Abstract
Although eating desires can be easily learned, their extinction appears more difficult. The present two-session study aimed to investigate the role of eating expectancies in the short and longer-term extinction of eating desires. In addition, the relationship between eating desires and conditioned evaluations was examined to test whether they might share a similar mechanism. It was hypothesized that the short-term extinction of eating desires would be more successful after the disconfirmation of eating expectancies (instructed extinction or IE), while resulting in worse longer-term extinction because omission of the food reward during extinction is not surprising. In contrast to the hypotheses, it was found that IE had no effect on the short-term and longer-term extinction of eating desires. Eating desires correlated with conditioned evaluations only to some extent. It is concluded that eating expectancies do not mediate the short-term extinction of conditioned eating desires. In addition, their longer-term extinction does not appear to be facilitated by a greater violation of eating expectancies. This suggests that it might not be necessary to focus on expectancy violation in cue exposure therapy to reduce eating desires.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 10-17 |
Number of pages | 8 |
Journal | Appetite |
Volume | 100 |
Issue number | 1 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 1 May 2016 |
Keywords
- Appetitive conditioning
- Instructed extinction
- Extinction
- Spontaneous recovery
- Expectancy violation
- Cue exposure therapy
- FOOD-CUE EXPOSURE
- INSTRUCTED EXTINCTION
- STIMULUS VALENCE
- BULIMIA-NERVOSA
- RESPONSES
- OVERWEIGHT
- REACTIVITY
- RESISTANT
- FEAR
- REACQUISITION