Selective attention to food and body shape words in dieters and restrained nondieters

Abstract

The current study investigated the presence of an attentional bias towards the processing of body shape and food‐related material amongst noneating disordered women. Subjects carried out a computer‐based Stroop color‐naming task in which they had to name the colors of food‐related words, body shape‐related words, and two sets of matched neutral words. Significant color‐naming disruptions of both food and body shape‐related material were found for highly restrained eaters, irrespective of whether they were currently dieting. There were no reliable differences in color‐naming times found for low to medium restrained eaters. Procedural differences probably account for the failure of previous studies to reveal such effects in nonclinical groups. © 1993 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Cognitive and weight-related correlates of flexible and rigid restrained eating behaviour

“…Participants with eating disorders consistently exhibit attentional bias when processing diet and body-shape-related words (Dobson & Dozois, 2004) so it seems reasonable to suggest that the same may be true of obese and dieting participants (Green & Rogers, 1993), for whom these words are also resonant.…”

Components of attentional bias for food cues among restrained eaters

“…Previous research using the modified Stroop task has found that restrained eaters display a general attentional bias for food cues (Francis et al, 1997;Green & Rogers, 1993;Overduin et al, 1995;Perpina et al, 1993;Stewart & Samoluk, 1997). …”

“…The difference in reaction times for the food in neutral and the neutral in neutral matrix types was greater for restrained than for unrestrained eaters. This result shows that restrained eaters display an enhanced orientation of attention toward food cues, supporting interpretations of a heightened vigilance for food cues found in Attentional bias and dietary restraint 12 previous studies using other methodologies such as the Stroop task (Francis et al, 1997;Green & Rogers, 1993;Overduin et al, 1995;Perpina et al, 1993;Stewart & Samoluk, 1997). Most likely because of their preoccupation with food (Cogan & Ernsberger, 1999;Polivy & Herman, 2002), restrained eaters' attention is more readily captured by environmental food cues.…”

“…Restrained eaters are more attuned to food cues in the environment, and attempt to avoid these in order to control their body weight (Green, Elliman & Rogers, 1997;Green & Rogers, 1993). This food preoccupation affects the way in which restrained eaters process information about food.…”

“…This food preoccupation affects the way in which restrained eaters process information about food. In particular, using a modified Stroop task, several studies have shown that restrained eaters exhibit delayed colournaming of food words, indicative of an attentional bias for food cues (Francis, Stewart & Hounsell, 1997;Green & Rogers, 1993;Overduin, Jansen & Louwerse, 1995;Perpina, Hemsley, Treasure & de Silva, 1993;Stewart & Samoluk, 1997). This attentional favouring is an automatic process that occurs implicitly (i.e., outside of conscious awareness).…”