Bias modification training can alter approach bias and chocolate consumption.
Level 2 - randomized trial
Randomized controlled trial
PubMed 26375357 · doi:10.1016/j.appet.2015.09.014
What was done
A sample of 120 women aged 18 to 27 years was randomly assigned to either an approach-chocolate condition or an avoid-chocolate condition. Participants completed cognitive bias modification training designed to train them to approach or avoid pictorial chocolate stimuli. The researchers evaluated post-training approach bias toward chocolate stimuli and measured subsequent consumption during a chocolate muffin taste test.
What was found
The abstract reports directional findings without providing numerical values, effect sizes, or p-values. Participants trained to approach chocolate showed an increased approach bias to chocolate stimuli, while participants trained to avoid chocolate showed a reduced bias. Furthermore, participants trained to avoid chocolate consumed significantly less chocolate muffin in the subsequent taste test compared to those trained to approach chocolate.
Why it matters
The study demonstrates that implicit approach tendencies toward palatable foods can be experimentally manipulated to alter immediate food intake, supporting dual-process models of eating behavior.
Limits
The abstract does not report specific numerical data, effect sizes, or variance estimates. The sample was restricted to young adult women, limiting generalizability to men, other age groups, or individuals with obesity or clinical eating disorders. The experiment evaluated only immediate food intake during an artificial laboratory taste test, leaving long-term behavioral changes and real-world dietary impact unmeasured.
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