Suggesting childhood food illness results in reduced eating behavior

The consequences of suggesting false childhood food events

“…Several published studies have demonstrated actual behavioral consequences of false autobiographical beliefs and memories (Geraerts et al, 2008;Mantonakis et al, 2013;Scoboria, Mazzoni, Jarry, & Bernstein, 2012;Scoboria et al, 2008). Further work is needed to establish whether the indirect link established in the current study between suggestion and behavior intention via autobiographical belief also holds for the link between suggestion and actual behavior.…”

“…Research has shown that merely suggesting to people that they experienced a particular event in the past, for example, that they had become ill after eating spoiled peach yogurt, can directly affect how much peach yogurt they consume currently (Scoboria, Mazzoni, & Jarry, 2008). However, other studies have shown that the consequences surrounding suggested food-related events are stronger in those who come to believe the suggestion than in those who do not believe the suggestion (e.g., Berkowitz, Laney, Morris, Garry, & Loftus, 2008).…”

Creating Memories for False Autobiographical Events in Childhood: A Systematic Review

“…Given the known difficulty participants have in interpreting questions about memory (Ost et al, 2008; Sjöden, Granhag, Ost, & Roos af Hjelmsäter, 2009; Smeets et al, 2006; Smeets et al, 2009), it would probably be premature to estimate the number of full autobiographical memories and to distinguish these from actual experiences, for example, of eating asparagus or yoghourt. It is interesting that despite these uncertainties, a number of the studies succeeded in bringing about small behavioural changes in their participants, for example, changing the amount of available food consumed in the laboratory (Scoboria, Mazzoni, & Jarry, 2008; Scoboria et al, 2012). …”

Influence of general and specific autobiographical recall on subsequent behavior: The case of cognitive performance

“…Furthermore, Scoboria, Mazzoni, and Jarry (2008) have shown that for an event to influence subsequent behavior it does not even necessarily have to be true. In their study, participants who were led to believe that they were sick on fruit yoghurt in childhood ate less yoghurt but not less crackers in a subsequent, ostensibly unrelated food tasting task, than those who were not led to believe this.…”