barbara Sharpe, L. |
| author_facet | Freijy, T. Mullan, Barbara Sharpe, L. |
| author_sort | Freijy, T. |
| building | Curtin Institutional Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | Objective: The primary aim of this study was to extend previous research on food-related attentional biases by examining biases towards pictorial versus word stimuli, and foods of high versus low calorific value. It was expected that participants would demonstrate greater biases to pictures over words and to high calorie over low-calorie foods. A secondary aim was to examine associations between BMI, dietary restraint, external eating and attentional biases. It was expected that high scores on these individual difference variables would be associated with a bias towards high-calorie stimuli. Methods: Undergraduates (N = 99) completed a dot probe task including matched word and pictorial food stimuli in a controlled setting. Questionnaires assessing eating behaviour were administered, and height and weight were measured. Results: Contrary to predictions, there were no main effects for stimuli type (pictures vs words) or calorific value (high vs low). There was, however, a significant interaction effect suggesting a bias towards high-calorie pictures, but away from high-calorie words; and a bias towards low-calorie words, but away from low-calorie pictures. No associations between attentional bias and any of the individual difference variables were found. Discussion: The presence of a stimulus type by calorific value interaction demonstrates the importance of stimuli type in the dot probe task, and may help to explain inconsistencies in prior research. Further research is needed to clarify associations between attentional bias and BMI, restraint, and external eating. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-14T08:51:00Z |
| format | Journal Article |
| id | curtin-20.500.11937-37639 |
| institution | Curtin University Malaysia |
| institution_category | Local University |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-14T08:51:00Z |
| publishDate | 2014 |
| publisher | Elsevier BV |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | curtin-20.500.11937-376392019-02-19T05:35:06Z Food-related attentional bias. Word versus pictorial stimuli and the importance of stimuli calorific value in the dot probe task Freijy, T. Mullan, Barbara Sharpe, L. Attentional bias Food Stimuli Eating behaviour Cognition Dot probe Objective: The primary aim of this study was to extend previous research on food-related attentional biases by examining biases towards pictorial versus word stimuli, and foods of high versus low calorific value. It was expected that participants would demonstrate greater biases to pictures over words and to high calorie over low-calorie foods. A secondary aim was to examine associations between BMI, dietary restraint, external eating and attentional biases. It was expected that high scores on these individual difference variables would be associated with a bias towards high-calorie stimuli. Methods: Undergraduates (N = 99) completed a dot probe task including matched word and pictorial food stimuli in a controlled setting. Questionnaires assessing eating behaviour were administered, and height and weight were measured. Results: Contrary to predictions, there were no main effects for stimuli type (pictures vs words) or calorific value (high vs low). There was, however, a significant interaction effect suggesting a bias towards high-calorie pictures, but away from high-calorie words; and a bias towards low-calorie words, but away from low-calorie pictures. No associations between attentional bias and any of the individual difference variables were found. Discussion: The presence of a stimulus type by calorific value interaction demonstrates the importance of stimuli type in the dot probe task, and may help to explain inconsistencies in prior research. Further research is needed to clarify associations between attentional bias and BMI, restraint, and external eating. 2014 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/37639 10.1016/j.appet.2014.08.037 Elsevier BV fulltext |
| spellingShingle | Attentional bias Food Stimuli Eating behaviour Cognition Dot probe Freijy, T. Mullan, Barbara Sharpe, L. Food-related attentional bias. Word versus pictorial stimuli and the importance of stimuli calorific value in the dot probe task |
| title | Food-related attentional bias. Word versus pictorial stimuli and the importance of stimuli calorific value in the dot probe task |
| title_full | Food-related attentional bias. Word versus pictorial stimuli and the importance of stimuli calorific value in the dot probe task |
| title_fullStr | Food-related attentional bias. Word versus pictorial stimuli and the importance of stimuli calorific value in the dot probe task |
| title_full_unstemmed | Food-related attentional bias. Word versus pictorial stimuli and the importance of stimuli calorific value in the dot probe task |
| title_short | Food-related attentional bias. Word versus pictorial stimuli and the importance of stimuli calorific value in the dot probe task |
| title_sort | food-related attentional bias. word versus pictorial stimuli and the importance of stimuli calorific value in the dot probe task |
| topic | Attentional bias Food Stimuli Eating behaviour Cognition Dot probe |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/37639 |