The Effects of Cognitive Load on Craving Triggered by Food Cues in External Eaters

초록

This study examined the effects of cognitive load on attentional bias toward food cues in external eaters (EEs) through an eye-movement analysis. As EEs are easily driven to eat upon exposure to food cues, the present study examined the effects of cognitive load on the response toward food cues in EEs based on the elaborated intrusion theory. A total of 65 undergradu ates who have high (n= 33) or low (n= 32) levels of external eating were assigned to either high or low cognitive load condi tions and performed a cognitive load task. While they performed the load task, their implicit craving was measured with an eye-tracking device to examine the levels of attentional bias toward food cues during the task. After the task was completed, explicit craving was investigated through a questionnaire. The results showed that high EEs under a high cognitive load con dition showed lower implicit craving than under a low load condition while their explicit craving did not differ. This study suggests that cognitive load that induces cognitive distraction may lower implicit craving in high EEs.

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