Self-Control and Impulsiveness in Nondieting Adult Human Females: Effects of Visual Food Cues and Food Deprivation

• Published in: The Psychological record Vol. 60; no. 4; pp. 587 - 608
• Main Authors: Forzano, Lori-Ann B., Chelonis, John J., Casey, Caitlin, Forward, Marion, Stachowiak, Jacqueline A., Wood, Jenifer
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cham Springer International Publishing 01.10.2010; Southern Illinois University Carbondale; The Association for Behavior Analysis International; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Adults; Behavioral Science and Psychology; College Students; Cues; Deprivation; Dieting; Disadvantaged; Disadvantaged Environment; Experiments; Females; Food; Food habits; Hunger; Impulse; Impulsivity; Individual Differences; Manipulation; Psychological Patterns; Psychology; Questionnaires; Reinforcement; Reinforcement (Psychology); Responses; Self Control; Selfcontrol; Stimuli; Visual Stimuli; United States; self-control; deprivation; food cues; choice; impulsiveness; adults
• ISSN: 0033-2933; 2163-3452
• DOI: 10.1007/BF03395734

Self-control can be defined as the choice of a larger, more delayed rein-forcer over a smaller, less delayed reinforcer, and impulsiveness as the opposite. Previous research suggests that exposure to visual food cues affects adult humans’ self-control. Previous research also suggests that food deprivation decreases adult humans’ self-control. The present experiment used 11 adult human females who were not currently dieting to explore the interactive effects of visual food cues and food deprivation on choice behavior in a self-control paradigm. The results demonstrate that exposure to visual food cues, in conjunction with food deprivation, has significant effects on self-control for food reinforcers in adults who are not dieting. Specifically, when food cues were absent, participants demonstrated significantly more self-control when deprived than when not deprived. No significant differences were found when food cues were present.