Cognitive changes to preloading in restrained and unrestrained eaters as measured by the Stroop task

Abstract

Restraint theory has identified overeating in response to a high calorie preload as characteristic of restrained eaters. The present study evaluated cognitive and motivational changes to preloading using both self‐report rating scales and Stroop tasks. The results suggest that the restrained eaters responded to a high calorie preload with increased feelings of rebelliousness, defiance, and a desire to challenge the limitations set by the diet, described as an active state of mind, as measured by both the Stroop task and the rating scales. The restrained eaters also showed retardation in the color naming of the body size words and food words after the high calorie preload, suggesting that the consumption of a forbidden food may increase the dieter's concern about food and her shape and weight. The results are discussed in terms of the effects of preloading and possible mediating variables involved in the transition from successful restraint to overeating. © 1993 by John Wiley & Son, Inc.

Hunger, caloric preloading and the selective processing of food and body shape words

“…However, since Ogden & Greville (1993) do not present absolute colour-naming times, it is possible to interpret this finding either as a relative slowing in colour-naming times for body shape words or as a relative speeding up in the neutral matched words. It is also the case that Ogden & Greville (1993) found significant colour-naming impairments for body shape words both before and after the preload and that, further, there was no change in subjective hunger rating as a result of the preload.…”

“…Hunger levels, however, did not appear to be related to colour-naming times for body shape-related words. At first glance, this appears to be at variance with the findings of Ogden & Greville (1993). However, since Ogden & Greville (1993) do not present absolute colour-naming times, it is possible to interpret this finding either as a relative slowing in colour-naming times for body shape words or as a relative speeding up in the neutral matched words.…”

Hunger, caloric preloading and the selective processing of food and body shape words

“…However, since Ogden & Greville (1993) do not present absolute colour-naming times, it is possible to interpret this finding either as a relative slowing in colour-naming times for body shape words or as a relative speeding up in the neutral matched words. It is also the case that Ogden & Greville (1993) found significant colour-naming impairments for body shape words both before and after the preload and that, further, there was no change in subjective hunger rating as a result of the preload.…”

“…Hunger levels, however, did not appear to be related to colour-naming times for body shape-related words. At first glance, this appears to be at variance with the findings of Ogden & Greville (1993). However, since Ogden & Greville (1993) do not present absolute colour-naming times, it is possible to interpret this finding either as a relative slowing in colour-naming times for body shape words or as a relative speeding up in the neutral matched words.…”

Stroop interference and food intake

“…In these studies however, it was not tested to which extent either shape or the food-related target stimuli contributed to the effect. Also our findings are not entirely in accordance with the findings of Ogden and Greville (1993) and Mahamedi and Heatherton (1993). The reason for this could have to do with the difference in methods.…”

“…However, after a comparison of the post-preload attentional bias in restrained and unrestrained eaters one cannot conclude that bias was reliably stronger in restrained eaters. Results from a within-subject study by Ogden and Greville (1993) in which attentional biases before and after a preload were assessed point in a similar direction.…”

On the psychology of drinking: Being thirsty and perceptually ready

“…The present results also extend research on the effects of feelings of hunger and eating disorders on selective information processing (Green et al, 1994;Ogden & Greville, 1993;Overduin et al, 1995). The most widely (and successfully) used paradigm in these studies to assess responsiveness to food stimuli is the Stroop colour-naming task (for a review on this task, see McLeod, 1991).…”

Hunger, caloric preloading and the selective processing of food and body shape words

“…However, since Ogden & Greville (1993) do not present absolute colour-naming times, it is possible to interpret this finding either as a relative slowing in colour-naming times for body shape words or as a relative speeding up in the neutral matched words. It is also the case that Ogden & Greville (1993) found significant colour-naming impairments for body shape words both before and after the preload and that, further, there was no change in subjective hunger rating as a result of the preload.…”

“…Hunger levels, however, did not appear to be related to colour-naming times for body shape-related words. At first glance, this appears to be at variance with the findings of Ogden & Greville (1993). However, since Ogden & Greville (1993) do not present absolute colour-naming times, it is possible to interpret this finding either as a relative slowing in colour-naming times for body shape words or as a relative speeding up in the neutral matched words.…”

Stroop interference and food intake

“…In these studies however, it was not tested to which extent either shape or the food-related target stimuli contributed to the effect. Also our findings are not entirely in accordance with the findings of Ogden and Greville (1993) and Mahamedi and Heatherton (1993). The reason for this could have to do with the difference in methods.…”

“…However, after a comparison of the post-preload attentional bias in restrained and unrestrained eaters one cannot conclude that bias was reliably stronger in restrained eaters. Results from a within-subject study by Ogden and Greville (1993) in which attentional biases before and after a preload were assessed point in a similar direction.…”

On the psychology of drinking: Being thirsty and perceptually ready

“…The present results also extend research on the effects of feelings of hunger and eating disorders on selective information processing (Green et al, 1994;Ogden & Greville, 1993;Overduin et al, 1995). The most widely (and successfully) used paradigm in these studies to assess responsiveness to food stimuli is the Stroop colour-naming task (for a review on this task, see McLeod, 1991).…”

Hunger, caloric preloading and the selective processing of food and body shape words

“…However, since Ogden & Greville (1993) do not present absolute colour-naming times, it is possible to interpret this finding either as a relative slowing in colour-naming times for body shape words or as a relative speeding up in the neutral matched words. It is also the case that Ogden & Greville (1993) found significant colour-naming impairments for body shape words both before and after the preload and that, further, there was no change in subjective hunger rating as a result of the preload.…”

“…Hunger levels, however, did not appear to be related to colour-naming times for body shape-related words. At first glance, this appears to be at variance with the findings of Ogden & Greville (1993). However, since Ogden & Greville (1993) do not present absolute colour-naming times, it is possible to interpret this finding either as a relative slowing in colour-naming times for body shape words or as a relative speeding up in the neutral matched words.…”

Stroop interference and food intake

“…In these studies however, it was not tested to which extent either shape or the food-related target stimuli contributed to the effect. Also our findings are not entirely in accordance with the findings of Ogden and Greville (1993) and Mahamedi and Heatherton (1993). The reason for this could have to do with the difference in methods.…”

“…However, after a comparison of the post-preload attentional bias in restrained and unrestrained eaters one cannot conclude that bias was reliably stronger in restrained eaters. Results from a within-subject study by Ogden and Greville (1993) in which attentional biases before and after a preload were assessed point in a similar direction.…”

On the psychology of drinking: Being thirsty and perceptually ready

“…The present results also extend research on the effects of feelings of hunger and eating disorders on selective information processing (Green et al, 1994;Ogden & Greville, 1993;Overduin et al, 1995). The most widely (and successfully) used paradigm in these studies to assess responsiveness to food stimuli is the Stroop colour-naming task (for a review on this task, see McLeod, 1991).…”