title: The impact of holiday eating cues on self-regulatory bolstering for dieters and non-dieters.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Two studies examined the hypothesis that the presence vs. absence of holiday food cues leads dieters to bolster self-regulatory resources and reduce consumption of a snack food. Study 1 evaluated snack-food consumption on a holiday vs. a non-holiday and in Study 2, the proposed underlying mechanism--the bolstering of self-regulatory resources when facing holiday-related cues--was explored.
  
  
  METHODS
  Study 1 followed a quasi-experimental design in which participants (N = 152) consumed candies either on a holiday or a non-holiday. Dieting behaviour was measured and the main outcome measure was consumption quantity. In Study 2, a true experiment, participants (N = 110) read primes associated with holiday eating, holiday history or a neutral topic. Self-regulatory bolstering was assessed as the main outcome measure.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Study 1 showed that dieters consume more of a food item on an ordinary day relative to a holiday; the consumption patterns of non-dieters did not vary based on holiday cues. Study 2 demonstrated that dieters, but not non-dieters, bolster self-regulatory resources to a greater extent in the presence vs. absence of a holiday food cue.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Dieters are better equipped to defend their diet-related goals when facing strong holiday-related temptations than weaker, everyday temptations.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Marketing and International Business , Iona College , New Rochelle , NY , USA.
authors.forename: Chrissy M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Martins
authors.forename: Beth
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Vallen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003463:Cues; D004032:Diet / Q000523:psychology*; D004435:Eating / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006693:Holidays; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012927:Social Control, Informal; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: dietary restraint; food consumption; food cues; holiday; self-regulatory bolstering