Impulsivity moderates the effect of approach bias modification on healthy food consumption.
Level 2 - randomized trial
Individual randomized controlled trial
PubMed 28647384 · doi:10.1016/j.appet.2017.06.019
What was done
A sample of 200 undergraduate women aged 17 to 26 years was randomized into one of five conditions of a single 10-minute approach-avoidance task. Conditions varied the training direction (approach versus avoid) for healthy food, unhealthy food, and non-food cues. Investigators evaluated post-training approach bias toward healthy and unhealthy food, the proportion of healthy versus unhealthy snack food consumed afterward, and whether trait impulsivity moderated the effect of training on consumption.
What was found
The abstract reports directional outcomes without exact numerical values, effect sizes, or p-values: - Training in the 'avoid unhealthy food/approach healthy food' condition significantly increased approach bias for healthy food. - Trait impulsivity significantly moderated the training effect on snack consumption: participants high in impulsivity consumed a greater proportion of healthy snack food after the 'avoid unhealthy food/approach healthy food' training.
Why it matters
The findings suggest that automatic approach-bias retraining may be particularly effective at modifying dietary choices in individuals with lower self-regulatory control.
Limits
The abstract provides no exact numbers, confidence intervals, or effect sizes. The sample was restricted to young adult female university students, limiting generalizability to men, broader age ranges, or clinical populations with disordered eating. The intervention consisted of a single 10-minute laboratory session, leaving the persistence and real-world transfer of the behavioral effect unmeasured.
Cited by
- supports Approach-avoidance training using joystick movements away from temptations and toward healthy choices can improve self-control and dietary evaluations over time.